When Activision and Lionhead Studios released their latest simulation title, The Movies, they probably had no idea that the game would become an instrument for social commentary. Nevertheless, French designer Alex Chan took advantage of the title’s machinima capabilities to produce a short film that has been garnering international media attention for its take on the political climate that led to the wave of race riots that recently swept through parts of France.
The Movies allows gamers to take control of a major motion picture studio, building it from the ground up and calling all the shots on their own flicks. Players try to stay ahead of the fierce competition by obtaining the best scripts and making sound business and creative decisions.
Titled The French Democracy, Chan’s film was posted on the game’s official website (www.themoviesgame.com) on Nov. 22 and has since attracted the attention of such major news outlets as The Washington Post, Business Week and leading French publication 20 Minutes.
More than a million users have logged onto The Movies site since its Nov. 8 launch. Most visitors come to watch the gamer-made movies, which now number more than 19,000 with new entries being uploaded each day. Players can easily post their creations from within the game while their consoles are connected to the Internet.
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