Media Molecule's new PlayStation 4 title Dreams is more a game creation system than a traditional video game, and it could be a perfect fit for teaching students to create games in the classroom. In Dreams, players can build their own worlds within the system, using a library of 2D and 3D objects, music, mechanics options, and helpful tutorials. They can then share these experiences with other players, who access them via the game's Dream Surfing mode, visiting other user's games as players. If a player feels inspired by someone else's work, they can also modify that world rather than starting from scratch.
Media Molecule is the British studio behind hit title LittleBigPlanet, a puzzle platformer that encourages creativity and imagination through user-generated content. With Dreams, the studio has extended that emphasis on creation, as it essentially acts as a content management system for players to build their own games within it. The game has been highly-anticipated, and since Dreams officially came out of early access on February 14, 2020, PS4 players have been hard at work creating their own worlds, including a funny reimagining of Rockstar's Red Dead Online.
This is why Dreams could be an excellent tool in the classroom, as creative director Mark Healey acknowledges in an interview with Metro UK, stating, "In a game design course or something it’s perfect, because you can prototype stuff so quickly." For university students studying game design, Dreams offers a user-friendly platform, with all the necessary tools in a single place. Healey says that schools have already contacted Media Molecule about using Dreams in their classrooms.
While Healey admits that Dreams has a learning curve, it's not nearly as steep as those for more professional game development software. All players need to start creating is a PlayStation 4. Besides, this learning curve is something teachers could tackle in their classrooms with group tutorials or training sessions. Dreams also makes it easy for students to share their work with their classmates or teachers for review, and it's possible to create together as players can add collaborators to any creation they're working on in the game. With such creations as a detailed recreation of Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter already existing, this idea seems perfect for schools.
Dreams could be helpful in elementary school classrooms, too. Ever since 1971, when Oregon Trail first started teaching kids about the hard lives of 19th century pioneers, video games have been considered valid educational tools in some circumstances. More recently, Assassin's Creed Origins released a Discovery Tour which lets players explore the game's incredibly accurate and detailed depiction of ancient Egypt, minus the story and violence of the campaign. Many teachers jumped at the chance to give their students a virtual peek into the past. Dreams could continue that tradition, this time providing young students with a unique set of tools to explore their artistic talents, try their hand at game design, or simply unleash their imaginations.
Source: Metro
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