The Movies premieres on PCs

Peter Molyneux is ready for this close-up. Or is his game is, anyway. Today, the game designer's long-awaited cinema sim, The Movies, shipped for PCs. Rated T for Teen, the game sells for $49.99. It was also announced for current-generation consoles, though their release dates have yet to be determined.

Developed by Molyneux's Lionhead Studios and published by Activision, The Movies puts players in the tailored suit of a movie mogul circa 1900. Over the next 100 years, they must craft a studio that can withstand the various periods of the cinematic age by producing consistent hits and by retaining talent.

Besides managing the studio's finances and coping with the usual pitfalls of Hollywood--shooting troubles, temperamental actors, and more--players of The Movies will get to make actual movies. The game will sport more than 7,000 scene types, 45 sets, and "countless" combinations of costumes.

The Movies will also let players engage in an ongoing "virtual film festival" via the game's official Web site, www.themoviesgame.com. The site will let players enter their films in various competitions, as well as let them show their films to the public. The site will have new props and unspecified "new content" available for download, which can be paid for with virtual online credits. Players will earn these credits whenever a viewer rates one of their films highly, making it a simulated box office of sorts.

GameSpot's previous coverage has more info for those who want to research the role of movie mogul, and a full review of The Movies will be up later today.