Activision has semi-quietly announced that creative sim/game The Movies will not be expanding beyond the PC realm. The Movies has more in common with Mario Paint than a standard video game in that it allows users to create their own little computer-generated movies. Users play director basically, manipulating digital actors and creating animated scenes. The original plan was for the program to hit the three major game consoles in addition to the PC, but poor sales have scuttled those plans.
Activision's obfuscation ended yesterday, when, during a conference call with analysts, the company revealed that all console versions of the Movies had been canned. Activision Chief Financial Officer Thomas Tippl didn't mince words about the game's fate. "We canceled The Movies slated for consoles in fiscal '07 due to underperformance on the PC," he said.
The Movies was a very ambitious project and while I'm sure the PC version has some niche appeal, it's just not the kind of software that sells among the masses. I think part of the problem is that technologically it's just too soon for this kind of program to work like the audience expects it will. I've seen some of the little films generated by The Movies and walked away disappointed. In the films I've seen the characters don't actually speak and instead mime their emotions while text subtitles reveal the dialog. The computer actors also have those unsettling polygonal faces with empty soulless eyes, and watching empty-eyed polygons try to emote isn't all that entertaining. The Movies should come back in a generation or two and try again when the technology catches up with the creative intent.
