Creator meets creator: Dreams and Concrete Genie’s developers on how to unleash player creativity

At the heart of both Media Molecule’s Dreams and Concrete Genie by Pixelopus is a creative freedom unleashed through artistic expression.

In Pixelopus’ action adventure, that’s portrayed through painting lavish landscapes and fantastical creatures that come to life. For Media Molecule, it’s giving players the tools to create, well, anything.

Unleashing player creativity,and how both studios implement it through player agency, is a fascinating subject that’s the core of an exclusive talk between the creative directors from both studios.

Taking a break from showcasing their games in Los Angeles during last month’s E3 are Media Molecule’s Mark Healey and Dominic Robilliard from Pixelopus.

The resulting conversation touches upon the stigma of creativity and the tug of war between player agency and studio assistance (“the creatures now communicate and ask for stuff,” Robilliard explains of the studio’s tweaks to help guide players as what to do next).

Fun fact? The design of Concrete Genie’s painting mechanic was inspired by the creative tools of Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet.

There’s much more to unpack from the informative chat, but why read when you can watch? Click on the video below to watch the two creative directors delve into their respective visions.