You’re in the Movies uses the Xbox Live camera to capture all of what you do and splice it with pre-rendered videos in its extensive library of genre-based clips to create your very own, very wacky, home movie. At the more “hardcore” level, the game works like video editing software, letting you record music and dub tracks and edit together clips to create incredibly long – and incredibly wacky – movies of you running, arm-waving and generally embarrassing yourself in the name of fun.

Despite my viral handicap, I made the most of what developer Zoe Mode had to offer, choosing the Ninja School clip from the massive movie clip library. The clips ranged in genre from Western to film noir. Then I followed orders barked at my by both the game’s simulated director and the PR reps who kept shoving hot tea down my throat to keep me going.

You’re in the Movies doesn’t seem as straightforward to me as “Lights, camera, action.” That’s probably because most of what you’re doing to create the action is motion-based mini-games. So instead of slicing and dicing ninjas, like I thought I’d be doing, I got to throw a paper airplane, run in place, and pull up a bucket full of treasure on the end of a rope. My “co-stars” were doing the same things too, and each mini-game doled out a score towards an overall total. This competition would have been more interesting if all the bugs had been worked out such that we didn’t keep getting the same score.

Besides the mini-games that seem more appropriate to the Wii than the Xbox 360, there were also “acting exercises” where the little in-game director demands that the player get pretty close to the camera (close enough to clearly make out your face) and act out emotions or mime coughing, etc. My favorite was the one where they had us strike a kung-fu pose – it reminded me that soon there’d be ninjas and then I could stop flailing around like a moron with a sore throat.

I lost track of time during the motion-capture phase – I want to say this was because I was having so much fun, but realistically it’s because the cold medicine wore off and time became an endless haze of sick. But at some point after about ten acting exercises and mini-games, I was allowed to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I was a little disappointed to find that you couldn’t take your homemade movies horrors with you everywhere and that you don’t have complete control during the editing process. For example, you can compile your clips and email them to yourself from your Xbox Live account so that you’ll have it on your computer.

But why would you want to do that? You can’t even edit it on any conventional software, and I’m not really sure you can post it to YouTube (and even if you did, what’s the point when you could post it Xbox Live?). The editing software will let you use different clips from different hard drives (so your friend could record a scene and bring it to you on a memory card), but but unless you’re all in the same room at the same time, you and your friend can’t be in the same scene.

The thing to remember is that You’re in the Movies is the kind of game you’d bring to a dinner party with your extended family – particularly if they don’t know jack about games. You can lie to them and say You’re in the Movies isn’t a video game, it’s a home movie maker – or you can stress that it’s a casual game meant for everybody. When you get to the editing part, it may be a little too complex to stick with the casual game argument – but watching Granny flinging shuriken at your little step-cousin in the final cut will definitely get a laugh from the whole family.

You’re in the Movies came out November 18 – right in the middle of my death cold – and it looks like it comes with the Xbox Live Camera.

“Since we re-branded last year we have had an enormous interest in the studio from both publishers and new recruits” says Ed Daly, Studio Head. “Following on from our huge growth in Brighton where we are now approaching 150 staff, we felt the time was right to open a second studio. This will enable us to take on more projects and staff without losing the intimate company culture that is so central to our approach”.

The new studio will hit the ground running, with two projects lined up for the new team, overseen by current Zoë Mode Brighton executive producer Nick Rodriguez.

Zoë Mode® Announces New London Studio

Following their hugely successful first year since Kuju Brighton rebranded, music and party game specialist Zoë Mode is pleased to announce the formation of Zoë Mode London. Launching on 1st September 2008, the studio will be based near the south bank of the Thames in central London and will be led by Nick Rodriguez, currently Executive Producer at Zoë Mode Brighton.

“Since we re-branded last year we have had an enormous interest in the studio from both publishers and new recruits” says Ed Daly, Studio Head. “Following on from our huge growth in Brighton where we are now approaching 150 staff, we felt the time was right to open a second studio. This will enable us to take on more projects and staff without losing the intimate company culture that is so central to our approach”.

With two projects already lined up and a core team established from the Brighton studio, Zoë Mode London is set to grow quickly.

Nick Rodriguez, Studio Head London;
“London has been a development hub for the games industry for many years now, which means that there’s a fantastic pool of talent here to join our new studio. We’re looking for staff in all disciplines and we’re really excited about the opportunities that being in London present to us”.

For more information about Zoë Mode London and details of positions available please visit: www.zoemode.com

Formerly Kuju Brighton, Zoë Mode has been responsible for several rhythm-action games over the past few years, including Dancing with the Stars and Singstar, in collaboration with Sony London Studio. The cheeky blonde's official website also indicates that they are working on five unannounced music and party games on top of Konami's Rock Revolution. That's one busy cute blonde right there.

Zoë Mode to develop Rock Revolution [GI.biz]

I'm still excited that the game is coming out mind you, especially after these shots of the fairground levels put to rest any fears I had about lack of level variety. It's just the little new game dance I do at the store might be just a tad less enthusiastic for it. Michael Fahey

We've created Zo Mode; she is the personality that reflects our in-house philosophy of accessible, fun gaming for everyone."

Zo Mode

From today Kuju's Brighton studio is reborn as Zo Mode.

Zo Mode's Studio Head Ed Daly elaborates, "This studio has had great success over the last three years focusing on fresh gaming experiences for new audiences. We've shipped several very successful, high quality titles and grown to 100 staff and now the time is right to rename the studio. We've created Zo Mode; she is the personality that reflects our in-house philosophy of accessible, fun gaming for everyone."

Since setting up in 2003 the teams from Zo Mode have worked on EyeToy : Play 3, EyeToy : Play Sports, SingStar : Rocks, SingStar :Anthems & SingStar : Legends, all in collaboration with Sony London Studio.

Ed Daly continues, "Zo allows us to have some fun with the image of the studio but of course what matters most is the games we make. We have built up a great team, a really diverse crowd for a game developer, and an internal culture that reflects the fun and creative values that come through in our games. By taking control of the public face of the studio we will be able to reinforce this unique identity and specialist expertise further."

Zo Mode remains a part of Kuju Studios which continues to provide corporate support, and opportunities to share technology and collaborate with the other Kuju studios.

Although very different to the party games developed with Sony, the first title to be released under the new name will be CRUSH , recently announced by SEGA Europe Ltd, another fresh and original title from the studio now known as Zo Mode. www.zoemode.com