The marketing for Dreams on PS4 is incomprehensible (yet this beta clip looks unbelievable)

[BAD]

I didn't give a damn about Dreams. It looks so confusing in stage demos and so abstract, like an even more abstract Little Big Planet level editor - which I hate :)

Fast forward to this week...

Now that the Beta NDA lifted it is my most anticipated game and even more importantly, development platform. Don't sleep on Dreams, I beg you. Don't make my mistake and miss the beta like Boo Boo the fool.

So I went back to watch the trailers and wondered how I missed such an amazing project...



This just looks like a collection of indie games and I know there's a story mode so no offense to anyone but most indie games aren't for me. The small scope and quirky art styles rarely do much for me.

SUDDENLY however...

I saw that it can look like gorgeous insane cinema in the beta and now I'm shook at all the potential. The games and levels and graphics in just weeks are mind blowing.

It's like a chance for so many game ideas to come into proof of concept form. Atmospheric and incredible.

 

[DNAbro]

This feels like such backhanded compliments. Yes you were Bo Bo the Fool. The potential felt huge from the start.

 

[Diarrhea Day-Lewis]

I hope this game gets as much exposure as possible when it comes out. I'd love June or May but I have a feeling it's one of Sony's big fall games

 

[BAD]

This feels like such backhanded compliments. Yes you were Bo Bo the Fool. The potential felt huge from the start.

Click to shrink...

If I'm the only one who didn't get what it was capable of, I'm happy to hear that! I want this game to blow up huge and continue onto upgraded form on PS5. I don't mean for my comments to be a slight against anyone but my own ignorant self and my own failures.

 

[Sinfamy]

Was that the Half-Life 2 intro train?

 

[Ricelord]

Was that the Half-Life 2 intro train?

Click to shrink...

yup.

 

[ArmGunar]

I'm sure this game will appeal to a lot of people like LBP did in 2008

 

[tyfon]

If I'm the only one who didn't get what it was capable of, I'm happy to hear that! I want this game to blow up huge and continue onto upgraded form on PS5. I don't mean for my comments to be a slight against anyone but my own ignorant self and my own failures.

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Not everyone can pay attention to the developer streams etc so I don't blame you.

But you're correct, it's a development engine / movie making engine / music engine +++
The potential is quite insane..

I think once the Sony marketing ramps up it will be fine :)

 

[Canucked]

The world is gonna sleep on Dreams I think. Unfortunate.

 

[CaptainKashup]

Dreams has incredible potential but as cool as it is, I can't see it not totally bombing.
It's kind of a glorified tech demo, it's genius but it lacks anything to make the casual audience interested in what it does.

 

[OG_Thrills]

I think the P.T. Demo was the game changer.

 

[Equanimity]

You're not alone, OP.

Some people still don't seem to understand the potential of Dreams. All it takes is one bad example.

 

[Alek]

Well, it's basically a very usable, creativity focused game maker. So it makes sense that, the skies the limit. It's always been painted like that.

It also makes sense, that it's been hard to show off until they had people actually using it, showing what regular players could produce.

And it seems appropriate that they held off on releasing that information at all once. The NDA protected them from any bizarre experiences that might have plagued the early beta experiences, and allowed players opportunity to get familiar with the tools, before they started showcasing their creations to the world.

Overall, I would say they've handled the games marketing pretty well, for a game whose value is inherently hard to communicate prior to launch.

 

[BAD]

I think the P.T. Demo was the game changer.

Click to shrink...

Great example - that leaking was probably what first made me understand Dreams wasn't an abstract indie platformer level editor

 

[Boo Boo the Fool]

i know i missed the beta but why do you have to call me out like that

 

[EkStatiC]

Dreams is not RDR2, BFV or COD so marketing is more focused and i must say quite good unitl now.

General audience will learn and be interested about the game through word of mouth (whatever that mean today).

 

[Gerwant]

I'm sure this game will appeal to a lot of people like LBP did in 2008

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LBP had a cute Sackboy as a mascot, so it helped to appeal to people. Dreams has what? A weird bear with a hammer lol.

 

[Yautja_Warrior]

I really hope Sony give this the marketing it clearly deserves. Dropping the stupid NDA on the beta was a good move, so more people can see and talk about it but it will definitely need good marketing to sell this to the general public, who hasn't been following what Dreams is.

It has so much potential to be a massive hit but it could also be one of those fantastic games that doesn't sell.

 

[CloseTalker]

I admit to only paying passing attention to Dreams, but beyond knowing what the product is capable of (seemingly anything?), I'm still not sure what it actually is that I'll be buying. Like, if I don't want to just dive straight into creation tools, what is it I'll be playing?

MM could have the strongest game making tool ever made, but they're going to need to market a game at some point too. At this same point in its lifecycle, LBP had a cohesive aesthetic, a likable mascot, and a central theme (make and share 2D action games) to latch on to. Dreams has none of that. it's a marketing nightmare lol.

 

[cheeseholidays]

To me Dreams has PS Plus written all over it.

 

[xxracerxx]

There isn't a real marketing push for Dreams yet.

 

[OG_Thrills]

Great example - that leaking was probably what first made me understand Dreams wasn't an abstract indie platformer level editor

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I watched people who had no interest in the game literally do a complete 180 because of that demo across social media. Obviously that's just my observations and others could see it differently. But If dreams does take off like many suspect, the P.T. remake for me, was the beginning on the game gaining momentum outside of the core audience.

It showcased the broad scope of the game in a way that was unexpected.

 

[Slim]

The game looks cool, but I'm still not going to buy it.

 

[JuanLatino]

this will benefit greatly from its community.

the biggest marketing it can get is via the players. Crazy looking games discussed in gaming forums, famous Youtubers/Streamers creating their own games and sharing it with their fans.

 

[Mister X]

The game looks cool, but I'm still not going to buy it.

Click to shrink...

Why not?

 

[EkStatiC]

There isn't a real marketing push for Dreams yet.

Click to shrink...

Because i am curious, what is a real marketing push for a game?

 

[tyfon]

LBP had a cute Sackboy as a mascot, so it helped to appeal to people. Dreams has what? A weird bear with a hammer lol.

Click to shrink...

It has connie :)

 

[Crayon]

God, these polls. Where is the option for the public doesn't know because the marketing hasn't kicked in yet?

 

[mute]

Maybe if the official marketing from MM leaned real heavy into the fact that you can basically make PT/HL3/whatever clone game you want then it would get them maybe some unwanted legal attention than had they advertised it just as a indie/fan game/experimental type thing. When the community then does what it will ultimately do, and some amazing shit pops up MM can just throw their hands up and say "wow would you look at that!"

 

[xxracerxx]

Because i am curious, what is a real marketing push for a game?

Click to shrink...

The real push will happen closer to release. More preview, a commercial, ads before Twitch/YouTube, etc. More exposure to the masses, rather than to the enthusiasts (us here).

Not saying these all will happen, but that is what I mean by real marketing push.

 

[ArmGunar]

LBP had a cute Sackboy as a mascot, so it helped to appeal to people. Dreams has what? A weird bear with a hammer lol.

Click to shrink...

It's not Sackboy which appeals to players but a promise of create your own levels and play a infinite number of levels created by others

And that promise is exceeded with a game like Dreams where you can create not your own level but your own world, limited just by your imagination

With right marketing and Sony momentum about their first party games, this game might explode and even more if the game is popular on Twitch

 

[Hoot]

Yeah I kinda hope it does get a significant marketing push. Outside of forums like this, nobody knows that this project even exists. Heck even on most of my discords and following my relatives on twitter, Dreams is on no one's radar apart from the occasional blip every 2 months.

 

[Slim]

Why not?

Click to shrink...

I've no interest in these kinds of games.

 

[msdstc]

I'm sure this game will appeal to a lot of people like LBP did in 2008

Click to shrink...

Again this is a popular line of thinking that is severely flawed. The sackboy is what sold LBP. The level building tools were neat to hardcores, but the public just enjoyed the look of the sackboy. Dreams does not have that hook.

 

[Komali]

The creativity of the community is the biggest marketing tool this game can have. I am not worried.

 

[newline]

Honestly I thought it was whack when I saw the first trailer back in the day. I would see Dreams threads constantly bumped on here and I was confused why. Didn't interest me at all (even though I enjoyed LBP and Mario Maker). This recent stuff though has me intrigued. That full on recreation of Kokori forest looks sick.

 

[theotherMittens]

I think it'll be big on Twitch in a way that will lead to it being big with kids. It might not have huge launch sales but I expect it'll have legs.

 

[Mister X]

I've no interest in these kinds of games.

Click to shrink...

Even when the potential is this high?

This is unseen.

"these kind of games" have never been done on this scale.

 

[Crayon]

Again this is a popular line of thinking that is severely flawed. The sackboy is what sold LBP. The level building tools were neat to hardcores, but the public just enjoyed the look of the sackboy. Dreams does not have that hook.

Click to shrink...

I think they should have brought back the SackBoy and the lbp branding. But saying people only wanted sackboy is going pretty far. Far like out the window. What actually happened, was that all of these same concerns were levelled at LBP and it went on to be a hit.

 

[Metalmurphy]

they just need to do a timelapse of an impressive dream and end with "Now show us what your DREAMS are made of"

BAM, 10 MILLION COPIES SOLD

 

[Sparks]

Honestly, for me, this is insanely impressive but they seem basically like they are making a development kit instead of a game at this point. So I feel I'd be better off working in Unreal4 where I have the potential to profit off the knowledge I gain, instead of using that time to build something in their locked off framework for free.

I will try it out though, a lot of interesting ideas going on.

 

[BAD]

Honestly, for me, this is insanely impressive but they seem basically like they are making a development kit instead of a game at this point. So I feel I'd be better off working in Unreal4 where I have the potential to profit off the knowledge I gain, instead of using that time to build something in their locked off framework for free.

I will try it out though, a lot of interesting ideas going on.

Click to shrink...

For me who has some concepts but no programming skill or acquaintances or budget or interest in game engineering, this can be a great way to get a concept out into the world without the huge hurdle of needing to learn a real engine and all the things it takes to plug into it.

 

[GongagaSOLDIER]

Well, it's basically a very usable, creativity focused game maker. So it makes sense that, the skies the limit. It's always been painted like that.

It also makes sense, that it's been hard to show off until they had people actually using it, showing what regular players could produce.

And it seems appropriate that they held off on releasing that information at all once. The NDA protected them from any bizarre experiences that might have plagued the early beta experiences, and allowed players opportunity to get familiar with the tools, before they started showcasing their creations to the world.

Overall, I would say they've handled the games marketing pretty well, for a game whose value is inherently hard to communicate prior to launch.

Click to shrink...

I am definitely of the same line of thinking on this. As with traditional game engines like Unreal, the potential isn't possible to really market in any typical way to a wide consumer base; not until there is enough to show the potential for the target audience (game engine marketing starts off with demos created in house for example, but the value of the product isn't clear until developers less close to the engine have it). In the case of Dreams, the 'Beta' is the way to market the game, the experiences that can be created and shared by the public involved is the appeal of the game and nothing sells it better. Seeing what can be done and indeed, interacting with the tools, are the core of Dreams. No short stage demo at a PlayStation conference would be especially adequate.

 

[Braaier]

They gotta have some good curation tools in place. Afraid you're gonna have to wade through a ton of garbage to find anything decent.

 

[Gpur]

The question is: who the fuck have time to "play" with? I mean I love the creations and the amazing works that people will share but I really have no time.

 

[eso76]

I've no interest in these kinds of games.

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What kind though ?
Because people will be making every kind of game you will be able to play on the platform.

Now, how many of those will be good or worth playing, that's another story.
But seeing what people were able to achieve with Trials evolution editor I'm confident we'll see a number of good efforts.

Real marketing targeting the masses hasn't started yet but I'd imagine enthusiasts know what Dreams can do.

 

[convo]

Because i am curious, what is a real marketing push for a game?

Click to shrink...

Maybe start doing it when the game is close to completion. Dreams doesn't have a solid release date, and as amazing as everything looks the moderation tools to prevent the lewd stuff from coming up need to be thoroughly tested and proven.

 

[Slim]

Even when the potential is this high?

This is unseen.

"these kind of games" have never been done on this scale.

Click to shrink...

What kind though ?
Because people will be making every kind of game you will be able to play on the platform.

Now, how many of those will be good or worth playing, that's another story.
But seeing what people were able to achieve with Trials evolution editor I'm confident we'll see a number of good efforts.

Real marketing targeting the masses hasn't started yet but I'd imagine enthusiasts know what Dreams can do.

Click to shrink...

The artwork doesn't seem very pleasing despite the opportunities to make different games/levels.

 

[Dyllan Price]

To me Dreams has PS Plus written all over it.

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why do you say that? I seriously get tired of people saying this.

 

[The Artisan]

this game should have just been LittleBigPlanet 4