Scene It?

Last updated
Scene It?
Scene it game logo.png
Genre Trivia
Creator(s)Screenlife Games
Publisher(s)Screenlife Games (2002-2012)
Mattel (2003-2008)
Imagination Games and Paramount Pictures (2022-present)
First releaseMovie Edition
Latest releaseMovies Edition
2022

Scene It? is an interactive film series created by Screenlife Games, in which players answer trivia questions about films or pop culture. The games were first developed to be played with questions read from trivia cards or viewed on a television from an included DVD or based on clips from movies, TV shows, music videos, sports and other popular culture phenomena. Scene It? was released on mobile and console platforms. After discontinuation in 2012, the series was revived in 2022, with streaming functionality replacing DVDs. It is owned by Paramount Pictures since 2008.

Contents

History

Screenlife Games, the game company that invented and produced Scene It?, was founded in 2001 by two entrepreneurs, Craig Kinzer and David Long. Craig Kinzer served as the majority shareholder and chairman of the board, while David Long assumed the role of CEO.

The game's inception came from David's use of VHS tapes for Halloween parties, which sparked Craig's idea of utilizing DVDs and DVD players as game machines. They devised a code to embed on DVDs that transformed any DVD player into a random game machine. With hundreds of millions of DVD players already distributed worldwide, Scene It? quickly gained popularity.

The secret to their success, apart from the innovative DVD code, was their ability to secure licensing agreements with major studios and associated actors and writers. Through persuasive negotiations, Dave and Craig convinced these studios to reduce their licensing costs to a share of a small pool based on the game's gross revenue. To this day, Scene It? stands as the only product boasting involvement from all of the major studios including Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and DreamWorks Pictures. These studios were among the most prominent and influential in the film industry at that time.

Their first breakthrough came when Angela Lansbury agreed to be featured in the game, followed by Tom Cruise. With studios, Universal and Fox, plus a few notable actors on board, Screenlife's licensing business flourished. The company established two royalty pools—one for studios and one for actors—encompassing thousands of individuals or entities.

To enhance gameplay, they incorporated elements from other popular games like Concentration and Pictionary, creating unique play scenarios that challenged participants with movie-themed questions. For instance, Craig's youngest son, Austin, conceived the idea of using Concentration by displaying a spinning top on the screen, followed by an image of a gun after a few seconds, prompting players to guess the movie. These innovative additions were provided free of charge, incurring no additional expenses to Screenlife.

One of their additional secrets to success was the transition from selling mere discs to creating an entire board game in a large game box. This strategic move boosted the retail price from $10 to $50, further solidifying their market position and profitability. Scene It? debuted during Christmas 2002 through Wizards of the Coast and Nordstrom. Its initial season of sales exceeded all expectations, surpassing the competition, despite the countless games that fail to gain traction each year.

Recognizing the game's potential, Mattel secured a licensing agreement, leading to its availability in Walmart and stores nationwide. On October 7, 2008, Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, closed on its acquisition of Screenlife, marking a significant monetization for the company. Screenlife's establishment coincided with the widespread adoption of DVD players, and its sale occurred just before the rise of streaming and other digital media. The series was discontinued in 2012 when Paramount closed the studio. [1]

In 2022, Paramount revived Scene It? as a streaming board game. [2]

Gameplay

Players choose either a short or long game by adjusting the "Flextime" game board: For a short game, the board is folded so fewer spaces show. Each player throws a six-sided die to see who goes first. Then, the player rolls both the ordinary die and a customized eight-sided "category die" to see how far they move, and what challenge they face. The challenge can range from a trivia card question, a DVD challenge, ("My Play" or "All Play"), or they may have to draw a "Buzz card" (Cards are often renamed in special editions, such as a "Prime Directive" card in the Star Trek edition). If the roller wins the challenge, they can go again, but if they lose, the dice are handed to the next player. This process keeps going until someone hits the All Play to Win stop sign, in which that player must win one final All Play, in which everyone participates, in order to win. If not, they go to ring 3 of the zone called Final Cut. There, they must answer 3 questions right. If that falls through, then on the next turn they only have to answer 2 questions, and if they fail that as well, they answer 1 question on every following turn. If a Final Cut challenge is won, then they win the game, and they get to watch a victory scene on the DVD.

All DVDs of Scene It? use Optreve DVD Enhancement Technology, designed to reshuffle itself every time it is inserted into the DVD player. In some instances, the DVD player may reset the system, and in this case, the DVD will reshuffle itself before returning players to the game menu. If a question from a previous game is shown in the same session, players can hit the "Return" button on their remote in order to start a new question. Some DVD players do not support this technology, but players can choose from 20 to 25 (depends on version) pre-set games to play. As their title suggests, these game sets are not random, and stay constant, no matter how many times the DVD is reset.

List of games

Main series releases

Game Packs

Game Packs are expansions that can be added to any Scene It? Game or can be played by themselves.

"To Go!": Editions

To Go! Editions are versions of standard games that were meant to be played in cars using portable DVD players or a car's built in DVD player. The board was smaller and used magnetic pieces to stick to the board.

Canceled editions

In 2012, in celebration of Scene It?'s 10th anniversary, two games were announced. These games would be canceled as Paramount Pictures closed Screenlife later that year.

Video games

A video game version of Scene It?, entitled Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action was released for the Xbox 360 on November 6, 2007. It featured 20 new game modes/categories and special game show-style "Big Button Controllers". The first sequel, Scene It? Box Office Smash was released on October 28, 2008, featuring the new Xbox 360 Avatars. A second sequel, Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! was released on November 17, 2009, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii. Opting for a multi-platform approach, this title abandoned the avatars in favor of more generic characters. After Scene It? Twilight two sequels were released: on November 18, 2010, Scene It? Harry Potter HD for iOS and on November 30, 2011, Scene It? Movie Night for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Two unsuccessful, web-only versions of the game, Scene It? Online, and Scene It? Daily, [3] [4] were made available online, on Facebook, and on mobile platforms. Scene It? Online borrowed strongly from the DVD games' format, including video clips, sound clips, and puzzles. Scene It? Daily was predominantly text based, and represented a major departure from the multimedia-centric roots of the series. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Trivial Pursuit</i> Board game

Trivial Pursuit is a board game in which winning is determined by a player's ability to answer trivia and popular culture questions. Players move their pieces around a board, the squares they land on determining the subject of a question they are asked from a card. Each correct answer allows the player's turn to continue; a correct answer on one of the six "category headquarters" spaces earns a plastic wedge which is slotted into the answerer's playing piece. The object of the game is to collect all six wedges from each "category headquarters" space, and then return to the center "hub" space to answer a question in a category selected by the other players.

<i>The Rugrats Movie</i> 1998 film by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien

The Rugrats Movie is a 1998 American animated comedy film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series, Rugrats. It was directed by Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien and was written by David N. Weiss & J. David Stem. The film features the voices of E. G. Daily, Tara Charendoff, Christine Cavanaugh, Kath Soucie, Cheryl Chase, Cree Summer, Jack Riley, Melanie Chartoff, Michael Bell and Joe Alaskey, along with guest stars David Spade, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Cho, Busta Rhymes, and Tim Curry. The film takes place between the events of the series' fifth and sixth seasons. The Rugrats Movie is the first feature film based on a Nicktoon and the first installment in the Rugrats film series.

Xbox Games Store is a digital distribution platform currently used by Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console and formerly by the Xbox One. The service allows users to download or purchase video games, add-ons for existing games, game demos along with other miscellaneous content such as gamer pictures and Dashboard themes.

<i>Cars</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Cars is a 2006 adventure racing game published by THQ. The game is based on the 2006 film of the same name. It was released for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable in June 2006, with versions for the Xbox 360 and Wii released later that year. The Wii version includes functionality geared towards its Wii Remote controller and was a launch game for the system. Taking place after the events of the film, the game follows Lightning McQueen as he participates in the new racing season with his goal set on finally winning the Piston Cup. While doing so, he races and trains with the local community of Radiator Springs.

<i>Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action</i> 2007 video game

Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action is a video game adaptation of the popular DVD-based party game of the same name exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game features over 1,800 questions. Downloadable content through Xbox Live was planned for the game for early 2008, but it never materialized, most likely due to the release of the sequel, Scene It? Box Office Smash. The game was introduced at E3 2007 by Microsoft and released on November 6, 2007. The game includes footage from many movies including Kramer vs. Kramer, Caveman, and Charlie's Angels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spin Master</span> Canadian toy and entertainment company

Spin Master Corp. is a Canadian multinational children's toy and entertainment company. Spin Master employs over 1,600 people globally with offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.

<i>Blood Bowl</i> (2009 video game) 2009 video game

Blood Bowl is a 2009 fantasy sports video game developed by Cyanide, loosely based on gridiron football, and adapted from the board game of the same name, which is produced by Games Workshop, using the CRP ruleset. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, iOS, and Android.

<i>Scene It? Box Office Smash</i> 2008 video game

Scene It? Box Office Smash is a party game and the adaptation of Scene It? for the Xbox 360. It is the sequel to Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action. The game was developed by Krome Studios and Screenlife Games and released on October 28, 2008. The title is one of the first games to feature Xbox Live Avatars. A downloadable question pack called "Award Winners" is available on Xbox Live Marketplace, offering 800 new questions.

<i>Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4</i> 2010 action-adventure video game

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. The game is based on the Lego Harry Potter toy line, and its storyline covers the first four books by J.K. Rowling and its film adaptations in the Harry Potter film series: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).

<i>Disney Think Fast</i> 2008 video game

Disney Think Fast is a Disney-themed trivia game show-based game developed by Magenta Software and published by Disney Interactive Studios. The game was released for the Wii in North America on October 21, 2008, and for Europe, Australia and Japan in December. The game was also released for PlayStation 2 in North America on November 7, November 14 in Europe, and in Australia on December 5.

Tron is an American science fiction media franchise created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. It began with the eponymous 1982 film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The original film portrays Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a genius computer programmer and video game developer who becomes transported inside a digital virtual reality known as "The Grid", where he interacts with programs in his quest to escape.

<i>Scene It? Twilight</i> 2009 video game

Scene It? Twilight is a movie trivia video game developed by Screenlife Games and published by Konami for the Wii and the Nintendo DS. The Wii version was released in North America on November 24, 2009, and in Europe on March 19, 2010. The iPhone version was released in the United States on October 17, 2009. The game is part of the Scene It? movie trivia series.

Days of Thunder is a stock car racing video game produced by Paramount Digital Entertainment and developed by Piranha Games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released in February 2011 and is a spin-off of the 1990 film Days of Thunder in which the player is a rookie driver coached by Rowdy Burns, the antagonist from the film. The game received very little critical feedback; those that did review the game had generally negative commentary. Reviewers felt that the cars handled unrealistically, but one reviewer noted that some issues could be fixed with a patch.

<i>Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!</i> 2009 video game

Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! is a trivia video game developed by Artificial Mind and Movement and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE), and part of the Scene It? series of games. It was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii on November 17, 2009 in North America, and in December 2009 in Europe and Australia. The game features puzzles from high-grossing films at the time and from films considered the best.

<i>Fantasia</i> (franchise) American media franchise owned by The Walt Disney Company

Fantasia is an American media franchise owned by The Walt Disney Company that commenced in 1940 with the theatrical release of the film of the same name.

<i>MovieCat!</i> 2010 video game

MovieCat! - Movie Trivia Game is an iOS trivia game developed by American studio OtherWise Games and released on September 11, 2010. It was followed by a sequel entitled MovieCat 2 - The Movie Trivia Game Sequel! which was released on Dec 19, 2013.

<i>South Park</i> (franchise) American comedy franchise

South Park is an American multimedia adult animated comedy franchise created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It is based on the television series of the same name, developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central.

<i>The Incredibles</i> (franchise) American media franchise

The Incredibles is an American media franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios. Brad Bird wrote and directed both films, and Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, and Samuel L. Jackson are part of the cast. The first film, The Incredibles, was released in November 5, 2004 and received acclaim from critics, winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The second film, Incredibles 2, was released in June 15 2018, received mostly positive reviews and set the record for best opening weekend for an animated film with $183 million. The series has grossed a combined $1.8 billion worldwide.

References

  1. ↑ Tu, Janet I. (2012-03-07). "Maker of Scene It? movie-trivia game shutting down". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  2. ↑ Gamestar+. "Scene It? is BACK and BETTER THAN EVER! Are you ready to play the ultimate Hollywood trivia game? All hosted by Mario Lopez, game night just got 🔥!". Twitter. Archived from the original on Aug 3, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  3. ↑ Bishop, Todd (July 13, 2011). "'Scene It?' goes daily with unified trivia game across web, devices". GeekWire. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 Webster, Andrew (July 19, 2011). "Scene It? Daily Review". GameZebo. Archived from the original on Aug 18, 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.