The 20th anniversary of Myst
Has it been 20 years? Seems like yesterday. In 1993, Myst was a seemingly endless and epic adventure game, with immersive sound and beautifully rendered graphics. I remember eagerly getting my CD-ROM copy at my local computer store and losing myself for hours on the mysterious island of Myst.
Originally written for the Mac by Robyn and Rand Miller, the game evolved for just about every computer or gaming platform. It's now even available for iDevices.
In the original game, you clicked on objects with the mouse, and explored a world filled with beauty and some tough puzzles that, at first, seemed incomprehensible. In a way, it reminded me of an interactive version of The Prisoner TV show, which was also surreal and took place in "The Village" on an island in an unknown place. (There was a Prisoner game for the Apple II released in 1980 by Edu-Ware, but it was pretty primitive.)
The game was developed on Mac Quadras beginning in 1991, with 3D renderings in StrataVision 3D and Macromedia MacroModel. Finishing touches were done in Photoshop 1.0.
The game was a monster hit, and I'm sure it sold more than a couple of Macs and a lot of CD-ROM drives. Games were evolving from simple shoot-em-ups to artistic presentations.
We've come a long way with games. We're still shooting aliens and bad guys of course, but Myst was something different, and it paved the way for deeper themes and adventures that stretched the imagination and the technology required to render them. Happy Birthday Myst, and thanks for all the great memories.
[via The Loop]
