The Dreams Community Says Remakes are Drowning Out Original Games

Dreams, Media Molecule’s newest game-slash-creation tool, has been a hit with creatives looking to flex their game design prowess. But some say the discovery tool that’s meant to highlight up-and-coming projects tend to favor viral content over original creations, something Media Molecule says it’s looking to address. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/14/dreams-launch-trailer"] Dreams is a tool that lets creators work within the Dreams game engine and create all kinds of games, animations, and visual content. We’ve already seen wildly imaginative creations come out of Dreams already, and there’s even a Trending Dreams tab that’s meant to highlight some of the most popular Dreams creations. But one critique of the Trending system is how it places more weight on games based purely on plays and not necessarily likes. In practice, this floats remakes and “memes” up to the top over original creations that may not have gone viral. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20trending%20algorithm%20right%20now%20is%20rewarding%20clickbait%20and%20it%20is%20suffocating%20high-quality%20content"]In one thread on the r/PS4Dreams subreddit with over 1.2 thousand upvotes, players are discussing ways this system can be improved. “I understand that trending games are the most played games of the day but... what happens is that meme and superhero games that have 3k plays but only 100 likes are absolutely overshadowing great creations that have like 200 likes but only have, for example, 400 plays.” “Feedback is a vital part of helping us shape and grow the Dreams community,” a Media Molecule spokesperson tells IGN when we reached out regarding these concerns. “We started making the first changes to our recommendation & discovery algorithms in Early Access and plan on continuing that work to improve them as we go.” Media Molecule specifically mentions the Reddit thread saying, “The Reddit thread currently contains some good ideas, such as the ‘likes vs plays’ ratio currently and we are certainly giving them some careful consideration as part of this process.” The studio didn’t mention specifically how it’s looking to change the Trending algorithm, but the developers are looking at the discussion in the Reddit thread. And there’s plenty of lively discussion from the community on some potential changes. “The trending algorithm right now is rewarding clickbait and it is suffocating high-quality content,” writes one commenter. “There are two things that we need trending to do: 1. Direct users to content they are likely to enjoy 2. Ensure that high-quality creations get the attention they deserve. Right now it is doing neither.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/29/kaiju-simulator-in-ps4-dreams"] Dreams boast several remakes of existing games. Games like Fallout 4, Persona 5, Ghost of Tsushima, Spyro, and more have all been remade in Dreams. And while original games like a project that lets players control a giant Kaiju have broken through, many argue that they're still overwhelmingly buried underneath recognizable remakes. Especially since there are professional developers who believe Dreams can be a powerful tool for creating original games. “I get what you’re saying but memes and remakes and random superhero free roam games won’t stop because that’s what younger audiences love and hey, I am not against those,” writes another commenter. “I think those projects are as welcomed as any other in Dreams. The problem is that the trending button is putting only the most played games at the top. It doesn’t matter if, in 300 plays, you get 300 likes. If a meme game gets 10 likes from 3k plays, it will overshadow your flawless game. That’s definitely an issue that won’t ease over time if [Media Molecule] doesn’t work on the matter [in my opinion].” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=14-community-creations-made-in-dreams&captions=true"] Other commenters have said that the algorithm did change following the end of the early access period. And considering the studio wants to improve the system as well, Media Molecule says it will implement changes to the Trending tab with consideration to the community. At less than a month out from Dreams’ official release, Media Molecule has already gathered a committed community excited about the game and its potential. Check out IGN’s Dreams review and wiki for starter tips, guides, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.