August 2020 Newsletter

We just can’t believe the summer is already drawing to a close - it’s been an eventful (so, so sorry for the pun...or are we?) one for all of us! We’re diligently working on our next event, as well as the next update for Dreams - which will include our new instruments collection. While we’re still a few weeks away from release, we’ve been able to fit a bunch more things into it, so expect Patch 2.18 to feature the new instruments as well as an extra helping of fixes, improvements and more. You can keep track of what’s on the table for each update with our Dreams Roadmap here.

As for the next event? Well, we’ll have news for you soon but if you know us at Media Molecule, you may be able to work out what it could revolve around...No, it’s not cake! Why did you assume it was cake?

ANYWAY! Read on for what we’ve been up to in August.

Guest Artist: arseny3d

If you’ve come across a Dream that features a bunch of thumbs on a train, or the very cute (and terribly tragic!) Tiny Egg Invader, then you’re familiar with arseny3D’s work! We’re obsessed. For this month’s newsletter, we’ve used an image from their creation ‘The Space Selection’ and caught up with arseny3D to find out about their creative process in Dreams.

Hi, my name is Arsenii and I work in the animation industry as a 3D animator.

I bought Dreams in Early Access, but I only started playing at launch. After spending several hours at Dreams, I fell in love with this game. I was impressed by the simplicity and the speed of its work. Many things can be done much faster than in the most other game and animation programs. Thanks to video tutorials from developers and the community, learning the program is a breeze. Just after 40 hours at Dreams, I was able to release my first short film.

As a child, I loved to draw comics. The idea that was born in my head could immediately be embodied on a piece of paper, and the same thing happens in Dreams. I don’t think over the idea in advance. I go to Dreams in order to relax and experiment and often my projects come about because I want to try a new tool in Dreams that I haven't used before. The same thing happened with the creation "Space Selection".

I really wanted to use the possibilities of VR, and I decided to make a game in which the player could throw an object like a Frisbee. Not so long ago I created "The Selection!", and since I am preparing the second part of this short film, I decided to use the characters for this game. I created logic for a character who must constantly monitor an object with which the player uses to knock down all the characters. The character has two keys for a small vertical movement. When the object touches the character, the keys are disabled and the character flies into the depths of space. After the mechanics worked, I added the character to the emitter, and made several copies of the emitters, which I laid out in front of the player. The game has only two levels. But if the game gains popularity, then I will add new levels. This is very easy to do. It is enough to change the location of the characters and change the trajectories of their movement.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the developers for creating such an amazing product that has dragged me in for many months. I can imagine what a long way it takes to create Dreams. I really hope that the product will develop and give us new tools for the implementation of our ideas!

What's Happening at Mm's Many HQs?

Community Event Planning!

Like we mentioned at the top of this newsletter, we’ve been working away on the Dreamiverse with lots of future stuff in mind - from our next event, to future updates for Dreams (and yes, the document titled ‘IMPYs 2021’ which does in fact exist).

We learnt a lot from running DreamsCom earlier this year, so you can expect to see some of that feedback implemented into our next collaborative event, which is IMMINENT. For example, making it possible to submit your entry through indreams.me and a heads-up if you’re over thermo and other helpful things!

Cats vs. Dogs

The Dreamiverse is full of cute and cuddly creatures, cats and dogs alike. So for the double-whammy of International Cat/Dog Day this year, we just had to put some collections together. If you missed them, don’t worry, we’ve popped links below for you to check out some of our favourite fluffy friend content.

Our Dog Collection!
Our Cat Collection!

CoMmunity Happenings

Dreambubble turns 5!

One of Dreams’ longest standing fan-sites, Dreambubble, celebrated their FIFTH birthday this month! To celebrate, Tom and Jamie guested on their anniversary podcast to talk all things Dreams. The DB team also put together a wonderful video looking back at all the amazing events and activities they’ve run over the years (no, YOU’RE crying!).

Meet the CoMmunity - Phreaky

Last month, Dreaming-Gaymer nominated TheOneironaut to sit in the hot-seat this month, but we’ll be catching up with them next month instead!

For this month’s Mm Monthly, we’re chatting to Sean ‘Phreaky’ McIver - a name likely familiar to plenty of the CoMmunity. Sean has done amazing things for the CoMmunity (like pulling together the amazing line up of creators for the DreamsCom showcase!) so we wanted to get to know him a little better!

What do you like to do in the Dreamiverse?
More than anything else, I like to create. I'm normally juggling a million different ideas, so I generally have at least five or six projects on the go at once. Unfortunately, I tend to create a lot more than I play other creations, but that's where I hope to change things as we draw to the end of summer - big changes coming for me! :-)

If you could give other members of the CoMmunity a piece of advice for their time in Dreams, what would it be?
Start small. You're not going to turn on Dreams day 1 and code a top-down shooter straight out the gate (unless you're GirlFromCroyden - mad skills). So start small. Sculpt a matchbox. Then make it look like a matchbox with the spraypaint or paint tools. Then sculpt a match to fit in the matchbox. Then make the match light when it is run along the side of the matchbox. Then work out how to make the flame 'burn down' the match. How do you make the wood look burned on one end? Then what about putting the match out? Can you work out how to blow into the mix to snuff out the flame? Start small, and you can iterate on a single idea and start to learn the tools whilst still feeling like you're making real progress.

Oh, and invest in learning how to use the moves!

What was the first thing you created in Dreams?
A tree. I know, I know... in my defense, it was because I was doing the exact opposite of what I said before - I was trying to find a way to get a book I was writing into Dreams, so undertook a mammoth project waaaaaaay too soon. It was a half-decent tree though, even if the book project fell to once side.

Favourite food, movie and song, in that order. GO!
Lasagne, Endgame, Modern Leper. Which sounds like the name of an independently-produced studio album in itself...

How can people find you in the Dreamiverse?
'Phreaky' on PSN, or join the hordes creating craziness within 30 minutes every Sunday at 9pm BST on the Dreams Have Meanings stream (now on Twitch!)

This Month's Wallpaper

For this month’s wallpaper, we’ve spoken to the very lovely folks over at BeechCorp who have supplied us an exclusive wallpaper from their upcoming Toy Train Set - what an honour!

Click here to download!

We're on the lookout for new Molecules to join in the fun and make Dreams the best it can be! Follow the links below to read more about our current vacancies at Mm Towers!

Stay up to date on our jobs page

Current positions

Next on the agenda? Well, as we mentioned up top, our next event is a secret just for a little while longer! Stay tuned to our social media pages (click the links at the bottom to follow us!) where we'll be keeping you updated on all the goings-on in the Dreamiverse!

See you next time!