I started playing one of the two games I got with my Christmas money (the other being Stubbs the Zombie). Molyneux's The Movies feels like a well-made sim game so far—not that different than Zoo Tycoon. It has lots of good humor, though, and I can see that the sandbox mode is going to be mucho fun.

I've noticed two things that interest me about the game so far. The first is the intellectual property component of the TOS. As expected, there's a clause saying that everything in the game or produced by the game is the sole property of Activision. Expected, but annoying when the game specifically says you can make your own movies with it. Then the next clause says elements created by individuals for the game remain copyrighted by the creator. So if I make a cool movie using in-game elements, I still own copyright. Cool. But here's the real kicker—I'm prohibited from selling any movies I make (though I can redistribute them) and Activision has the right to take/use/redistribute anything I distribute that I make with the game. It's an interesting line to try to reason out. Nonetheless, I can tell I am going to enjoy the game.

The second thing I noticed is the humor throughout the game. At one point, my screenwriter is in the bathroom and his bubble says he's 'pinching one off.' Yikes. Later, I read some reviews of my studio--Ivory Tower films. I'll admit up front that I'm not so good at selecting the best spots for my buildings, but was this necessary?