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Wannabe movie moguls who idolize Carl Laemmle or Harvey Weinstein can carry out their Hollywood dreams in The Movies, which casts you as a studio executive, building a production house from silent-era beginnings to modern, big-budget times. While the game often lampoons the industry, The Movies follows a fairly linear simulation script where players churn out productions to succeed. But detailed movie-creation tools for user-generated videos twists the game more than an M. Night Shyamalan ending.

The Movies requires you to continuously put scripts into production to support the studio. As in other simulation games, you need to balance your cost overhead (sets, actors, maintenance, and so on) while keeping a steady income. Happy (read: well-paid) directors create the best products, and new landscaping may also attract better employees. Workers can even research new sets, costumes, buildings, and techniques, which then become available for you to use.

The moviemaking tools add an entirely different way to play. You can choose, customize, and arrange a menu of shots. For example, a shot of two actors fighting could be set on a spaceship with options for conflict intensity and camera angle. Players can even dub dialogue over the game’s gibberish and then share their completed movies online. While it’s engaging, spending hours tweaking your shots won’t influence the virtual public’s reaction to a feature.

The bottom line. While The Movies often feels like a remake each time you play, an astounding number of options will keep simulation fans satisfied.

COMPANY: Feral Interactive

CONTACT: www.feralinteractive.com

PRICE: $49.95

REQUIREMENTS: 1.67GHz G4 or faster or Intel processor, Mac OS 10.4.9 or later, 512MB RAM, 4GB free disk space

Hundreds of options to explore and unlock. Tutorials and hints explain as you play. Extensive moviemaking tools with exportable video. Sandbox mode lets players focus on moviemaking. Includes Flip4Mac Studio. Universal binary.

Repetitive, linear gameplay. User-created movies don’t closely influence simulation game. Vast moviemaking and game options take a while to learn.