We’ve been saying for years and years now that Dreams’ beta would be the thing that sold the masses on the potential of Media Molecule’s upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive. Unfortunately, a very strict NDA has left participants unable to publicly share their hard work, but someone decided to break that over the weekend. The result? A huge viral hit which has attracted more attention to the title than the past three or four years' worth of trailers.
Due to the situation, we’re not going to post the video here, but we will describe it. Effectively, someone has recreated the opening scene from Hideo Kojima’s infamous PT demo, proving that the L-shaped corridor is destined to be remodelled in every piece of software ever until the end of time. The results are staggering, with every art asset and detail meticulously rebuilt using the title’s sculpting tool – it looks frighteningly close to the original.
The problem, then? The developer wants the footage to be taken offline. While the video is still currently available – search for it and you should find it fairly quickly – staff at the Guildford-based studio have kindly requested it be removed, and we reckon it won’t be long before Sony ninjas get involved and hit the clip with a copyright strike. It’s a bizarre situation because the video has over 4,000 likes and has been shared all over the web.
There are clearly legal concerns here, as the company frets over potential lawsuits. But if that’s what has prompted the platform holder to put a lock around this beta, then how the hell is it going to cope with the commercial release? The thing is this isn’t even the most impressive thing in the sampler – there’s some absolutely wild stuff already being uploaded. We’d love to tell you about it all, and share our impressions on the game, but we can’t.
The wait goes on…
Comments 50
Find the video if you can, it's amazing.
Hmm, I can certainly see how this is going to cause some issues... I'm very unsure as to how this is going to pan out!
@get2sammyb I'll do that later today.
I received a code last Friday & it turns out I'll have to watch videos as I really can't get past the opening. Why is that?
@SirRealDeal Why can't you get past the opening?
You are correct if you can’t handle the beta how you gonna handle the commercial Release. They’ll be a lot of things copied out there.
Can’t find the video on YouTube GB, already pulled maybe?
This seems weird - maybe it is more to do with the NDA being broken. Otherwise this is a massive flaw in the product - gamers are going to recreate as many classic games as they can. You can guarantee a new Zelda/Mario/Crash etc. fan made project being uploaded.
@BearsEatBeets Try Twitter. Look at my account, I retweeted it yesterday.
I think this ‘game’ has potential to have a huge impact on the industry. One of it’s biggest hurdles has to be terms of use/copyright issues
@get2sammyb Thanks, had to find you then scroll through a lot of american football but found it. Mighty impressive.
For those interested:
https://www.pushsquare.com/forums/ps4/general_playstation_4_thread?start=540
Post 544.
I signed no NDA😛.
Also Shuhei Yoshida retweeted it, so I guess they’re keeping it up.
@get2sammyb What am I supposed to do? Enlarge everything to reach ceiling? Is there an opening I'm missing? Can't I just try out what others have created or is that not possible in beta?
Mmmm. I still have no idea how this game intends to get around copyright issues but that really does look like PT alright.
@SirRealDeal Ermmm. Have you got to your home space yet? Where you can possess the little character?
very impressive, wonder how long he was working on it. one of the things i'm most looking forward to in dreams is seeing the best stuff that the community can build.. as i have neither the patience or skill to make use of the toolset myself.
Good thing the PS4 Dualshock controller doesn't have a Share button for when the full game releases... oh wait.
mM HQ
I saw it, it's very impressive.
Shame MM is so against people sharing their works in the beta.
Looks incredible.
@get2sammyb Yes indeed. The little cone dude.
I see how some might think there'll be copyright issues but as @Neolit above states.. as long as nothing is 'published,' it's all good.
the full release will have a takedown thing if the original creator is angry about it I should think? so then the one being an arse about it will get the attention, not Sony for releasing a cool game/tool.
I really look forward to VR creations. I want to make a replica of Sparc. I will call it Sparcle.
@Neolit Hahaha yes.
@Neolit
A roadkill badger represented me in my jaywalking trial.
I walked.
This is looking mighty damn fine I mean With this we could get all Ps1-Ps2 games easily hell even ps3 if people srsly go out of their way to make something.
@SirRealDeal You have to collect the little prize bubbles in the home environment, and then it gives you access to the menu.
I think sony want to put it down before konami know. I already see the pt dreams and man, dreams potential is nearly limitless, the question about dreams is not what it can make, but what it <can't> make.
@Neolit No it's playable. They've programmed the control mechanics and stuff. I'm more than confident they could recreate the whole demo with time.
PT recreated in Dreams is so damn impressive. This game will be huge folks.
@Neolit I think people are just impressed at the level of quality in the beta. People have had access this thing for less than a month. Imagine where we'll be in a year.
@get2sammyb
Ah thanks man! I missed two of those.
@Fight_Teza_Fight
Shuhei removed his retweet.
You all have to remember that they are basically marketing Dreams with Konami's IP with this.
0% chance it gets to stay up.
The twitter feed with it on is hilarious, there is an MM employee clearly internally conflicted. He is desperately excited by the clip, but at the same time pleading for it to be removed. Yet loads of people are saying they are finally interested in dreams because of it and that they need to start allowing players to share content. Looks like someone has created a 1-1 recreation of super mario world too
I am not sure people should be impressed for someone breaching copyright and thinking its ok.
@get2sammyb sounds like it is. But what reasons do I have to find and watch it if the creators don't want me to? Besides the fanship-intoxicated ones that make me a perpetual living time bomb as it is? I think I'll pass - or at the very least try to.
I don't think there's too much IP concern here - it's effectively a parody recreation of a publicly consumed (if no longer consumable) work through digital creation tools. A simple google search digs up a Minecraft PT video dated 2015. But if the beta and the creations therein are not for sharing, then one should leave all excuses - including whatever "hype goodwill" - at the door of the NDA involved. Audiences are in no position to accept a chance to play a game early on the accepted terms and then cheat out to those terms on "come on, this is for your own good, guys!" premise. It's their game, their choice how to market it, their choice to risk whatever potentially lost sales Push Square and other blogs have seemed keen on mourning in advance. We love inflated talk about our "rights" in this sphere but have no problem generating a hundred excuses to ignore the rights of the people and companies works like Dreams are born in. And even simple wishes like the one the video uploader willingly went against. ¯(ツ)/¯
This is going to be utter chaos in terms of the content created being copyright materials. I know on reddit there is a team getting together planning on doing a pokemon game...
@KeanuReaves
Hey Sony just got to pay millions for unfair advertisement because they didn't say you need ps+ to play online as if its something new. I can understand them being carefull. I don't see Ms being sued the way Sony is so easily
I dont think Sony took this down because it was PT.
I think they took it down because lest we forget, people arent allowed to share stuff from the beta for some reason beyond comprehension.
"There are clearly legal concerns here, as the company frets over potential lawsuits. But if that’s what has prompted the platform holder to put a lock around this beta, then how the hell is it going to cope with the commercial release?"
This question has been asked time and time again and the answer is very simple: "The same as what they did with LBP and very close to what Youtube is doing".
This game isn't even out yet, and they don't want the game to get legal action attention prior to all of these pipelines have been properly established. This is a creator beta, not a DMCA beta.
Edit: Just wanted to add that Sony has a huge department concerned with these things and that is what is used to LBP currently. However, that department can't work with Dreams before Mm has properly implemented a moderation system.
@Knuckles-Fajita It hasn't been taken down yet, but the frustration (for most people) is that the game's potential is being perfectly demonstrated here and Media Molecule won't lift the NDA.
Like, I would have embedded the video in the article if I was allowed to.
@KeanuReaves Okay, that's fair. Then lift the freakin' NDA and let people talk about all the amazing stuff already being uploaded. I've been covering this game for years now and you still get people popping in the comments asking what it's all about. Actually SHOWING stuff is the best way to get the concept across.
@get2sammyb I tend to agree, but you have to understand that this is a chaotic choice. It means that they greenlight anyone to use ANY IP to essentially give the game free marketing. Sony would rather have the NDA there and then Konami 'alone' to deal with in court. And not EA, Blizzard, Nintendo AND Konami at once.
played it,Not perfect but shows how powerful these tools are, and like sammy said, still not even close to being the most impressive
I was furious and livid when they took down all the cool creations shared in the first Little Big Planet that remotely resembled other properties. I'm certainly not touching Dreams if they're going to do that again. Why bother to create and share?
Saw this on Twitter the other day and was truly astounded. Dreams is one of those games that I figured I'd admire from afar but never actually pick up, as I just don't have the time to be creating content. This was the first video that really caught my attention so far and it's made me much more likely to consider a purchase. It's complete madness that Media Molecule are shutting down videos like this, because that's the only way I'm going to even consider pre-ordering it. Otherwise it'll be months down the line in a sale, if I've managed to stumble onto more clips like this that can actually sell me on the premise and content.
@Quintumply is surely playing by now, right?
@ArkhamKnerd
Checks email for beta code
@Quintumply I laugh every time I see you use that GIF but that sucks! Tomorrow is my last chance to get a code. I thought they said everyone who signed up and met the criteria would get one??
@ArkhamKnerd Apparently there's been some issue. Media Molecule says it's aware that a large number of people in Europe haven't received their codes yet, and it's working on resolving the problem.
Hopefully the same doesn't happen for you folks across the pond!
Yes! Got my code!
(It arrived on Monday in my spam folder)
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