The Movies Is Cancelled by Activision

“The Movies,” a unique Sims-like game for the PC, won’t be going to the screens of game consoles as was previously expected. In 2003, Activision and Lionhead Studios announced that “The Movies” would be released for the PC and game consoles. Peter Molyneux, who has a reputation as a talented producer, was behind the creative juices which led to “The Movies.” The scenario of the title begins in the 1920’s, where the gamer puts together all the elements of a successful movie company; from evaluating scripts, hiring talent and directors all the way to the debut of the movie. When the project was first announced, Larry Goldberg, vice president of Activision Worldwide said, "Peter is undoubtedly one of the most talented video game designers in the world, and Lionhead is one of the very few development studios with the knowledge and resources to develop a game that will allow players to fulfill the fantasy of building a movie empire." The PC version was released in 2005, and for the most part, received good reviews. (See what GamerNode thought about this game in the GN review.) But evidently, not well enough to be developed for game consoles, as it has been dumped from Activision’s line-up. What happened? According to CFO Thomas Tippl, "We canceled The Movies slated for consoles in fiscal '07 due to underperformance on the PC." Activision released information that its third quarter earnings, as compared to last year, fell short by 30%. This latest news about “The Movies,” being cancelled for the 2007 season, is sure to get the shareholder’s attention and concern over Activision’s health and well-being.