Going to The Movies

I’m kind of…erm…embarrassed about this one, but I’m quite excited about a new game that’s due out in November. So, it’s…uh…kind of like The Sims, but with celebrities and glitz and cinema.

The Movies, which took top slot for Best Simulation from “IGN’s Best of E3 2005″ awards, that allows you to play the agent, director, screenplay writer and studio manager in the high power world of Hollywood. Using the StarMaker feature you can create your next screen goddess or action hero, giving them not only extensively customizable looks (such as the ability to combine two character look types for unique appearances) but also to give them a personality, an option that could make or break them in the movie world. As director you must take these factors (and many many more) into account when casting and shooting your film, or on set turbulence, delayed production and poor box-office performances await you upon release. Of course that doesn’t stop you from placing two actresses that can’t stand each other in a movie just to see what happens, and it also doesn’t prevent you from making the most arrogant addict of an actor that you can dream up. Depends on how you want to play the game.

With an easy drag and drop interface, expect to spend more time playing and less time mired down in the unnecessary shackles of statistics. Lionhead Studios has cleaned up and simplified control of the action, so that even the laziest bum (such as myself) shouldn’t be bored by forced micro-management. Players have plenty of opportunity to take a hands on approach, or if they choose, to allow The Movies to do the work for them.

According to IGN, the game timeline goes a little like this:

The game will start out with players inheriting an empty and dusty lot in the 1920s with nothing but the lot, a bit of cash, and a dream. From there, players will have to build up their lot by constructing administrative and recreational buildings, actor trailers, and elaborate sets. Each of these is placed like they would be in any other city building type game. Paths and decorations will also have to be placed in order to bring prestige to the studio.

More items, sets, and technologies all have to be researched over time. Seeing as the game starts in the ’20s, it’s not exactly surprising that they don’t have the latest special effects. Hell, they don’t even have sound. Part of the race through time will be to be the first studio to put out new features in movies.

You also have control over post-filming modifications and may add subtitles, scores and even voice overs to make your movie a blockbuster. Progress through the timeline with your (hopefully) expanding studio and growing list of stars until 2005, when the Centennial Awards takes place. There your efforts over the past decades will be judged against other studios. Will you come out as #1? Be prepared to test your business sense, to see how well you can read the public market, and to chase your dreams of movie stardom.