BY THOMAS MAZZAFERRO
1/29/20
Witnessing the growth of video games has been beyond exciting. With each year, the worlds grow more vivid and characters feel more alive. The incredibly lifelike and seemingly endless games we dreamed of as children are here today.
What were those games you dreamed of? Do you still wonder what your perfect game would look like? Some people, myself included, are overwhelmed by ideas and concepts for video games they want to create. The tough reality is dealing with the fact that I have no programming knowledge or game development ability whatsoever. For most of my life it seemed that I would never be able to bring my game concepts to life, until E3 2015.
MediaMolecule took the stage, and announced their latest project, Dreams. To put it simply, Dreams is a game about creating. This software is an incredibly powerful sandbox where players can; build 3D models, create 2D art, animate, and even make music, all from your own PlayStation 4. MediaMolecule is known for making the highly creative LittleBigPlanet PlayStation exclusive series. The games were extremely popular for their “Play, Create, Share” model; which allowed players to create their own levels, share them online, and try out the levels that others have created.
Mm has returned to this “collaborative community” mindset once again in Dreams. When a player publishes a creation, it is added to a massive database of player-made games, assets, music and more. Referring to it as “The Dreamiverse,” Dreams is like a giant community bucket that players are constantly dropping creations into. Anyone can reach into the bucket and use what’s inside for their own work.
It’s as simple as that. As long as the original creator allows it, any other player can use a creation in their own sandbox. In other words, any player can make a game in Dreams by using props, characters, attacks, spaceships, sound effects, power-ups; all made by other players. There are seemingly endless assets waiting to be used in the Dreamiverse. This not only creates a fun open source environment, but also brings in an amazing sense of community that I have rarely ever experienced in a video game.
This sense of community is an extremely prominent feeling that makes me want to jump in and contribute as much as I can to the Dreamiverse. Dreams feels like a social media at times. As the player levels up, they are given a “persona” that boasts their special skills. For example, I am currently a Level 52 Animator, because I have made a lot of short cutscenes. Whenever I need a tree in my creation, I search the Dreamiverse for a high level Artist that has created a nice tree. A Level 150 Musician is sure to produce some incredible sound effects that I would want in my game. This leveling system also serves as great motivation, not only to play the game more, but also to improve your skills and spend more time on your creations.
You can follow other players to keep up with their releases, comment on their page, or even edit or “remix” their creations. Remixing creations is another aspect of Dreams that has increased the sense of community exponentially. When a creation is set to “remixable” any player can step into it, edit it, and save their own copy. Of course, if you’d rather keep your creations only useable by yourself, that is an option.
Since I have kept up to date on this game for quite some time, I did not hesitate to purchase the $30 Early Access version of Dreams. The Early Access is no longer available for purchase, but the full game will be available Valentine’s Day 2020 with a new story mode made using the same tools Mm has given us.
After completing some simple and straight forward tutorials for a few sessions, I can say I fully understand the interface and controls of Dreams. Like any art form, it will require a bit of practice to make anything you are proud of. However, in the few months I have owned this software I have published three creations I am proud of, one of which got over 500 “thumbs up.” Still, my creations are nothing compared to some of the incredibly high quality games, films, music, characters and art that cover the Dreamiverse.
As a young video game fan, the ability to create whatever I envision and bring it to life on the screen in front of me is a power I never thought I would have. The creative potential that is injected into your DualShock Controller is invigorating and addicting. The game is not even fully released yet and people are releasing first-person shooters, city builders, racing games, even making up their own genres. As time goes on, the things people make in Dreams will only grow more complex.
MediaMolecule has a vision that Dreams can become the YouTube of gaming. It is already a place where anyone can release their creativity, regardless of quality or ability. The content within Dreams will slowly evolve just as YouTube’s has. From fun home-made entertainment to passion-fueled artistic work. It is a rapidly growing community and movement in gaming that I am proud to say I have been a part of since the very beginning. If you ever had that spark or that drive to create something, and now way to get it out, look to Dreams.
THOMAS MAZZAFERRO 