Media Molecule talks DreamsCom and how it all came together

Media Molecule has spoken to 12DOVE about what to expect from this year’s DreamsCom, as well as the future of Dreams. 

DreamsCom is the Dreams in-game convention that runs from July 27 to August 2 and which celebrates the experiences found in Media Molecule’s delightful universe of creativity. To join in with the festivities, we’ve asked members of Media Molecule about how it came together and what the future holds for their playful platform.  

In terms of putting together an in-game convention, Media Molecule designer Jamie Breeze told us: “It's a ridiculous amount of fun! We supplied our creators with an empty booth and a handful of props, and told them to go bonkers (within reason).” This ended up with over 300 booths on the virtual show floor and something Breeze describes as a “genuine thriving community space which celebrates all the wacky, wonderful stuff that makes up the Dreamiverse.”

When we asked the Media Molecule team what it’s most excited to share with players, we got a wide range of answers. For studio director Siobhan Reddy, this year’s DreamsCom is a chance to bring players closer together. She says: “I think it is a really great way to get to know the people and the content. Last year was a bit more content-focused whereas this year feels like it is a big gathering of folks and I love that!” 

Across the team, there’s a palpable eagerness to see what the players have dreamt up (sorry) for the show. Community manager Hollie Tang says she’s excited to see “how the community have upped their ante x10000 this year compared to last”, while content curator Jacob Heayes says he’s looking forward to getting “a taste of all the diverse and unique projects the community have been hard at work on!”

While that might sound like an overwhelming amount of creations to peruse, play, and pick inspiration from, the studio has put together a free magazine that highlights all the secrets of the show floor. Plus, it also gives us a deeper look into the Media Molecule Originals that were announced yesterday, including Tren and Ancient Dangers: A Bat’s Tale. You can download The Impsider DreamsCom magazine from the InDreams website.  

Of course, DreamsCom’s spirit of collaboration between the studio that created the tools of the Dreamiverse and the players who populate it extends beyond this week. Recently, we saw the launch of Megapenguin: Rehatched, which is the start of a platforming adventure featuring one very buff bird and his quest to find his flock, with the community helping to design the rest of the game.

One of Megapenguin’s creators, and senior principal audio designer, Ed Hargrave tells 12DOVE about some of the surprises he’s had from seeing what the community have designed and submitted so far: “[It’s} not just the breadth of locations and gameplay ideas, but the way people use the character and have had him interact with their own projects and events.

“We enjoyed some very silly world-building when designing our levels, and seeing people embrace that setting and tone to write their own narrative moments for the shared universe is really rewarding. User VerbalCreative's 'When Megapenguin met MeganPenguin' although early in development, seems to nail the 'serious setting, stupid character' vibe incredibly well.”

Even once the lights go down on this year’s DreamsCom, there’s still plenty of surprises left for fans. Director of live service Abbie Heppe tells us: “Well, we have a bunch more exciting updates planned for this year, including our Halloween event and Ancient Dangers game and kits, as well as updates to create mode and Megapenguin and some cool unannounced collaborations. But further down the line, I think the future is bright – as a studio, we’ve been growing significantly to support Dreams and our ambitions in the UGC space, so we’re never running out of ideas! 

For more on Dreams, be sure to check out the creator who made a Bob Ross painting inside a Bob Ross painting.