I miss the golden age of oddball, first-party PlayStation exclusives
Between closing PixelOpus and its refocus on live-service titles, PlayStation is losing the eccentric spirit that helped establish the brand.
PSVR-compatible Maker Game ‘Dreams’ Ends Live Services in September, No PSVR 2 Support Planned
Media Molecule announced that Dreams, the PSVR-compatible maker-game within-a-game, is being spun down and that live services will be discontinued in September.
“As we continue to evaluate and evolve our priorities for the studio and Dreams, we’ve made the difficult decision to discontinue live support for Dreams after 1st September, 2023 to shift our focus to an exciting new project,” the studio says in an update announcing the news.
“You’ll continue to be able to play, create and share Dreams with others after September, but we won’t be releasing any more updates to the game or events such as DreamsCom, All Hallows’ Dreams or the Impy Awards.”
As you’d imagine, this also means we won’t be getting a PSVR 2 version of Dreams, with Media Molecule confirming planned releases for Dreams “do not include multiplayer, PS5/PSVR2/3D printing support.”
As a part of spin-down efforts, the studio is also cancelling all of its annual maker events such as DreamsCom, All Hallows’ Dreams and the Impy Awards.
Launched in February 2020, Dreams initially only included support for PS4 paired with flatscreen monitors. Better late than never, the studio included a free update in July 2020 that brought PSVR support to Dreams.
Notably, within the first few days of release people were already creating bespoke VR content including everything from Beat Saber in Dreams to full-featured racing games, escape rooms, third-person platformers, and adventure games.
Media Molecule says it’s preparing to migrate to new servers in late May, which will come along with a host of new rules that will no doubt make the transition a little less abrupt.
Check out the new storage rules below:
| Type | Online | Local |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Space | 5GB | 1GB |
| Photos | 256 | 128 |
| Creations | 256 | 256 |
| Versions | 512 per creation | 1024 across all creations |
Dreams live support is ending — and that’s a big misstep for PlayStation
Live support for Media Molecule's Dreams is being discontinued on September 1, highlighting one of Sony's biggest missed opportunities.
Someone Remade Disneyland’s Classic Indiana Jones Ride in VR with ‘Dreams’
Dreams (2020), the VR-compatible game-maker tool suite, has unleashed a ton of creativity since it launched on PS4 earlier this year. You may be (very wisely) planning on skipping the trip to Disneyland this summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a head-first dive into the classic Indiana Jones ride with the help of Dreams PSVR mode.
Created by TheArmyofDos, the VR project presents an uncanny recreation of the real thing, which you’ll find at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and a nearly identical version in the park’s Chiba, Japan location.
It even appears to have authentic sound effects. Check out the whole experience in the video below:
In case you’ve never been Disneyland in Anaheim between 1995 and now, take a look below to see just how close TheArmyofDos manages to get the VR version of the ride.
Dreams for PSVR keeps on impressing. You can play a hacked together version of Beat Saber, experience a bootleg Friday Nights at Freddy’s, and explore a ton of original art, experiences, and prototype games.
One of the best ways to keep an eye on Dreams content is by heading to the Media Molecule subsite and filtering for ‘VR only’, ‘VR compatible’ and ‘Recommended’ to see some of the top VR content the community has to offer.
What’s your favorite VR-compatible experience on Dreams? Let us know in the comments below!
The post Someone Remade Disneyland’s Classic Indiana Jones Ride in VR with ‘Dreams’ appeared first on Road to VR.
Dreams’ PlayStation VR Support now Live, Goes on Sale
Media Molecule’s creative videogame Dreams was long sought after by PlayStation 4 owners until February with PlayStation VR fans having to wait a little while longer. That wait is finally over with the launch of v2.16 today, adding virtual reality (VR) support as well as other improvements.
If you already own Dreams then VR support is a free update so you start playing immersive content or creating your own using either PlayStation Move or DualShock 4 controllers. While there might not be a lot of user-generated VR-compatible content, Media Molecule has created its own selection to get you started.
‘Inside the Box’ is a showcase for what VR in Dreams can be, a selection of examples and inspirations with games, kits and more.
- Box Maze – Use the power of grabbing to help the cube bots find their way through the maze
- Box Blaster – Put your sharp-shooting and speed-running skills to the test in this futuristic blaster.
- Box Escape – Jump, dive and resize your way outside the box.
- All Aboard VR – An introduction to VR in Dreams, highlighting the different settings and controls used to play in VR.
Media Molecule wants to make it as easy as possible for players to start building, creating a bunch of how-to guides:
- 10 Top Tips: Creating VR Dreams – 10 great best-practices tips to think about when designing VR experiences in Dreams.
- How To… Use the Head/Camera Tracker – Learn how to use the new Head/Camera Tracker, a brand new gadget which, in combination with the Look Cursor Sensor, allows you to track a player’s head movements to get even more out of your logic.
- How To… Use the Hand/Imp Tracker – Learn how to use the new Hand/Imp Tracker, which lets you keep track of the location of your player’s imp, what it’s pointing at and what it grabs. You can even replace the imp with something else!
- How To… Create 3D Audio in VR – Learn how to use 3D sound within VR, to make your games feel even more immersive, when playing with headphones plugged into the VR headset.
As mentioned there are quite a few additions in the v2.16 update to play with, here are the rest:
- Head/Camera Tracker – A gadget that makes it easy to track, and attach objects to, the game camera.
- Hand/Imp Tracker – A gadget that makes it easy to track, and attach objects to, the imp.
- Look Cursor Sensor – A sensor gadget that detects where a player is looking, with associated tweaks on supporting gadgets.
- Dreamiverse Screen Size – Control how large Dreamiverse screens appear when in VR.
- Allow Low Frame Rate in VR – Control what happens when frame rate drops below our performance standards.
- VR Filtering Options – Specify whether you want to see VR content in the Dreamiverse.
- Flip Menu Buttons – If using the left-handed setting and swapping often between motion controllers and wireless controller, turning this on keeps the ordering of buttons in the create menus consistent.
- Comfort Mode – For VR users. When enabled, camera motion is reduced or removed.
- VR Experience Ratings – Allows players to rate the level of VR experience for which they feel creations are suitable. This rating will appear on a creation’s thumbnail in search.
- 1 – For those new to VR
- 2 – For those with some experience of VR
- 3 – For those experienced in VR
- VR Compatibility Labels – Allows creators to specify the suitability of creations for VR.
- Non-VR: Only enterable in non-VR; not visible to VR players with default filters.
- Not Sure: Enterable in non-VR or VR, but will issue a warning for VR players upon entry; not visible to VR players with default filters.
- VR Compatible: Enterable in VR or non-VR.
- VR Only: Only enterable in VR; not visible to non-VR players with default filters.
- Imp Beam – Allows player to interact with objects from a distance in VR.
- Reel – Once you’ve grabbed onto something with your imp beam, you can use Reel to easily move it toward or away from you.
- Camera Change – VR only: Right stick moves the camera up and down, rather than rotating it. Useful for VR players to preserve the horizon line for orientation.
To mark the launch Dreams is available for a limited time discount, knocking 25% off the regular price. So until 5th August, the title is available via PlayStation Store for £26.24 GBP ($29.99 USD). As Media Molecule continues to expand Dreams and add further content and features, VRFocus will let you know.
Watch ‘Dreams’ Upcoming VR Mode in Action Before It Releases Tomorrow
The big PSVR update to Media Molecule’s creation game Dreams (2020) is coming tomorrow, July 22nd. If you’re counting the seconds though, you can catch an insider look right now as Media Molecule is going hands-on with the ‘Inside the Box’ starting experience and a number of the game’s new VR creation features.
In the video, we’re given a timely look at the VR version of the game. The update is coming part and parcel with a new labeling system which lets you easily filter through content, and label your content as both VR-only or VR-compatible. Notably, most user-built content is said to be playable in VR, although we want to see it to believe it first.
The team at Media Molecule went on to show off the creation tools whilst creating a VR experience, using its new gadgets such as the character tool that lets you snap things in front of you FOV, which is particularly useful for creating your own UI or HUDs.
Another gadget allows creators to sculpt bespoke items and then, for example, bind it to the position of the controller, which can let you create a weapon that is matched up properly with the position of either supported controllers, be it PS Move controller or Dual Shock 4.
The stream is still ongoing at the time of this writing, so we’re watching along with you and updating this piece as we go. Otherwise, the full presentation will be available below in full when it’s finished.
The post Watch ‘Dreams’ Upcoming VR Mode in Action Before It Releases Tomorrow appeared first on Road to VR.
Dreams to Add PlayStation VR Support This Month
It’s been on the cards for awhile and now Media Molecule has confirmed that its super creative PlayStation 4 title Dreams will be coming to PlayStation VR later this month.
Dreams will finally support the virtual reality (VR) headset on 22nd July 2020, as a free update for those that own the videogame. The update will see the addition of new tutorials and how-to guides, as well as kits to help get creators started designing their own content in VR. Plus, there will be new content to play from Media Molecule.
Players will be able to use PlayStation Move controllers to bring their ideas to life, “you’ll find sculpting in VR is a very one-to-one experience and lets you fully immerse in the creation process,” says the studio on PlayStation Blog. Creators will be able to then specify if their projects are VR compatible and Dreams will ask players for a comfort rating.
The update isn’t purely focused on PlayStation VR owners, non-VR owners can still create immersive content. “We’re introducing a handful of new gadgets to Create Mode, and a full slate of accessibility features including comfort mode, vignette strength, static sky, and more to make the experience of playing and creating as great as possible,” the studio adds.
In development for quite a few years, Dreams became one of the most coveted titles for PlayStation 4; eventually launching back in February. It allows you to play a story campaign by Media Molecule, or delve into the vast array of games created by the community. At its core though is the Create Mode, providing a wealth of options to realise your own digital world.
Media Molecule will launch PlayStation VR support for Dreams in four weeks, for any further updates in that time, keep reading VRFocus.
‘Dreams’ is Finally Getting PSVR Support, Free Update Coming This Month
If you’ve been hoping to make and experience some wild VR things in Dreams (2020), the content creation suite from Media Molecule, you won’t have to wait too much longer. On July 22nd, Dreams is finally getting that PSVR update we’ve all been waiting for.
Dreams launched into Early Access on PS4 late last year, and then released its full version in February 2020; ‘full’ was definitely a misnomer, since we were always hoping to play Dreams in VR form the start. Better late than never.
The free update will include new VR-specific tutorials, kits, and playable content. Watch out: it sounds like there’s plenty to learn before you can go crazy and build that quadruple loop-de-loop space rollercoaster you’ve been dreaming of, including Best Practices, new building gadgets, and plenty of how-tos.
Although Media Molecule didn’t go into extreme detail in their PS blog announcement, Dreams is also set to include some form of VR comfort mode, vignette sliders, static sky, and “more”.
“We have also created a whole range of different experiences ready to play and inspire Dreamers for their own versions. From games such as Box Blaster, which sees you testing your sharp-shooting skills, to our Inside the Box Gallery which features sculpts and art pieces from different members of the team, including an ultra-fabulous mech. Games like Box Blaster will also have their own respective creation kits,” Media Molecule Communications Manager Abbie Heppe reveals.
The studio says creators will also be able to specify whether or not their content is made for VR, and include a comfort rating from players.
In the end, it sounds like Dreams for VR will be just as an open creation experience as it is on flatscreen, although it doesn’t sound like there will be any overlap in VR content and the stuff that’s already available. That’s probably for the best though, because VR inherently has its own design limitations (and benefits) that new creators will be experiencing first-hand in a meaningful way.
The post ‘Dreams’ is Finally Getting PSVR Support, Free Update Coming This Month appeared first on Road to VR.
Dreams PSVR Support Becomes A Reality This July With Free Update
After years of teases and then finally a full non-VR release earlier this year, Dreams is finally getting its long-awaited PSVR support on July 22nd, 2020 as a free update.
Until right now the last we had heard about Dreams PSVR support was that it was in the final QA and bug fixing phase back in late April and then VR user testing in May. Two months later, it sounds like the work is finally completed as the update preps for launch.
Ever since Dreams was first announced for PS4 years ago, Media Molecule and Sony have always trumpeted that it would work with PSVR. It didn’t launch with that support, but it’ll be there in less than a month as a free update.
Personally, I’m pretty terrible at making things in these types of games. I never finished anything worth playing in LittleBigPlanet, couldn’t get into Minecraft, then crashed and burned hard in non-VR Dreams. But in the hands of the right people, Dreams PSVR support has a real chance to be, pardon the pun, game changer. I know I’m excited to hit the random button and just see what I can find.
You can get Dreams on Amazon for 25% off right at just $29.99 right here (that’s an affiliate link) or digitally over on the PSN Store for $39.99.
What will you make for Dreams PSVR? Do you plan on making a VR version of a beloved non-VR game, or maybe a magical place to visit all on your own? Let us know down in the comments below!
h/t: Wario64 on Twitter
The post Dreams PSVR Support Becomes A Reality This July With Free Update appeared first on UploadVR.
Dreams PSVR Support: Media Molecule Paying EU Players For VR Testing
As we await Dreams PSVR support news, some EU players will get an early look ahead of launch.
Developer Media Molecule is looking for a “limited number” of Dreams players in Europe to help test is upcoming VR integration. In fact, the developer is even paying £200 for players to jump into what’s described as a three-stage testing scheme over a two week period. Don’t expect everything to be finished, then, but you’d essentially be getting to play the game before anyone else and then get paid for it. Not a bad deal.
Note you’ll have to keep tight-lipped; everyone that enters the scheme will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which means no sharing clips/impressions online.
Dreams launched earlier in the year, providing players with a huge toolset to make their own games and experiences. PSVR support has long been promised for the title and, following launch, Media Molecule teased that it was essentially finished. We’re not expecting to wait too much longer for the full thing, then.
As with the full game, Dreams PSVR support will allow players to make their own levels inside the headset. We can’t wait to test the limits of these tools; what we’ve played of Dreams so far suggests it could offer a revolution for home-made VR content. That said, it’s not yet clear how the game will brush up with the limitations of the aging PS4 hardware when you add the stresses of PSVR on top.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest Dreams PSVR support news, so keep an eye out.
The post Dreams PSVR Support: Media Molecule Paying EU Players For VR Testing appeared first on UploadVR.