Journal

Workshop: Perfecting the Mix of Story, Character and Interactivity

2007-03-20T12:12:00.000-06:00

George P. Georgeadis, President and Executive Producer for Dreamgazers Interactive is going to be one of the featured presenters at Banff Centre's Workshop on Perfecting the Mix of Story, Character and Interactivity taking place on March 29th to 31st, 2007 along side Kris Pearn, Head of Story at Sony Pictures Animation, Josh Staub, Art and Visual Design Director for Cyan Worlds, creators of Myst, Riven, and URU and Ronnie del Carmen, Story Supervisor, Pixar Animation Studios.

For more information on the event or to register please click the following link:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/program.aspx?id=599

Media

2006-11-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

We have had some more media attention recently! Check it out!

Names to look out for in 2007!
GamesTM magazine, in their latest issue, features George P. Georgeadis, founder of Dreamgazers Interactive and creator of Dreamers, as one of the "Names to look out for in 2007!" Check out the article here

Interview with Next3 magazine! George P. Georgeadis talks about life as an independant game developer in the next generation. Read it here

Online Interview with PS3Land.com
PS3 Land did an interview about Dreamers, read it online here

Dreamers Top 5 Sleepers on PS3Land.com
Voted as one of the top 5 sleepers on PS3Land.com, read it here

GDC 2006!

2006-03-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a proffesional or an independent Game Developer or want to work in the industry, there is only one place to be every year and that is the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC)!

This year, the conference was held back in San Jose - for the last time according to some rumors - and from an amazing collection of keynotes, roundtables and presentations from industry veterans and gurus, to amazing parties every night it surely was quite a fun and interesting week!

Here are some photos from the event, parties and some of the amazing friends I made there this year! Hope you enjoy!

Dreamers New Website!

2006-02-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We are excited to announce that we have launched a brand new website dedicated entirely on "Dreamers" the game! Even though the site will be constantly under construction we thought we let you in early so you can have a sneak peak at some of the early screens and videos from what we have been working on so far!

www.dreamersgame.com

Also, you may want to have a peek at the brand new Concept Art Gallery we have set up for you at:

www.dreamersgame.com/art/gallery.html

VGL in Vancouver

2005-10-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

It is about 7:00 pm, the weather is slightly rainy and we are standing outside the Queen Elisabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Canada. Hundreds of eager and excited faces around; everyone just can't wait to get inside! This is a significant evening for the game industry, as games are about to be showcased as a significant art form through their music to the general public... The Video Games Live Concert (VGL) in Vancouver -the first ever in Canada- is finally here!

Needless to say the concert was a huge success and a night that will be hard to forget! Just as they were about to open the doors to the public, one couldn't help but notice the number of fans that had decided to dress up as their favourite game character, as Mario, Zelda, Rikku from FF10, Dr. Mario, Alice from American McGee's beautiful game and lots more showed up and made everyone even more excited for the concert! Some of the costumes were unbelievable!

Video Games Live featured the best music and video clips from the most popular games spanning from the beginning of video gaming to the present such as Mario, Zelda, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Warcraft, Myst, Castlevania, Medal of Honor, Sonic, Tron, Advent Rising, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil, and a very cool retro Classic Arcade Medley featuring over 20+ games from Pong to Donkey Kong including such classics as Dragon's Lair, Tetris, Frogger, Gauntlet, Space Invaders & Outrun!

Hearing your favorite video game music played live for the first time ever right in front of your ears by a full orchestra and choir while watching exclusive footage of your favorite games set to music is truly an unbelievable experience! Tommy Tallariko and Jack Wall should be very proud of what they have accomplished and as the meet and greet took place you could sence of how friendly and truly devoted to what they believe in they truly are. I hope VGL becomes something that we get to experience a lot in the upcoming years and a show that will only get better as the games we play become the best entertainment medium of our time!

Find out more about this excellent concert at www.videogameslive.com

Interview with European Online Magazine

2005-05-08T11:08:00.000-06:00

Following the overwhelming media attention Dreamers has been receiving since GDC 2005 (especially from Europe), here is a recent interview we did with popular Danish Online Magazine, www.gamepad.dk

The link to the original interview (in Danish):
http://www.gamepad.dk/indhold/feature.asp?id=2884

However, since most of you (including myself) probably could not read or understand a single word of Danish hehe, here is the English version of the interview with some exclusive sneak peak "behind the scenes" screens of how we are progressing with our demo:

Interview by Morten Andersen for Gamepad.dk

Hospital-ity Concept Art by George P.Georgeadis

You could start out by telling us about Dreamgazers Interactive - how you started, where you're located and so on...

Dreamgazers Interactive was founded in February of 2004 and we are located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is actually quite an interesting story; I had a dream the night before I registered the domain name for dreamgazers.com that I owned a company that was working on “Dreamers” by that very same name! I saw that as a sign and since things weren’t working out so well for me with the game company I was previously involved in, I immediately signed up for the domain and the rest is history... After the website was up, people started writing me about the game out of nowhere and the support has been extremely overwhelming since! I was by myself at first but then more and more people wanted to get involved in the project and now I have pretty much a full team of 8-10 talented individuals based all around the world who can’t wait to bring the game to life! I couldn’t be more grateful for all the support and love the project and I have been shown so far.

Sleep Tight Illustration by Michael Lomon

The game, Dreamers, is your first project and had a small showing at this years' GDC in San Francisco. We bet you guys were excited to give people a first glimpse of the game...?

San Francisco was a blast! I hope the GDC is held there every year from now on! Actually, a glimpse is even more than what we actually had available to show people. As you already know, we’ve only just acquired the wonderful and powerful engine called “Reality”, by Artificial Studios, a tool that has enabled us to begin production on a prototype/demo of “Dreamers”. This engine is simply stunning and as you know it is also being used by the people behind Metronome (what a good-looking game) and what a great bunch of guys! So, for the GDC we had prepared only what time had allowed us to prepare; some early test levels showcasing some of the engine’s capabilities.

Who is Jorge? 3D Character Texture Test

How was it received?

The few people who actually saw those levels in action were extremely impressed! The feedback was very overwhelming for something that in all honesty -in my mind- did not represent what the actual game is really going to be like. I just can’t wait to show people “my world”, hehe. Anyhow, it was a clear sign then that Reality would be the engine for us, especially after meeting the Artificial Studios guys in person! They also were very impressed by the test level, something I couldn’t really understand at the time having seen what comes their way! It’s really great to have their support on this project!

Shadows Lighting Tests

Tell us about the game.

“Dreamers” is a 3rd person Action/Adventure game set in Greece in the 1990’s, that explores the life of a young man (Jorge) suffering from a bizarre form of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized usually by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations. Usually the attacks are brief and do not exceed the length of 5-10 minutes but can occur at anytime and anywhere.

While our character has been living with the symptoms of narcolepsy all his life, recently, the sleep attacks he’s been having have become a concern to him. He usually dreams during these attacks and when he was younger he was able to experience lucid dreaming (the ability to realize one is dreaming and control the dream), while now his dreams have become darker, keeping him asleep longer than usual and seem to have a conclusion he has to reach in order to wake up.

Alarmed after being asleep for two days in a state of a coma he sought for help with no luck in finding an explanation as to why his condition has taken such a bizarre turn for the worse. Living in fear of the next deep sleep attack -which he knows is inevitable- he hopes to find a way out of his next dream to gain a little bit more time in the waking world to figure out what is wrong with him. Does the answer he seeks reside within his dreams and nightmares, his life-long fears or his ill-fated past? It’s up to the players to find out!

Lost Illustration by Michael Lomon

Can you tell us about some of the environments Jorge will be visiting during his adventures?

The players will embark on an amazing journey spanning through most of his life, experiencing first hand what it would be like to suffer from such a condition, playing one minute in the real world and asleep the next. Playing in the real world is a struggle with time while the players try to gain more information about his condition before the next sleep attack occurs and disturbing hallucinations become warnings of when an attack is about to occur but also stand in the way of the character and the truth. During the dream levels, players will experience a vast alternate reality, a beautiful world the main character once embraced and used to escape in from the harsh reality of his mother’s death when he was at the young age of 5, but they will also experience disturbing nightmares based on the character’s and player’s own personal fears. These nightmares will feel very similar to the disturbing psychological worlds the Silent Hill games are famous for.

Will there be a lot of focus on the story or will the game be more action-oriented?

I think a game can definitely successfully have both elements driving the overall interest of the player to embark on a unique journey… however, most games these days have just enough story to sell the action. The movie industry actually is a major example for that these days. Despite the trends, “Dreamers” is all about the story. Action, in some unique forms, is a pretty big part of the game as well, but it is a story-driven game for sure.

Temple of Icarus Concept Illustration

You're using Artificial Studios' impressing 'reality engine'. What kind of advantage does this engine have compared to other current engines?

It’s powerful, competitive, artist-friendly and at the time was very accessible! Also, when you are an independent game developer like me, working full-time at a different job and then coming home to work on your dreams (no pun intended :) ) you aren’t left with much time to create an engine from scratch. Needless to say, it is also very difficult to afford any of the other big engines out there. I love technology, and “Reality” seemed to have everything I needed to bring my screenplay to life. Good visuals is only half the battle of course.

Let's step away from Dreamers for a while and talk about the huge event that E3 is going to be this year. What games/showings are you looking forward to the most?

I am really looking forward to the unveiling of the two new big consoles! Xbox 2 and Playstation 3. I am just crazy about the thought of how much better games could become in the future and I want to see/experience this future now! I am also a geek for new technology, but most importantly I am excited because “Dreamers” is being designed with the new generation of consoles in mind. I would also love to see a new Silent Hill game announced by Konami and see more of Final Fantasy XII, as I love the series. Also, more adventure games -please!!

Below the Surface Lighting effects

What are you currently playing at the moment yourself?

Even though time is extremely limited between the game and my day job, I just finished playing Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube, one of the best games I have ever played. Usually, I wouldn’t comment like that on a game like RE4. I haven’t honestly been successfully frightened by it’s predecessors - a major reason for me to like a “scary” game (except when the first Resident Evil surprised the hell out of me when that dog jumped out of the window in the beginning of the game – I was a lot younger, ok?), but this game has it all! Just the AI of the enemies in the game is enough to impress even someone who absolutely hates this type of games, while the drooling visuals and in-game cinematics are simply stunning! I have great respect for these guys; they’ve managed to take a game series that was beginning to feel a little stale and turned it into a brand new experience full of movie-quality entertainment and fun. Needless to say the game offers plenty of scares (I love being scared) and moments I will remember for a long time. Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia games are still on the top of my list as I am still playing them –simply beautiful games! Oh, and lastly I think I will never beat Myst IV, but it’s so beautiful I can’t help just wondering around from place to place taking photos and listening to Peter Gabriel in the credits…

Something else you want to say or let us know? Maybe a little secret?

“Dreamers” is going to be a game whose target audience is male and female alike. There are so few games appealing to women nowadays. I have so many female friends who love video games and they always complain there isn’t much outhere for them. And it’s so true! One in particular is playing Prince of Persia over and over until a game that she will enjoy playing finally comes out. We have plenty of female game designers on board this project to ensure the needs are covered but don’t let that fool you guys outhere, this game has plenty for everyone.

A secret huh? Well, I am afraid secrets in this industry must remain secrets until they become press releases hehe…but I can leave you with the fact that you should keep checking our website, as something major and exciting is coming soon. Thank you again for this opportunity and thanks for listening!

GDC '05 -After

2005-05-03T12:26:00.000-06:00

Finally got around to uploading some photos from the GDC! Sorry it took so long, but we have been so busy since we got back working on this demo! The GDC was such an amazing event and San Francisco is such a beautiful city! I wish next year's conference takes place there again! We met some extremely amazing people and few key people that will play an important role for the realization of "Dreamers". Stay tuned for more news on that soon ;)

Hope you enjoy the photos:

GDC 2005, San Francisco

George at the Discreet Presidential Suite with our very good friend Jodi Vetterl (our Discreet gem ;p). Just look at that view!

After the magnificent Final Fantasy Concert, I finally got to meet the brilliant Nobuo Uematsu!

Some unique and interesting stuff around San Francisco

Alcatraz offered some great photo opportunities and some very creepy settings..

Simply Beautiful! I love photography and now I love San Francisco!

One of my 100's of bird shots (lol), Chinatown and mmmm...SUSHI!

Got to stand in front of the house that one of my all-time favorite movies was filmed! Electric Dreams is the name of the movie and this is the house that the main characters, Miles and Madeline, were sharing along with Edgar the unforgettable and evil computer!

First Things.. First

2005-03-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Testing our engine is the key to making sure we can use it to its full potential and get a glimspe of what we can really accomplish when we try to bring "Dreamers" to life! I like what I see so far, how about you?

GDC '05 -Before

2005-02-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

The time of year is here once again for the team to visit the US for the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2005, which is being held in San Francisco this time!

Excitement is in the air as these final few days we are vigorously preparing for the event and I am personally overly excited as the first day of the conference we have secured tickets to the Final Fantasy Concert "Dear Friends", which I missed the first time around! I simply love the games and the music always had a unique way of capturing me, so i anticipate it to be a great day :)

Stay tuned as we have a big surprise for you in the next few weeks!

Sincerely,

George P. Georgeadis

President, Creative & Art Director
Dreamgazers Interactive
www.dreamgazers.com

Finding Dreamland

2004-12-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another entry of the "Journal"!
The source for updates on the progress of "Dreamers" and other inside stories and exciting news on Dreamgazers Interactive.

Today we'd like to share with you some wonderful news! In the past month, Dreamgazers, has been in the market for the ultimate game engine to built "Dreamers" on and after a lot of research we have finally made our choice! Since we are under contract we are unfortunately not allowed to announce the name of this extremely powerful engine just yet, but believe us when we say; this engine rocks!

With all the latest technology in graphics, physics, lighting, shader effects, normal mapping etc, this engine is just perfect to bring the fantastical world of "Dreamers" to life! Needless to say everyone here at Dreamgazers have been working like crazy to see our first level come to life! :)

Be sure to check back soon as we are almost ready to show you the very first in-game screenshots of "Dreamers".

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all the wonderful letters of support for this project! You are all making the already exciting process of making "Dreamers" even more worthwhile! Besides, this game is for you! Please keep sending them as we love reading them! Also, a special thanks to everyone who has entered our "Are you a Dreamer" contest! We simply cannot see how we will be able to select the best dream out of all these really amazing stories! The contest is far from over so please send us more of your dreams!!

Look for another update very soon! Thank you!

Sincerely,

George P. Georgeadis
President, Creative & Art Director
Dreamgazers Interactive
www.dreamgazers.com

Conceptual Dreams

2004-10-25T08:06:00.000-06:00

Welcome to another update to the "Journal", your source for news and behind the scenes on "Dreamers", the new action /adventure game by Dreamgazers Interactive.

Today we would like to share with you some wonderful concept art for "Dreamers", created by a wonderful and talented artist, Zach Wong!

Zach has brilliantly captured some of the first ideas and images on "Dreamers" that have been circulating in my head for so long now, in full color, unique style and amazing quality! I am extremely proud of these pieces and I wanted to share them with you immediately!

To visit our Flash Gallery http://www.dreamgazers.com/conceptart.html
To visit Zach's Online Portfolio http://zachlost.deviantart.com/

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

George P. Georgeadis
President, Creative & Art Director
Dreamgazers Interactive
http://www.dreamgazers.com/

In the Beginning...

2004-10-18T13:14:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Dreamgazers Blog!

"Journal" is a blog written by the staff at Dreamgazers Interactive who are bringing you "Dreamers", their exciting new action/adventure game. In the upcoming months you’ll see posts by various members of the design team and minds behind "Dreamers" as well as a number of special guests. Our goal is to give you a “behind the scenes” taste of what it is like to make a game such as Dreamers. We hope to hear from you, so those of you who are either aspiring to a career in games, or simply curious about the process, please post your comments or questions and share your thoughts. Check back often – we’re planning on updating this blog frequently.

Stay tuned!

Sincerely,

George P. Georgeadis
President, Creative & Art Director
Dreamgazers Interactive
http://www.dreamgazers.com