An update on server changes and live service support for Dreams

UPDATE: The blog below has been updated to confirm the launch of the new Dreams server - this will launch on May 22nd, 2023

To our wonderful community of Dreamers -

Dreams is unlike any other game we’ve worked on at Media Molecule. It has been exciting, challenging and most importantly an unforgettable collaborative journey with you all over the years, from beta to launch to the first DreamWalk to the 4th Impy Awards. Today we’d like to share two important updates for Dreams in 2023, regarding our upcoming server migration and live service.

Update on Live Support#

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. 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. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done in developing Dreams - such as our content releases, Create updates and live events - and we are endlessly grateful to the community for their belief and continuous contributions since launch.

Although this is challenging news we do have a few more updates on the way, including the much anticipated Tren, and a significant improvement to animation and our last Create mode update.

We will continue to share and celebrate creations in Dreams with the wider world on our social channels, our streams, Impsider roundups and more. We will be continuing our in-game curation work to make sure the Dreamiverse feels as alive as it always has been, and to surface amazing creations from you, our community, for everyone to enjoy.

We know this won't be an easy message for everyone to hear, and it's certainly not been an easy decision - Dreams has been a special project for Media Molecule and helping this burgeoning community of game developers, tinkerers, creatives, collaborators and dreamers grow and express themselves remains one of the best things we've ever done. Thank you for being part of it with us - we look forward to you joining us on our next adventure.

Server Migration#

At DreamsCom last year we mentioned a big upcoming change to the Dreams server - a necessary update to preserve the security and stability of Dreams, which is home to millions of amazing creations from around the world. Our team has been hard at work on this update and we’re preparing to migrate to our new server on May 22nd.

The complexity of this work has meant we have had to make changes, as not every feature in Dreams has been compatible with the needed modifications to the server. However, our team has worked very hard to keep parity between the two where possible, and even make a few improvements along the way.

Below, you’ll find all the major changes that will be coming with Dreams’ new server. By detailing these today, we’re providing all our users time before the launch to learn more, ask questions and prepare for the upcoming changes.

We’ll also be compiling and answering questions and making sure you have any additional info you may need before the new server is live, so please do use our indreams.me forums to engage with the team here. We will also have ‘Help & How To’ documentation, our detailed patch notes for the new server, and community support available at launch to help everyone.

We want to be as transparent as possible to ensure a smooth transition and server migration. In that spirit, these changes are:

Limits

• As part of the Dreams server migration, in an effort to preserve the security and stability of the Dreams server for all players, there will be a storage limit of up to 5GB from the date of the Dreams server migration. This 5GB limit will be added for players on the date of server migration. Your existing creations will not count towards the limits. New limits are as follows:

Deletion & Archiving

• To help you manage your content you’ll now be able to delete, rather than archive, creations.
• We are removing archiving as a feature. Creations that were archived prior to the date of the server migration will be unarchived and available in your saved creations, where you can choose to delete them.

Releasing Content

• We have simplified release screens, making it easier for you to publish your Dreams creations.
• You can now release Dreams creations as PUBLIC that contain PRIVATE content.

Versions

• We’ve improved clarity for versions - global LOCAL version limit is called out where it wasn’t previously and we’ve named the two key versions Latest Online and Lead.

Prize Bubbles

• We are removing prize bubbles from Dreams. Please make PRIVATE prizes PUBLIC if you’d like fellow players to use them. Specifically:
  • Creations that included prizes in bubbles will now display empty bubbles.
  • You will no longer have access to this feature from the Gadgets menu.

CoMmunity Jams

• Unfortunately, from April 2023 and after the last CoMmunity Jam, we will no longer be holding additional CoMmunity Jams. The Hall of Fame will still feature previous jam content. We have loved seeing all your brilliantly creative entries to these – thank you!

Quests and Trophies

• We are removing the following Creative Imp Quests:
  • Creative Thinker – Welcome Home Theme
  • Creative Thinking – Ancient Temple Theme
• If you have already earned PSN Trophies related to the above Creative Imp Quests this will not impact you, including if you have already earned a Dreams PSN Platinum Trophy. New players of Dreams will be able to unlock replacement trophies. If you have PSN Trophies in progress in relation to the above Creative Imp Quests, you will lose any progress in respect of that PSN Trophy and need to complete the new requirements to unlock the applicable replacement trophy.
• To unlock the replacement PSN Trophies, you will have to perform the following:
  • 2D platformer Template & Ancient Dangers Template – you will have to carry out the Play & Edit. If you have completed these already, you only need to walk through the Play & Edit exit door again to re-trigger the PSN Trophy.
• We are modifying the following PSN Trophies:
  • Come Aboard!
    • Come Aboard: enter DreamShaping after having completed the Camera Quests
  • Home Visit!
    • Home Visit: visit another player’s profile
  • Pop All The Bubbles!
    • Pop All The Bubbles: modification to the trophy description

Audio Importer

• We are temporarily removing the audio importer. We expect to be restoring it before October 2023.
• When restored, you will no longer need to be online for microphone recordings and the number of uploads per day limit will be removed.

Twitch Integration

• We are removing Twitch integration (Twitch Buddy).

Social

• We are removing the ‘Message of the Day’ feature.
• Players won't receive a notification when they are @ mentioned in creation titles or version notes.
• You must now page through comments.

Activity Feeds

• You will no longer be able to view:
  • What another player has been doing via the other player’s activity feed (what they played, liked, left a comment on, took a photo of, etc.)
  • What other players have been doing related to a creation (the owner released a new version, another player left a review, took a photo, etc.)

Scoreboards

• Scoreboards will only show the top 100 entries.
• We are removing Friends Scoreboards – you will not see PSN friend score comparisons.

Homespaces

• Homespaces are now local only (no visiting others’ homespaces).

Indreams.me

• Linking to creations and players by ID in titles and descriptions will no longer be possible.
• You will not be able to open a creation in-game from indreams.
• “Tools” option in the header user account menu will be removed.
• The following live tools are being removed:
  • Play now
  • Send to imp
  • Keyboard entry

Photos

• Taking photos is now limited to a maximum of 15 photos before saving (local save space limit allowing).
• You must select where you want to save photos to as part of the flow: online or locally.
• Uploading photos now deletes the local version.
• We have removed elements of the filter functionality in photo management and removed the ability to search photos by tag when selecting what photo to add to a cover page.

Trial

• We will be removing the Dreams trial from the PlayStation Store. If you are playing Dreams on a trial, you will need to buy the full game to continue accessing Dreams.

VR

• Your personalised comfort rating is now visible on content.
• There are no comfort ratings on maps and collections.

Dreams Live Service FAQ#

What does this mean for Media Molecule?

Media Molecule will continue to work on bringing joyful, playful, innovative experiences to players around the world. We’re currently working on a new project that we’re not ready to talk about at this stage, but stay tuned for more information in the future.

Why have you decided to end live support for Dreams?

We’re very proud of Dreams and grateful for the way you, the community, have embraced all it has to offer. Whilst we’ve always had the desire to build on the foundation of Dreams and expand the experience, when reviewing our plans we were not able to define a sustainable path. We made the decision to change the studio product strategy. This is obviously disappointing to many people inside and outside of Mm, however we are incredibly excited for what will come next.

When will live service support end?

We will be releasing our last update (discounting critical bug fixes) for Dreams in September 2023.

We will still support the ability to play, create and share Dreams with others after September.

Will I still be able to access and play Dreams? Will I still be able to create in Dreams?

Yes, you will still be able to access and play, create and share Dreams after the September update.

What happens between now and September?

Between now and September we will be releasing our final updates for Dreams, including an update to animation and create mode, the server migration and Tren.

Will I still be able to buy Dreams after September 2023?

Yes, you will still be able to purchase Dreams after September 2023.

Will events like the Impy Awards or DreamsCom still happen?

No, we won’t be continuing community events such as All Hallows’ Dreams, the Impy Awards, or DreamsCom.

Will there be any additional bug fixes after September 2023?

We may deploy critical bug fix patches after September. Any issues you encounter during your time using and playing Dreams can be reported via our ticketing system, forums or our social channels and our teams will investigate where appropriate.

Is the studio working on Dreams 2?

Media Molecule is working on a new project. We are not ready to talk about this yet, we can confirm that it is not Dreams 2, or the Dreams IP.

Will indreams.me still be supported?

Indreams.me will still be accessible after September, but we won’t be adding any new features. We will still post editorial content on the site, manage the forums and fix critical issues.

Will I still be able to access my creations after September?

Yes, creations will still be accessible in Dreams after September.

Is there any way to import/export creations made in Dreams to other software?

No, there is no way to export creations from Dreams. Music and video using the PlayStation share button can be exported however.

If I delete Dreams, can I reinstall it after September 2023?

Yes, you will still be able to re-install Dreams after September 2023. The game will still be available.

Will you continue with community support/social media posting of Dreams/Livestreams, etc?

Yes, we will continue to support Dreams on social media.

Will Multiplayer/PS5/PSVR2/3D printing support come to Dreams?

No, the planned releases for Dreams do not include multiplayer, PS5/PSVR2/3D printing support. There will be an update to animation and Create mode and Tren.

But MP was on the Trello board. What happened?

While we have done research and development on many areas for Dreams, unfortunately we’re not able to bring these features to the game.

What is the point of the server migration & changes if live service is discontinuing?

We still want to allow people to create in Dreams in a secure way, so the server work is a technical update to assure the stability of the Dreams server.