Media Molecule has announced that its long-awaited PlayStation 4 exclusive create-'em-up Dreams will be going into Early Access. This comes via a lengthy post on the PlayStation Blog, where studio head Siobhan Reddy explains the developer's reasoning behind the unconventional early release.
In a nutshell, Media Molecule decided that the best way to keep building Dreams is to allow the community to keep tinkering with it. The Early Access version of the game will be launching in the spring of 2019. While it won't have 100% of the tools that'll be in the final build of the title, Reddy says that you'll have access to the same suite that the team has been using to create even more weird and wonderful things. "We’ll use Early Access to help us prioritise all the awesome stuff we’re already working on and get feedback as player needs develop and evolve," says Reddy. "With refinements, bug fixes and brand new features on the way- we are kicking off the live service side of Dreams so community can get the first look at how we continue to support the game."
Dreams Early Access will be a limited release, meaning you'll need to be quick off the mark once it does release to be in with a chance of getting in. We're not sure how many spaces there will be. No firm date has been provided, but it'll cost $29.99/€29.99 via the PlayStation Store. Community manager Tom Dent has confirmed that those who purchase Early Access won't have to spend any more to get the final release.
It'll be limited to the following countries: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Austria, Benelux, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Spain.
What do you think of this move for Dreams? Is Early Access the right way to go about releasing this highly ambitious project? Dream up some comments below.
[source blog.eu.playstation.com]
Comments 56
£30 smackeroonies for Early Access???
Count me in.
Great price imo. I’m in!
For a company and fanbase that was against Early Access this is a weird move.
At the same time, letting people buy in then pull the release at an unspecified date with the promise of a full release for those who missed out and content later for those who bought in is basically a shadier form of Steam Early Access.
Then again you can guarantee this will leave Early Access eventually. Its just a matter of when.
Cant say I like the idea of "QUICK BUY OUR GAME BEFORE ITS GONE!"
Mann I really hate the idea of Early Access, but I really want to play it.
I wonder if there will be a discount for Access purchasers once the full game releases.
Early access is 100% right choice for this game.
@Fight_Sora_Fight Just updated the article - if you buy the early access version, you won't need to buy the full game.
I think it's a brilliant idea and the best way to release this game. We saw with the beta how interest in the final product snowballed once creators actually got their hands on it; the community is ready and raring to go, so why not give them access to the tools now?
It means that the final game is going to be absolutely stuffed with amazing creations.
@Quintumply checks PS4 for early access Dreams
@Quintumply Wow really.
Count me in!
It's a clever move. It allows the most dedicated creators to get in early and do what they want with it so by the time the full release comes out people will have access to a wider range of content at launch then they would normally.
It's unconventional way to release for sure but then this isn't a conventional game.
That's weird, but at $30 I'll try it
There are really weird games in dreams that I want to try like that jumping music game or the boxing game with weird physics.
As long as we get access to the full game after buying the early release, I'm perfectly fine with it.
Don't want to pay $30 now then around Q4 2019 MM is like "Hey, here's the full version of Dreams, but it'll cost ya another 30 smackeroos"
But regardless, I'm excited.
This sounds like a brilliant idea. I'm usually up in arms about paid early access, but this is Dreams, so it gets a pass.
€30 is a fine price too. I'll get a physical copy a few years down the road when it hits a bargain bin price; eventually. Since it's an online focused game, I'm willing to go digital for once. And it's Dreams, it's hardly a traditional ''game'', more of a game engine, so I think we're allowed to make an exception here.
It’s absolutely the right thing for a game with this kind of power. Letting users essentially break things lets MM see what needs to be fixed, fine-tuned and what not.
For 30$ I’m sold.
Count me in. I've been rooting for this game for years, and I think this is a smart move.
they forgot about us canadians
@Porco Not so! On the US PlayStation Blog they specify Canadian pricing (CAD $39.99). I'll add Canada to the article, my bad.
this is setting a dangerous predicament on consoles, it ruined steam with all the garbage that was released and it won't take long till other devs follow suit and do the same on consoles, full retail price for a barely finished game.
And they still haven't released PSVR support which will effect the content available, no way would I pay for early access for that.
This is weird but is probably the best way for them to go. People need to be playing this and creating things that will convince others to buy it.The more ppl stream and post videos of what they made in the Dreams the more interested other will be. I just hope this wont turn out to be another Tomorrow Children situation.
Early access and a limited release is discouraging. I'll wait for a discount after the full release if I haven't lost interest by then.
A freely accessible demo would be great for this game. Without that, I'm struggling to imagine how this game can be as good as some people make it out to be.
@huyi This is a 1st party game so it's a lot different compared to the early access titles on Steam. Dreams isn't a typical game where they just launch it and hope for the best, it needs this period so the most dedicated players create more content in time for the full release.
If anything MS set that precedent when they allowed early access games on Xbox.
MM have said PSVR support will be there day one on full release.
@3Above The Tomorrow Children's biggest problem was that it had nothing else going for it outside of mining weird statues so it lost it's appeal very quickly. Dreams has so much more going for it and a bigger fanbase to pull from.
@get2sammyb "I think it's a brilliant idea"
62% voted AGAINST Early access in your poll. You were very wavering and on the fence. You seemed more against it than for it.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2017/05/poll_should_sony_allow_early_access_games_on_ps4
So, are you for ALL early access games now or just for this game we've been waiting 5 years for as of today?
Me, I'm still annoyed about the demo situation, not paying them $30 so I can be their tester for free. Let me know when it's done, If it ever is. Is Fortnite still in beta? 😛
"is a strictly limited release"
What does that even mean? First 100 people who signed up for the newsletter on a Thursday during a super full blood wolf moon?
You guys have no shot of getting in @Octane and @Quintumply
They've been working on this for at least 5 years as they first showed it 5 years ago today, they've already had their beta test, isn't it a little late to be announcing "early access' COMING in the spring. Shouldn't "early access" have started like 2 years ago?
Feels like this story will get worse before it gets better.
@rjejr It's all about context, though, isn't it?
@rjejr That was a poll from 2 years ago and people's opinions and tastes change. Like Sammy said "It's all about context".
And why do you have such a problem with Dreams's long development cycle? There a small team making an incredibly ambitious title, plus a new engine to support it, it was always likely to take a long time.
cries in brazilian
Idk why everyone is so mad...I’m gonna pay my 30$ and then maybe tinker with it a few times but mainly wait for release to get my VR support. So basically I’m pre buying a game I already know I’m getting, for half the price. I’m pretty happy with that.
@Tulio517 Is import difficult in Brasil i mean do they check really good for import taxes?
Best idea ever!
By the time other people join they will have so much good content!
Also, 30 for this game is a steal, I'll buy it day one!
Lame idea, why divide the fanbase? Moreover my country, as usual, is not supported.
I’m not a fan of this practice (early access), but it could work in a game like Dreams, I guess. The most dedicated fanbase will learn about the tools and start to create content, so the final release will have a lot of user content already.
This is the one and only early access game I'm buying for obvious reasons. Wouldn't have done it for God of War or anything else.
@PS_Nation That's the thing though, isn't it? I'm against releasing games in an unfinished state, but calling Dreams a ''game'' feels wrong as well. It makes sense for something like Dreams. And getting it early, and for half the price is nice of them as well. I think it's a win-win for them and the early adopters in this case.
@Flaming_Kaiser it's kind of a lottery, lol. Some get lucky, some don't. But now that you mention it, will there even be a physical version of this early access?
@rjejr Remember this is the site that literally yesterday lambasted Xbox for releasing Crackdown 3 in an average state and have in past gone against early access.
Yet today after an equally long dev time and a beta this going into limited early access is fine.
As @get2sammyb says, context.
The context I can see is its somethjng theyve been trumpeting for ages and are super excited about so that makes it ok. shrug
@Knuckles-Fajita or the context is MM is building something unique and one of a kind here which if at full release went wrong could be a disaster after years hard work.
I also voted against early access on that poll but after playing dreams and realising the magnitude of what they are trying to achieve this is 100% the right choice and I will happily pay to access this early to make sure when fully released the full experience runs smoothly.
@Fight_Sora_Fight It does say in the article that there will be no extra charge for early access players...so win win for early play and 29.99 price tag!
@Octane The concept is too fresh, like a penguin’s fart.
I don't see why people are complaining your basically getting the game for cheaper it's not like when you buy the early access you will then have too buy the game again
For those that have played the beta. How complete would you say it was based on what the developer promised/imagined since its announcement? I had a decent time with LBP when it first came out, but felt burnt out by 3.
@Knuckles-Fajita The context being that this isn't even a ''video game'' in the traditional sense.
@Knuckles-Fajita Are you wilfully trying to not see the other side of this story?
It's not even about context. Dreams...
Had any of these things not be different between those two games, then that article wouldn't have been written.
@Tulio517 i think just make it digital only and release a Big Edition with some of the best stuff with the retail release.
The same goes for the Netherlands sometimes your lucky sometimes not. With Playasia i just let them handle the taxes so i wont have to do something.
Oh man sorry you are right digital such a idiot. 😶 One more reason against a digital only future... 😑
@AdamNovice "long development cycle"
It's not about the long development cycle, it's about managing expectations. Don't show a game at a launch event for 8 minutes that is barely going to come out that gen. And even if you just want to go back as far as when they officially named it "Dreams", even though they called it that at least 3 times during the original reveal, that's still 3 years, which seems like a really long time to wait for a game. Plus they've been saying for the past 4 years a beta was going to release. And yes it released, but it took them 3 years of being wrong about the release date.
When Sony has the PS5 reveal sometime in the next 12 months, would you like it if a developer spent 8 minutes talking about a game that will only release on the PS6? Sure, this will release on the PS4, but they might announce the PS5 before it gets out of early access.
So it's not about the long development cycle, it's about the news cycle, how it's presented to the the public, both the game and the oft delayed beta, which they still couldn't get right, as several people on here can attest.
@get2sammyb "It's all about context" sounds like something a fanboi would say though, doesn't it? 😉 Like if MS does it, then it's a bad idea, if Sony does it, then it's a good idea. If that's the context you're talking about. I mean, I can understand why they're doing it this way, it's been how long since they've had an income, 8 years since LBP2, but I still think it's wrong for all the reasons you said 2 years ago. I also don't pledge kickstarter for the same reasons. Just sell it to me when it's done. And preferably on sale for 50%-75% off.
Though to be fair you were always wavering, just surprised to see you go from "wavering" to "brilliant" over 1 game w/o any qualifiers. I still put you in a better light than the late Iwata, who basically said under no circumstance would Ntinedo ever make mobile games b/c while it would make them money in the short term they would cease to be Ntinedo after that. You haven't turned 180', only 90'. 😁
@rjejr Not at all, I'll write you a new article explaining why!
@Knuckles-Fajita I'm aware. For an old guy w/ a swiss cheese brain hypocrisy is for some reason one of those things I remember. Even if it isn't hypocrisy, it just might be, that seems to be enough for the connection to be made in my head.
@get2sammyb Only an article, I was expecting a video w/ lots of Dreams in the background. 😁
@rjejr I didn't realise this was limited too. I just signed up. Here we go again...
Still no confirmation email, they should really send those.
@rjejr I personally couldn't care less when a game is announced cos I'm prepared to wait and wait a long time if it means it lives up to expectations. In the meantime other games come along that demand attention, it's all about patience. Yeah MM didn't get the beta when they wanted but s**t happens and their a relatively small studio that won't crunch which in this day and age should be the norm rather then the exception. As far as announcements at console reveals is concerned that unless a game is actually announced with name and launch window then take what's shown with a grain of salt cos games are far more likely to enter development hell at the beginning of the generation due the devs not been used to the hardware.
@AdamNovice Yeah all that makes sense but patience isn't really my thing. Nor spending my time watching videos for games that take years to release. Or never if it's Scalebound and perhaps WILD.
I wish I could be all nonchalant about it but that's just not me. At least you just have to read my posts, you don't have to live them. 😂
@Octane I think by "limited" they were looking at only a "limited time" that you would be able to pay $29.99 for early access. Can't have people paying $29.99 for early access after the game releases now can they.
But since they never actually said time on the blog, just limited, I figure I'm free to speculate on what it means. 😁
I'd ask them about it but they took away comments on Feb 13th and now just show 0's for every article. 😛
@rjejr Still limited by the sound of it:
https://twitter.com/mediamolecule/status/1098282080725798914
@Octane Thanks for the twitter link. Yeah, still sounds limited. Though he used a happy emoji face so maybe it's not that limited. If it sells out in less than a day it's still going to look bad. They gotta keep selling it for at least a week I think. I'm good if they shut it down after a week, that's enough time to think about it, and get paid, between now and then.
Still an overall mess as far as I'm concerned. 6 SIX years. smh
@rjejr So they clarified it, and you don't have to sign up for anything apparently. It goes live whenever it does and you can buy it; however, they may remove it from the store once there are too many people in the early access. In other words, unless you don't follow gaming news at all, you should be safe if you want to get in. At least, that's how I understand it now.
@Octane "once there are too many people in the early access"
Clarification is good, but did they happen to mention how many is too many? I mean, if they are going to say a thing like that then they should say how many the limit is. 3 dozen, 100, a million? There are about 90 million PS4 in the wild, I'm guessing less than that.
The fact that they even have to say "too many people" is a red flag to me right off the bat. Either put it on sale for early access or don't. If they are already saying it's limited then it isn't early access. I don't follow early access too much on Steam, 1 or 2 or 3, but I can't recall EVER seeing a game on Steam that was early assess where they said there was a limit. Maybe on Xbox, I don't follow that console that much since I traded mine in for a Switch.
Its either Early access or it's limited access, it can't be both. Well with the logical and reasonable understanding that once the game releases in full at full price you can't buy early access anymore b/c you can't have early access for a game that is already out. But they should announce that date long before early access closes and the game releases.
6 years.
Thanks for the update, don't mean to vent your way, video games have been around for almost 40 years, it shouldn't be this difficult to release a game 6 years after ti was first shown.
@rjejr I don't know. I do know that it will look real bad if they take the game off the PS Store mere hours after it going live. So I don't think they will do that. I bet they'll have it up there for at least a couple of days, even it exceeds their planned amount of early access sales; that's the least they have to do I think.
@Octane Well first what they have to do is give a date. Spring starts in 3 weeks. Like seemingly everything else they do saying something is coming out in "Spring" when it's the end of February is a bit late of an announcement. They should at least know the month by now, if it was coming out in 4 or 5 weeks it would be March, April if they need a little more time, and May if they aren't quite ready yet, in which case they should have said "around E3".
Unless they meant "Spring 2020", which going by their 3 year of string of beta announcements it might actually be, in which case I'll allow it. 😉
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