Despot, The movie studio fantasy platform created by movie subscription service MoviePass came out of private beta on Wednesday, the company announced. The platform is now available as a public beta for everyone.
Designed specifically for the Hollywood industry, players have their own movie studio and design a team of actors, directors and films to earn points based on their performance. Mogul draws inspiration from daily fantasy sports, where players take on the role of team managers, forming teams made up of real athletes.
Today, the online version of Mogul is open to the more than 400,000 users on the waiting list. The platform has also started to go public.
About 5,000 users, including myself, have tested the platform. Even though I’ve only experienced the pre-season phase, which lacks active gameplay and leaderboards, I still have a general idea of the mechanics. Overall, it was relatively simple to understand, which surprised me given my limited knowledge of fantasy sports.
See how to play
After creating a name for your studio, you will receive a budget of one million “Mogul Coin”, the virtual currency of the platform (since you are not playing with real money). This initial budget is yours to use to get your team together.
For example, the sequel “Wicked: For Good” cost $100,000, and actresses Cynthia Erivo (who plays Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (as Glinda) $25,000 each. Director Jon M. Chu is also $25,000.
You have one week to complete your selections and you can make two free trades each week.
MoviePass founder Stacy Spikes told TechCrunch that the company tried to develop a game that mimics a real movie studio and “how you should act like a tycoon.”
So when making these tradeoffs, you have to be strategic like a studio head would. For example, “Tron: Ares” star Jared Leto is currently facing allegations of sexual misconductand this can affect the performance of the film.
Spikes gave us some additional tips during our discussion. For example, it’s important to watch out for rising stars, as sometimes they’re the ones that will really take off. Also consider Bollywood movies as they may be overlooked by people who only think of big franchises like Marvel. Independent films can also bring significant returns.
Another key point to remember is that you compete on the basis of net profitability, not total gross revenue. Timing is also critical. Betting on a movie earlier usually costs less, while picking one closer to its release date can be more expensive.
Mogul runs on Sui, a level 1 blockchain, which records every choice and transaction. As users climb the leaderboard, they can earn digital collectibles such as signed posters and memorabilia.
For now, everyone will participate in a world championship. The autumn term will run for 12 weeks, from October, November and December, coinciding with awards season. For this first season, users have the opportunity to share a prize worth up to $100,000 in tokens, with the goal of encouraging more people to sign up.
MoviePass also grants exclusive in-app badges and Founder Member status to users who activate their accounts by 11:59 PM ET on October 31st.
Plans for private leagues between friends are in the works, along with an app for iOS and Android devices. By next year, Spikes claims a licensing deal could be in place, allowing you to compete for real money.
