Dreams, the next big project from LittleBigPlanet studio Media Molecule, is finally nearing a proper launch date after years of development and countless teases. But before the full game is released, the PS4 exclusive will go into 'Creator Early Access' this spring, giving eager players access to the same creative tools that Media Molecule is using to put the finishing touches on its own in-game creations.
"We scratched our chins and tried to figure out the best way to put the game in the hands of our most enthusiastic dreamers and allow us to continue crafting and polishing it for everyone," writes Media Molecule studio director Siobhan Reddy in the PlayStation Blog post announcing this Early Access release. "Early Access won’t have everything that the full version of Dreams will, but you’ll get 100% of the same Dreams tools that we have used every day at [Media Molecule] to make our content."
This Early Access iteration will only be sold digitally, priced at $29.99 in the US, €29.99 in Europe, and $39.99 in Canada. Reddy notes that "Dreams Early Access is a strictly limited release to ensure that we have a chance to listen to all of you, so be sure to snag your copy as soon as you can," implying that there will be a cutoff for the time span you can buy in or the number of creators who can participate.
Crucially, those who participated in the Dreams beta test which ran from December 19 to February 5 - and led to some shockingly good horror game recreations - will have access to all their existing projects once more. There's no opaque embargo ruling this time around, either - creators are free to share their works of Dreams art on whatever streaming sites and social media platforms suit their fancy.
Dreams is a veritable cluster bomb of creativity, so it'll be fascinating to see what players come up with when Early Access rolls around. If you're eager to get in there ASAP (and ensure that you actually get in), you can sign up for alerts on this official page. Early Access can be a huge boon for a game's development, as excited supporters can jump in straight away and latecomers reap the benefits of their efforts when the full game launches. Recent Early Access success stories include Subnautica and Dead Cells, both of which rank among the best games of 2018. "If you are a creator, this is definitely for you," writes Reddy. "The Dreamiverse needs curators, tastemakers, and testers - this is a great opportunity to carve out your niche."
Check out these fun factoids about Dreams (and Media Molecule), like the fact that it runs on the Bubblebath engine.
