The
Gods and Goddesses of Adventure Gamesor My
Visit to Dreamcatcher
Once one
winds his way through the moose droppings and ice floes that populate the North
York section of Ontario, there is a wonderful, dreamy town to be discovered. This
is a world of multinational eateries, supermarkets in malls, and streets that
are infinitely cleaner than even the most spotless avenue in the United States.
There is also a small, inconspicuous software company named Dreamcatcher that
may someday be a driving force in the economy of Canada. For now, though, they
are content to deliver high-quality adventure games to a public hungry for a product
that doesn’t insult their gaming intelligence.
In Ontario, as in Paris,
one would get the impression (and maybe it is not so far from the truth) that
the flow of traffic is nonstop mayhem. Or maybe it was just the type-A personalities
of the women who served as my hostesses (or maybe they were driving faster so
as to shorten the length of time they had to listen to my inane, nonstop chattering).
In this case, it was Annette Bechamp, Manager of Business Development for Dreamcatcher.
Annette is a Jackie-of-all-trades for Dreamcatcher, but her primary responsibility
is to source new games. She then evaluates them–usually in alpha or beta form–by
playing them through to completion before giving a thumbs up or down as to the
possibility of Dreamcatcher publishing the title. She also makes note of bugs,
bad localization, inappropriate language, violence, or anything else that may
adversely affect sales. Annette possesses a unique and industry-valued talent
of being able to weed out that one gem of a game among hundreds of submissions.
The two of us fled down Toronto highways like Bonnie and Clyde in search of adventure
games, she, laughing gleefully; me, a stranger in paradise. But I would be hard-pressed
to think of anyone else in the world I would rather spend a few hours with (if
my wife is reading this, I meant that strictly on a professional level) chatting
about adventure games.
But nothing–neither rain, nor traffic, nor even
shredded chicken sandwiches–could keep me from my desired goal, the offices of
Dreamcatcher. Nondescript from the outside, its existence is revealed only by
a small placard in the window (fig.1). Once through the doors, though, there exists
another world. It is a bizarre universe where adults speak aloud of games they
have played and no one laughs in scorn or pity. It is a place where I was made
to feel at home.
(fig.
1)
Dreamcatcher is a vibrant corporation affectionately known to its
supporters as “The Adventure Company.” But like any successful company,
they are undergoing growing pains as they are forced to add games other than adventure
to their product line in order to stay competitive in the crowded gaming marketplace.
Yet fear not, true believer, for according to Rich Wah Kan–the President, CEO,
and brains of Dreamcatcher (fig.2)–the adventure genre is and will always be
the focal point of Dreamcatcher’s attentions.
(fig.
2)
Before we delve further into any discussions with Rich, let’s take
a quick but informative tour of Dreamcatcher with the effervescent Renata Richardson
(fig.3) as our delightful guide.
(fig.
3)
After passing the Valhalla-sized reception desk behind which sat
at least one, and maybe even hundreds of receptionists (fig.4), I was led deep
within the bowels of Dreamcatcher to the hard-working backbone of the company–customer
support (fig.5). Here sat the people who make Dreamcatcher look good by answering
any and all questions from their consumers. Having worked in technical support
myself for two years, I am fully appreciative of the hard work and patience necessary
to maintain a cheerful disposition while dealing with the public (which is exactly
why I’m not doing it anymore).
(fig.
4)
(fig.
5)
Next was an awe-inspiring stroll through the warehouses that housed
rack upon rack of cartons stacked to the ceiling of Dreamcatcher games waiting
to be shipped to retailers eager to fill their coffers with the hard-earned money
of adventure gamers. Just as impressive were the impressive rack of shelves full
of every Dreamcatcher product ever released (fig.6). Surrounded by so many games,
it is easy to forget that you are in a business atmosphere, and more than once
I felt Renata wiping the drool from my chin.
(fig.
6)
After a quick visit to Renata’s office–by the way, Renata, besides
being the heart and soul of Dreamcatcher, is also the Product Manager and responsible
for seeing PC titles from the initial stages through to release, including testing,
localization, packaging, marketing materials, and sales support information–we
waylaid a busy Marshall Zwicker (fig.7) in his office. Marshall is the roguish
Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Dreamcatcher and as such oversees all
marketing and sales activities as well as being creative director for all advertising,
merchandising, and packaging. In a nutshell, he is responsible for all of the
wonderful eye-catching cover art featured on the boxes of Dreamcatcher gamers.
At the time of our visit, he was pondering over a new box cover for Dreamcatcher’s
North American release of Amerzone. As usual, I felt uncomfortable offering my
unsolicited opinion, but that has never stopped me before.
(fig.
7)
Next was a quick visit to the staff members responsible for marketing
and advertising the Dreamcatcher products. Many of this hard-working crew were
too busy to do more than wave or shake a hand (as if they could do otherwise,
chained to their desks as they were), but I did manage to spot a most impressive
smaller box for Nancy Drew’s Mystery in a Haunted Mansion (fig.8). These
more compact boxes are created specifically for placement on Wal-Mart shelves
and are must-haves for collectors like myself. The larger box for Arthur’s
Knights (fig.9) is sold only in countries where the average gamer’s height
is at least twenty feet or taller.
(fig.
8)
(fig.
9)
Finally, the time had come to climb Mount Olympus (it did though
look as if the Harpie cleaning crew have been remiss in their duties) and meet
face-to-face with the god of adventure games himself–Rich Wah Kan. A nicer and
more unassuming man does not exist on the face of this earth, and it is hard to
imagine that two such diverse personalities share such a passion for a common
interest–the rejuvenation of the adventure genre. Rich is quiet and humble and
I am anything but, yet as Just Adventure has proved over the years, adventure
gamers are easily the most eclectic and easygoing group of people in the world.
Rich
promised that Dreamcatcher would always support the adventure genre and adventure
gamers with the best available products. Dreamcatcher has built a stellar reputation
for providing wholesome entertainment at an affordable price, and every week they
receive dozens of submissions from developers around the world seeking to impress
the discerning eyes of Rich or Annette with their wares. They do not yet develop
their own games, but you get the feeling that it is only a matter of time. Personally,
I cannot think of anything that would excite me more than for the “Adventure
Game Company” to develop their own product line based on input from adventure
gamers around the world. Rich’s long-range vision and marketing plans for the
burgeoning Dreamcatcher product line are guaranteed to raise some eyebrows in
the industry, as even nonadventure gamers will take heed.
Before we depart
Dreamcatcher, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention some of the hard-working
people I met only briefly and who were kind enough to allow me to intrude on their
workday: the charming Lorraine Lue, Dreamcatcher’s International Sales Director;
John Crabtree, Dreamcatcher’s National Sales Manager, and Byron Gaum, Dreamcatcher’s
Console Product Manager. They are all integral parts of a team dedicated to bringing
only the best in adventure gaming to the public.
After spending a pleasant
day with the staff of Dreamcatcher, I am almost able to forgive Canada for foisting
the teat-sucking Tom Green upon society. Almost.
