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 made available as a mobile game for iPhone, iPad, on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii as well as two social network games on Facebook. The series was discontinued in 2012, after Paramount Pictures, who owned Screenlife Games after 2008, closed the studio. The series was revived in 2022 by Imagination Games, with streaming functionality replacing DVDs.
History
Screen Life, the game company that invented and produces the game "Scene It?", was founded in 2000/2001 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 logos from all five major studios, and a few years later a total of seven studios including: Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., Columbia Pictures (owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment), Paramount Pictures Corporation, 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, Screen Life'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 Screen Life.
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. In 2008 (three weeks before Bear Stearns went bankrupt and the economy collapsed), Paramount Viacom closed on the acquisition of Screen Life, marking a significant monetization for the company.
Screen Life's establishment coincided with the widespread adoption of DVD players, and its sale occurred just before the rise of streaming and other digital media, making it a perfectly timed venture that enjoyed a remarkable journey.
Even today, collectors can find signed copies of Screen Life and "Scene It?" games at auctions or on eBay. If you own a DVD player, the game still offers enjoyable entertainment for family game nights.