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Dreamfall Chapters gets a richer world and full trailer treatment

Mike Suszek — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST

This trailer for Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey sets the tone for the adventure players will embark on in November 2014. Red Thread Games' Kickstarter project recently hit its $1.15 million stretch goal with six days left in its campaign, granting the game an improved soundtrack and in-game gallery.

Of course, that means the project also landed its $1.1 million "Storytime" stretch goal, which will provide players with an interactive novel that retells the stories of The Longest Journey and Dreamfall.

Dreamfall Chapters gets a richer world and full trailer treatment originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters crests $1 million in funding, debuts in-game footage of 'Europolis'

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST

Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey's Kickstarter fundraising drive has accumulated more than $1 million of crowd-sourced capital, with 15 days still left to go before the campaign comes to an end. Having reaching this stretch goal, developer Red Thread Games plans to add "new characters, locations and things for players to do, see, interactive with and talk to" in Chapters' two works, Stark and Arcadia.

The Norwegian developer also recently updated its Kickstarter with the above video, an in-engine look at "Europolis," a dystopian, crime-filled city that appears to be home to the world's most successful umbrella salesman.

Continue reading Dreamfall Chapters crests $1 million in funding, debuts in-game footage of 'Europolis'

Dreamfall Chapters crests $1 million in funding, debuts in-game footage of 'Europolis' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey hits Kickstarter goal ahead of schedule

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST

Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey hit and ricocheted off its funding goal of $850,000 on Kickstarter with three weeks remaining, which can only mean one thing: It's stretch goal time.

"And now it's our time to deliver," Red Thread writes in its Kickstarter success update. "We promise to make the best game we can possibly make, one that lives up to your expectations and the legacy of The Longest Journey saga. A game that we can all be proud of. A game worthy of your generous pledges. And we'll keep you involved, every step of the way. But first: stretch goals!"

If the Kickstarter hits $900,000, Red Thread will develop Mac and Linux versions of Dreamfall Chapters. Earning $950,000 gets The Loremaster, an in-game library with books and mythology of the universe, and $1 million makes A Longer Journey a reality, adding new locations, characters and stories to the game. Red Thread has stretch goals planned out to $2 million - which marks The Longest Journey Home - though they're all shrouded in mystery for now.

By current count, the Dreamfall Chapters Kickstarter has almost $890,000 and 20 days to go, making at least that first stretch goal a very probable thing.

Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey hits Kickstarter goal ahead of schedule originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters shows off prototype footage, early UI

David Hinkle — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:30:00 EST

Martin Bruusgaard, lead designer on Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey, introduces us to some prototype gameplay footage in today's Kickstarter campaign update. The presentation is admittedly a bit rough around the edges, but indicative of what players should expect of the final product should Dreamfall Chapters reach its funding goal on Kickstarter (it's nearly there with 23 days to go).

Bruusgaard says the game will have fully explorable and varied environments, though all the prototype shows is a wooded glen and some gerbil guy ... thing. Programmer Quintin Pan also jumps in to demonstrate the control system, which allows for free movement yet incorporates a traditional point-and-click control model for interacting with the world.

On top of the prototype video, developer Red Thread Games has announced that Sarah Hamilton has signed on for Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey. Hamilton voiced protagonist April Ryan in the previous two games, The Longest Journey and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey.

Dreamfall Chapters shows off prototype footage, early UI originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Feb 2013 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters stretch goals to be Mac, Linux releases, possibly Ouya, Steam Box

Sinan Kubba — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST

The Kickstarter campaign for Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey is getting initial stretch goals for Mac and Linux versions in addition to PC, and potentially ones for Steam Box and Ouya too. Speaking in yesterday's Reddit AMA, series creator Ragnar Tørnquist confirmed Mac and Linux are to be the first additional platforms unlocked by achieving stretch goals, with iOS and Android stretch goals "definitely" in line beyond that. Tørnquist said he'd also love to bring the adventure game to Steam Box and Ouya, but only listed them as possibilities, while next-gen consoles would come after all of the other platforms, and even then wouldn't be a "focus area" for his team.

When pushed about other stretch goals, Tørnquist indicated they'd be based around additional content like side stories and returning characters. He also hinted at "a pretty huge stretch goal" by cough-dropping the acronym 'TLJH.' Tørnquist mentioned TLJH earlier in the AMA when asked about the different challenges in making a 3D game as opposed to a 2D one, saying cryptically, "2D is easier, in a lot of ways. I'd like to go back to 2D again. We have had discussions. There are ideas. TLJH."

Stretch goals are likely to play a big part for Dreamfall Chapters, given that the fundraiser sits at just over $600,000 of its $850,000 target at the time of writing, with 26 days left to go. An update on the Kickstarter page says developer Red Thread Games will divulge more on the stretch goals once it's in "battling range" of the $850K finish line, so expect them to be revealed shortly.

Dreamfall Chapters stretch goals to be Mac, Linux releases, possibly Ouya, Steam Box originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Longest Journey creator Ragnar Tørnquist opens up in Reddit AMA

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST

Ragnar Tørnquist, the creator of The Longest Journey adventure game saga and founder of Red Thread Games, is answering all the leftover questions from his mind-numbing puzzles with an Ask Me Anything thread on Reddit, right now. Tørnquist and Red Thread have a live Kickstarter for Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey, a continuation of the Dreamfall tale that's been rooting around development for six years. If all goes as planned and the Kickstarter raises $850,000, Dreamfall Chapters is scheduled to launch on PC in November 2014.

If you have a question for Tørnquist, check out the AMA thread on Reddit, but be warned, hackmed already asked the most important question: "How the hell did you guys come up with that rubber ducky puzzle?"

The Longest Journey creator Ragnar Tørnquist opens up in Reddit AMA originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters Kickstarter goes live, aiming for Nov. 2014 release

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:00:00 EST

The Kickstarter campaign for Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey launched this morning, and Ragnar Tørnquist's Red Thread Games hopes to conjure at least $850,000 in funding through it. That's the amount the Norwegian developer envisions will be enough to bring the Dreamfall sequel to a digital launch on PC in November 2014.

Although Red Thread secured $175,000 via the Norwegian Film Institute to help resurrect its classic adventure series, the developer revealed it was planning a Kickstarter campaign soon after announcing Chapters. Red Thread says it needs the additional funds to expand its development team, acquire hardware and software licenses, and for other base costs.

Chapters sees players reprise the role of Dreamfall heroine Zoë Castillo, taking her back to the twin worlds of Stark, and its science-heavy cyberpunk motif, and Arcadia, a magical and capricious reflection of the human world. Chapters introduces a new landscape too, Storytime, which Red Thread describes as a "mysterious dreaming realm... where every story begins, and where dreams come to life." Chapters also continues the storyline of The Longest Journey protagonist April Ryan, answering the question hanging over her fate from the previous games.

Red Thread announced this week it's partnering with Blink Studios on Chapters, meaning Christer Sveen, art director on Dreamfall, is now on board. Chapters also welcomes back to the series Dreamfall co-writer Dag Scheve.

Red Thread has yet to outline any stretch goals. The developer is offering a variety of game editions through various pledge rewards, but the base cost to secure a copy of the game is $20 for 5000 early-bird funders, or $25 for those who aren't so quick on the pledge button.

Gallery: Dreamfall Chapters (Kickstarter)

Dreamfall Chapters Kickstarter goes live, aiming for Nov. 2014 release originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Dreamfall Chapters screen, details revealed

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST

No, you're not dreaming, that's an actual work-in-progress screenshot from Ragnar Tornquist and Red Thread Games' Dreamfall Chapters. Beyond the single screen, the Red Thread website provided a handful of details about the long-awaited continuation of Dreamfall: The Longest Journey.

The game will return to the magical city of Marcuria some time after Dreamfall: The Longest Journey took place, and "things have changed." Exactly how they've changed is something Red Thread is keeping secret for now.

Furthermore, the game will take place across multiple seasons, with the new screenshot representing autumn. And that's really all we know for the moment, though Red Thread promises "tons more very soon."

First Dreamfall Chapters screen, details revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters production to be funded by Kickstarter

JC Fletcher — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:30:00 EST

Dreamfall Chapters is the long-awaited return of a classic adventure game series, so you've probably already guessed that it'll be funded by Kickstarter.

"We will be doing a Kickstarter," creator Ragnar Tørnquist told Rock, Paper, Shotgun. "Not right now, but we will be doing it in the near future, simply because although we received a grant from the Norwegian Film Institute, which was announced today, that is only for the preproduction phase. That allows us to get started on a prototype but in order to fully develop Dreamfall Chapters we're going to need more money and we will be going to Kickstarter."

The new studio working on Dreamfall Chapters, Red Thread Games, will be "completely independent of Funcom," Tørnquist said, though Tørnquist will continue to work as creative director on The Secret World for Funcom, and the two companies will share revenue from Dreamfall.

Dreamfall Chapters production to be funded by Kickstarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dreamfall Chapters completes The Longest Journey to pre-production

Sinan Kubba — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST

Dreamfall Chapters is finally in pre-production, five years after first being announced by Funcom as a sequel to Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. The long-hoped-for Chapters is being developed by series creator Ragnar Tørnquist at new studio Red Thread Games. Tørnquist is maintaininig an "advisory role" as creative director on Funcom MMO The Secret World, with Joel Bylos stepping up as game director.

Funding and production are being handled by Red Thread, with Funcom licensing out the IP with an agreement to share revenue. Tørnquist revealed today The Norwegian Film Institute has provided $175,000 to assist Red Thread with pre-production.

In 2008, Tørnquist admitted Chapters was far from Funcom's highest priority, but hadn't been abandoned. Four years on and with The Secret World now released into the wild, Tørnquist has kept his word.

Continue reading Dreamfall Chapters completes The Longest Journey to pre-production

Dreamfall Chapters completes The Longest Journey to pre-production originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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