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Dreamfall: Chapters finally enters production

clip

Member
http://www.funcom.com/news/pre_production_begins_on_new_game_in_the_longest_journey_saga

rad

Durham, USA – November 1st, 2012 – Funcom is excited to announce that 'Dreamfall Chapters', the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning adventure title 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey', has gone into pre-production at Red Thread Games, a new studio founded by Ragnar Tørnquist, creator of 'The Longest Journey' saga.

Red Thread Games has licensed the rights to 'The Longest Journey' universe from Funcom, and Mr. Tørnquist will spearhead development of 'Dreamfall Chapters', while continuing in an advisory role as Creative Director on Funcom’s recently launched modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’.

Last month Joel Bylos stepped into the position as Game Director on the myths, legends and conspiracy themed online game, allowing Mr. Tørnquist to devote more of his time to 'Dreamfall Chapters', which recently entered pre-production.

Red Thread Games will independently fund and produce the sequel to 'Dreamfall', and has entered into a revenue sharing agreement with Funcom as part of the licensing deal. Funcom owns the intellectual property rights for 'The Longest Journey', but due to the company’s focus on and commitment to the development of online games, the decision was made to license the rights to Mr. Tørnquist and his new development studio. The close working relationship between Funcom and Mr. Tørnquist will allow him to continue on as Creative Director of Funcom’s ‘The Secret World’, in parallel with putting together a team to develop 'Dreamfall Chapters'.

“I'm very excited to finally have the opportunity to continue the 'The Longest Journey' saga,” says Ragnar Tørnquist. “Ever since we ended 'Dreamfall' on a nail-biting cliffhanger, players have been rightfully demanding a sequel, and my deal with Funcom will finally make that possible. I'm extremely grateful to Funcom for this unique and exciting opportunity, and I can't wait to dive back into the universe I helped create more than a decade ago, and continue the story players have been waiting for these past six years."

Red Thread Games will release more details about 'Dreamfall Chapters' in the coming months.

‘The Secret World’ is developed by Funcom and co-published by EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). For more information about the game please visit www.thesecretworld.com. Media assets can be found at ftp.funcom.com/press.

'Dreamfall Chapters' will be developed by Red Thread Games, under license from Funcom.
 

Jucksalbe

Banned
I believe it, when they release it. I will have to replay the prequels again, don't remember much of them, it's been too long.
 

Miker

Member
Wow. I was worried they wouldn't have the money for this after the Secret World, but I guess they do. Happy to see them moving forward with the franchise (despite not having played either game).
 
Wow, awesome.

Can it go back to being as good as the first though, please? I liked Dreamfall but it's not a patch on the original, which is by far one of the best adventure games ever.

I'll be happy to have it either way as long as it doesn't suck, regardless.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Funcom said:
and Mr. Tørnquist will spearhead development of 'Dreamfall Chapters', while continuing in an advisory role as Creative Director on Funcom’s recently launched modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’.

As happy as I am to see this happen, he explicitly said that he wouldn't do this. I don't want him compelled to finish something for financial reasons. At least, I hope it doesn't affect the product.

Also, any who haven't should play The Secret World. It's no more flawed than the The Longest Journey series, and it is way more innovative.
 

Lime

Member
ilbq8vgrdzuqznhestptkzf.gif
 

jb1234

Member
YES!!!!!! Hoping it'll be more like TLJ than Dreamfall.

I've been dying to know what happened to April for years now.
 

ShaneB

Member
YAY! TLJ is a timeless p'n'c. I didn't like Dreamfall a whole lot and only played a couple hours, but if this actually happens, I'll play through it all.
 

Acosta

Member
Holy fuck, Ragnar has funded a new studio?, when this happened?

I can't believe we re going to get Chapters after all these years. So exciting!
 

Waaghals

Member
What so good about it and can you compare it to some other game? quantic dream games?

Dreamfall is similar in the sense that it is very story driven, with relatively weak action gameplay.

It is different in the sense that there are no QTE's and that the writing and story is actually good.

The original The Longest Journey is a point and click adventure with a great story and impossible puzzles.
 
I played Dreamfall about half way and loved it to pieces. I played a little bit of TLJ 1, and I loved it, too. Adventure games aren't necessarily my favorite genre, but there's something special about the TLJ series.

I would very much enjoy a sequel... though I do need to finish the original games first. lol
 

Aeana

Member
TLJ is one of my favorite games of all time, but I didn't manage to finish Dreamfall. I'll have to give it another go soon.
 

Lime

Member
I wonder if this news coincides with the announcement of the Norwegian government increasing their grant with 5 million NKR. towards the development of digital games, so it amounts to 20 mio. in total:

http://www.statsbudsjettet.no/Statsbudsjettet-2013/Statsbudsjettet-fra-A-til-A/Dataspill/

Dataspill

Regjeringen foreslår å øke bevilgningen til dataspill med 5 millioner kroner i 2013. Med den foreslåtte bevilgningsøkningen er de samlede utgiftene til utvikling av dataspill på 20 millioner kroner.

Dataspill gir arbeids- og utviklingsmuligheter til en rekke yrkesgrupper innen teknologi, kunst og kultur, og er i tillegg et selvstendig kulturuttrykk. Det er viktig å sikre at særlig barn og unge får tilgang til spill av høy kvalitet basert på norsk språk og kultur
 

Famassu

Member
Omg. The Longest Journey is amazing & I just bought Dreamfall from GOG, looking forward to playing that. I'll have to get to it at some point soon, now that the sequel is finally in development.
 

Zeona

Neo Member
At last. I was worried that we would end up with a book / graphic novel to finish the story.

jack.gif
 

Lime

Member
As happy as I am to see this happen, he explicitly said that he wouldn't do this. I don't want him compelled to finish something for financial reasons. At least, I hope it doesn't affect the product.

Do you have a quote of this reluctance to develop Dreamfall chapters? I remember that he stated on his blog that he would finish the story no matter the outcome - if not through a game, then a book or something along those lines.

Also, any who haven't should play The Secret World. It's no more flawed than the The Longest Journey series, and it is way more innovative.

I would have loved to play it, the Neil Gaiman-like style seems incredibly enticing, but unfortunately it's a MMO. And it's a sub-based one published by EA.
 
I wish they would forget about the whole episodic nature. I'd rather play a "complete" game. And I hope they don't go digital only..

Still, good news. TLJ is one of my favorite adventure series.
 
Finally, but I agree with lightchris, really not liking episodes of games like this, would much rather just wait 6 months more and play through it all.
 

jb1234

Member
I'm hoping for the opposite. D:

Always preferred Dreamfall to TLJ. Just drop the action bits.

I wouldn't mind a melding of the two. Obviously, the action bits were the weakest part of Dreamfall but I missed the challenging puzzles (and length) of TLJ.
 

Midou

Member
I wouldn't mind a melding of the two. Obviously, the action bits were the weakest part of Dreamfall but I missed the challenging puzzles (and length) of TLJ.

Yep, a nice in-between would be perfect. At the very least, no action, and I'm happy.

This is awesome, please don't capcpom my hopes away though, I remember last time I got this excited.

I love adventure games, and TLJ left a lasting impression on me, I beat it for the first time like 6 or 7 years ago and I still vividly remember certain parts of the game. Dreamfall was pretty awesome too, I remember it was the first time I ever stopped to look at an environment in a game from how blown away I was. It was not quite as good overall, but it was the right direction, I have faith.
 

TheExodu5

Banned
I wouldn't mind a melding of the two. Obviously, the action bits were the weakest part of Dreamfall but I missed the challenging puzzles (and length) of TLJ.

I'm probably partially influenced by the fact that I played Dreamfall near release, and only played TLJ last year. I'm not a fan of convoluted adventure game puzzles...the ones in TLJ were particularly non-intuitive.
 
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