Video game 'Myst' makes a comeback Video game 'Myst' makes a comeback Friday, May 23, 2003 Posted: 9:43 AM EDT (1343 GMT) LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A decade ago, Rand Miller gave the world "Myst." One of the first programs to ship on a CD-ROM, the puzzle-solving adventure game redefined what was possible on a home computer. It had a rich story, beautiful visuals and sweeping music and sound effects. Now Miller is taking the Myst brand into another dimension -- the burgeoning world of multiplayer online games. His new project, "Uru: Ages Beyond Myst," is an immense challenge but has stunning potential to dynamically evolve as its developers enrich the game with updates over the Internet. A few sequels after 1993's "Myst," Miller thinks he's found the secret to luring gamers back to the intricate, photorealistic worlds fans have come to expect: give players the freedom to roam three dimensions, let them play in groups over the Internet and provide lots of new content. "In some ways the title itself -- 'u' 'r' 'u' -- we're trying to let you be yourself or anyone. You act as if what you would do if you were there," he said. "What would you be interested in exploring, what role, would kind of be the essence of things." Exploring new worlds Uru is more akin to the casual online social experimentation offered by games like "The Sims Online" or "There" than the frenzied dragon-slaying addiction that fuels fans of "EverQuest" and its kin. Uru has no economy, no swords or laser blasters, no knights in shining armor and absolutely no killing. There's no game-over screen. Rather, the player's goal is to explore the vast worlds left behind by the now-extinct D'ni civilization and share what they've uncovered with others. As the Myst story goes, the D'ni wrote so-called linking books, which act as portals to different worlds, called ages. In the game, readers travel to the worlds by pressing their hands on the inside cover of the linking books. The longer you play, the more linking books you'll acquire, and the more you'll be called on from others for help and hints. Gamers can enter the world alone or in groups, spending hours exploring the remains of the D'ni and solving intricate puzzles to unlock doors or secret passages. One puzzle involves setting a telescope so it follows the path of the sun. Once properly aligned, the incoming solar energy powers a nearby machine that gives the gamer the chance to delve farther into the world. Teamwork plays important role Teamwork will be essential, with many of Uru's puzzles requiring two or more people to solve. Players will be able to talk to each other in real time over their Internet connections. Analysts say "persistent worlds" like Uru represent a tiny fraction of the $10 billion video game industry. Few games besides "EverQuest," which has a half-million players, have garnered a large following in the United States. "These are big gambles," said Jay Horwitz of Jupiter Research. The reason: Getting casual gamers to flock to such worlds could be tough. Miller envisions gamers spending about half an hour a night playing Uru, with perhaps longer stints on the weekend. Five years in the making, Uru is the only game in the pipeline for Miller's Cyan Worlds Inc., tucked away on the outskirts of Spokane, Wash., near ski resorts and lakeside retreats. Taking risks The company has devoted 10 years to all things Myst, from the games to soundtracks and T-shirts -- even a series of novels. "I don't know that anybody at this stage in the game isn't taking a risk," said Miller, Cyan's president. "When you're out there on the edge a bit there's always the potential for failure." But Miller says that's what thrills him. When it hits stores this fall, Uru will include a single-player mode that won't require an Internet connection. For a yet-to-be-determined monthly fee, players will be able to join others in the online version. New content will be available for download on an almost daily basis, ranging from new artifacts and puzzles to completely new ages to explore. The game may be crammed with daily happenstance in its virtual world, but Miller says an overarching story, possibly taking years to unfold, is planned. He won't divulge much about the bigger story yet. The original "Myst" sold more than 12 million copies and remains one of the all-time best sellers. Its success spurred two sequels, "Riven: The Sequel to Myst," and 2001's "Myst III: Exile." "Myst" and "Riven" alone brought Cyan more than $250 million in revenue. Will market respond? During a recent demonstration at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Miller turned his bespectacled gaze to a large flat-screen monitor, where an Uru player guided his character among stands of grass swaying in the breeze, near a shimmering waterfall all in three dimensions. The player strolled to a modest stone house containing two inset shelves lined with leather bound books, each one representing an age. Myst, limited to one 650 megabyte CD-ROM, had only five such ages. Uru promises hundreds. "The most exciting, most risky aspect of this -- and that's the part I love to dwell on," says Miller, "is that we've decided that content is what people, what the mass market, responds to." http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/05/23/myst.online.ap/index.html
I used to play that kind of game all the time...but you can really only play once...and I can't resist using the help features. I have tried to forget how to finish the first Myst, but it doesn't work that way Maybe I can do that under hypnosis...
LOL Solid....welcome to the club...I never did figure out how to get past that first level in Myst.... I must admit that this info is interesting...not that I have much time for playing any new games...I STILL haven't had time to play Superstar for more than a few minutes!! :O
Haven't seen any of the books, But love the visuals in the game. Sounds like playing in teams would take some of the aloneness away from the game.
