Miguel Tartaj - DREAM WEAVING: DREAMING DREAM CHRONICLES INTO REALITY

audio(48 MB)

Ever have an idea for a game that excites and terrifies you at the same time? An idea that’s so completely convincing in your mind, but isn’t anything like the other games that typically grace the top ten charts?

Join Miguel Tartaj, lead game designer for KatGames, as he talks about making his long-held dream come true -- the first casual adventure game to hit the industry and one of the biggest and most innovative hits of 2007, Dream Chronicles.

Over a year before the first breakaway hidden object games hit computer screens, the team at KatGames had a dream: a game with an unproven mechanic in the casual space, a game deeply committed to building a story world, a game where every action the player took connected to a mysterious and compelling storyline. But this dream required pushing the boundaries of what they’d seen before -- art budget, performance, and player appetites would all be put to the test. “Dream Weaving” became a recurring theme for the team at KatGames, as they moonlighted on Dream Chronicles during other projects, hoping the game would one day get the funding and attention it deserved.

Presented in post-mortem style, Miguel will talk about the decisions leading up to the development of Dream Chronicles, his quest to find a publishing partner, and the key learnings that he and his publisher, PlayFirst, unearthed during the creative process developing this well-loved and groundbreaking title.

Delivered at Casual Connect Amsterdam, February 2008

DOWNLOAD

Miguel Tartaj (email)

Miguel was both the CEO and lead designer on Dream Chronicles, one of the biggest and most innovative hits of 2007, a game which KatGames begin designing in 2005. Dream Chronicles was pitched to PlayFirst at the first Casual Games Association event in Amsterdam in February of 2006 – and became the very first casual adventure game to hit the mainstream casual industry. Dream Chronicles is part of a long history of independent game development including the casual games: Golf Adventure Galaxy, Genius Move, 5 Spots, 5 Spots II, Mortimer and the Enchanted Castle, Mind Machine, Fireworks Extravaganza and Zulu Gems and games for the enthusiast market: Vital Light, Obsession, Speed Demons, Bettle Crazy Cup (aka Bettle Buggin, aka Käfer Total), Off Road Arena, Super Trivia TV, Super Trivia slots, Mind Machine and Mind Master Show. Miguel has been working in the games industry since the early-90’s inspired by the Space Invaders coin ops in the 70’s and is looking forward to many more years of making fun products for everyone.

HOME \| LECTURES & ARTICLES \| REFLECTION & POSTMORTEMS \| DREAM WEAVING: DREAMING DREAM CHRONICLES INTO REALITY audio(48 MB) Ever have an idea for a game that excites and terrifies you at the same time? An idea that’s so completely convincing in your mind, but isn’t anything like the other games that typically grace the top ten charts? Join Miguel Tartaj, lead game designer for KatGames, as he talks about making his long-held dream come true -- the first casual adventure game to hit the industry and one of the biggest and most innovative hits of 2007, Dream Chronicles. Over a year before the first breakaway hidden object games hit computer screens, the team at KatGames had a dream: a game with an unproven mechanic in the casual space, a game deeply committed to building a story world, a game where every action the player took connected to a mysterious and compelling storyline. But this dream required pushing the boundaries of what they’d seen before -- art budget, performance, and player appetites would all be put to the test. “Dream Weaving” became a recurring theme for the team at KatGames, as they moonlighted on Dream Chronicles during other projects, hoping the game would one day get the funding and attention it deserved. Presented in post-mortem style, Miguel will talk about the decisions leading up to the development of Dream Chronicles, his quest to find a publishing partner, and the key learnings that he and his publisher, PlayFirst, unearthed during the creative process developing this well-loved and groundbreaking title. Delivered at Casual Connect Amsterdam, February 2008 DOWNLOAD Miguel Tartaj (email) Miguel was both the CEO and lead designer on Dream Chronicles, one of the biggest and most innovative hits of 2007, a game which KatGames begin designing in 2005. Dream Chronicles was pitched to PlayFirst at the first Casual Games Association event in Amsterdam in February of 2006 – and became the very first casual adventure game to hit the mainstream casual industry. Dream Chronicles is part of a long history of independent game development including the casual games: Golf Adventure Galaxy, Genius Move, 5 Spots, 5 Spots II, Mortimer and the Enchanted Castle, Mind Machine, Fireworks Extravaganza and Zulu Gems and games for the enthusiast market: Vital Light, Obsession, Speed Demons, Bettle Crazy Cup (aka Bettle Buggin, aka Käfer Total), Off Road Arena, Super Trivia TV, Super Trivia slots, Mind Machine and Mind Master Show. Miguel has been working in the games industry since the early-90’s inspired by the Space Invaders coin ops in the 70’s and is looking forward to many more years of making fun products for everyone.