How Mike Morhaime's Dreamhaven Assists Indies with "The Good, Bad, and Ugly" of Game Launches
Founded in 2020 by Mike Morhaime, co-founder of Blizzard, and his wife Amy Morhaime, Dreamhaven is a game developer and publisher featuring two internal studios—Moonshot and Secret Door—and a program to assist other independent developers. The company has sustained itself without a major product release due to funding from the Morhaimes and various investment partners, allowing it to fill its teams.
The company boasts 100 employees across its studios, with Secret Door and Moonshot comprising about 30 and just over 50 people, respectively. Yesterday, Dreamhaven unveiled its inaugural published title, Lynked: Banner of the Spark, by FuzzyBot Games. The game is set to enter Early Access on Steam starting October 22.
Secret Door is anticipated to announce its first game shortly, with Moonshot following soon after. "We were ready to release our games sooner if possible," Morhaime humorously notes, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of game development timelines.
"Nobody had to start Dreamhaven. Everybody chose to do this because it allowed them to focus on the things they were excited to focus on"
Mike Morhaime, Dreamhaven
The partnership program at Dreamhaven includes minor investments in each associated studio and offers their expertise in a consultative role. Della Bitta underscores the importance of their extensive knowledge in publishing and game design during problem-solving sessions with partners.
"We foster a collaborative environment among independent developers," Della Bitta elaborates. "Our engineers consistently share insights about the challenges they're facing."
Dreamhaven’s strategy aims to nurture a vibrant community of indie developers, whether through partnerships or publishing contracts. Morhaime clarifies that studios in the partnership program are not automatically required to use Dreamhaven as their publisher.
"We strive to find the best match for our partners. It doesn't have to be us," he asserts. "Our agreements are designed so that both Dreamhaven and our partners, like FuzzyBot, succeed together."
Paul Della Bitta, leading Dreamhaven's publishing efforts, believes that independent developers are pivotal for the creation of new intellectual properties, gameplay innovations, and genres.
The game Lynked: Banner of the Spark exemplifies such innovation, with its blend of cooperative action and town-building elements. FuzzyBot, founded amid the pandemic by former Electronic Arts developers, includes veterans from Assassin's Creed and Destiny.
"The whole process gave us confidence that [Dreamhaven] would be good partners through the good, the bad, and the ugly of launching a game these days"
Tatyana Dyshlova, FuzzyBot Games
CEO Tatyana Dyshlova identifies a gap in the market for less intense, cooperative games. "There weren't many games that were enjoyable without being heavily action-oriented," she says.
Their goal was to create something akin to an action-driven Animal Crossing, offering a welcoming environment for varied player experiences. However, despite its novel premise, FuzzyBot faces a competitive market. Dyshlova admits the difficulty of conveying their game's uniqueness.
"It's a challenge to introduce something new when players lack a frame of reference," she remarks. "We've constantly collaborated with Dreamhaven on this issue, maintaining an open dialogue."
FuzzyBot chose to partner with Dreamhaven based on the trust formed during the partnership program. Dyshlova emphasizes that the relationship with Dreamhaven's team was crucial, focusing on long-term studio viability rather than just brand presence.
"A lot of the innovation that we see – new IP, gameplay or new genres – is created with independent developers. That's really important for our industry and for gamers"
Paul Della Bitta, Dreamhaven
She appreciates the constructive feedback from Dreamhaven, noting their balanced approach during the game's development as fostering a robust collaborative relationship.
Della Bitta explains that supporting Lynked was an evident choice after monitoring its growth during the partnership. "Their progress was remarkable, and it aligned well with our publishing goals," he adds.
He further notes that Dreamhaven's current lineup, including Lynked, offers unique gameplay experiences aimed at enhancing social play. "We aim to deliver games that don't merely rehash existing ideas," he concludes.
Drawing the discussion to an end, Morhaime states, "Everyone who joined Dreamhaven did so out of choice, finding a collaborative platform with skilled, passionate individuals."
