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Classic adventure game 'Myst' is being reimagined for Oculus Quest
After making its way to every other platform out there, Myst is making the jump to VR.
'Myst' studio's crowdfunded 'Obduction' hits PS4 August 29th
If you're a die-hard Myst fan, you've probably at least heard of Obduction, the new game from Cyan. You may have even supported its Kickstarter. Today, CEO Rand Miller took to the PlayStation blog to announce that the game will be available for the PS4 on August 29th; it will include a PS VR update, though that may not be available at launch time. You can preorder it now. Obduction is much like the worlds of Myst and Riven. It centers on solving puzzles, and features a gorgeous, immersive and intricately crafted world. You are essentially kidnapped from Earth and taken to an alien world called Hunrath, which features a strange mix of Earth tech from different periods combined with unrecognizable pieces. There's also a message that this has happened to people before; you're not alone on this world. The developers of Obduction are intent on making it one of the most extensive VR games available. You can currently purchase it for Oculus Rift, as well as the HTC Vive and Touch. It's also available on PC and Mac. The company promises that, while this is the first VR game from Cyan, it certainly won't be the last.
Myst creators ink deal to turn adventure game into TV series
Legendary Entertainment and Myst developer Cyan have reached an agreement that will see the seminal adventure game leap from the PC (and a dozen other gaming platforms) to your television. Variety claims Rand and Robyn Miller - the duo most commonly cited as the creators of Myst - will be directly involved with the creative direction of the TV series. Their goal is to not only create a "compelling TV drama" but to also expand Myst into a "true transmedia franchise" that might include tablet support and a tie-in video game. Yes, that would be a video game based on a TV show based on a video game. Lacking from Variety's report is word on whether the series will debut on a traditional TV network, via digital distribution or on a streaming service. Likewise, it's unknown what part of the Myst universe the series will be based on. With numerous sequels and spin-offs (including a defunct but rabidly beloved massively multiplayer online game) there's a wealth of material within the Myst mythos to include in the series, and that's assuming the show doesn't create a wholly unique plotline within the Millers' complex universe. [Image: Cyan]
Nokia's exclusive take on Windows Phone 8.1 is rolling out now
After months of waiting, Nokia (the part now owned by Microsoft) has begun rolling out its Windows Phone 8.1 update to Lumia handsets. Dubbed "Cyan," this software refresh delivers a plethora of new features to existing Nokia devices, including Microsoft's gesture-capable World Flow keyboard, greater customization options (both for Live Tiles and the new-look People Hub), new Nokia photo apps, Office app improvements and, if you live in the US, access to Microsoft's new digital assistant, Cortana.
The Game Archaeologist: Myst Online: Uru Live
The impact of Myst in 1993 was akin to an atomic bomb going off in the PC gaming world. The leap forward in graphical fidelity (aided by the large storage capacity of a CD-ROM and all of the full-motion video and gorgeous images tucked into it) captured gamers' imaginations and made this adventure title the best-selling PC game of all time, at least for several years. Brothers Robyn and Rand Miller's story about a stranger who had to solve puzzles through a good-looking (if deserted) landscape was devilishly difficult, yet that challenge kept players coming back for months and even years. The Myst franchise surged forward at that point, with several sequels, remakes, and ports selling like hotcakes through the final game's release in 2005. Yet something interesting happened along the way when an offshoot of the series -- Uru: Ages Beyond Myst -- evolved into an MMO. With a focus on multiplayer exploration and puzzle-solving instead of non-stop combat, it may be one of the very few MMOs out there that eschews fighting for brainpower. It's an oddity, no doubt, and despite it being an incredibly niche title, it has fascinated me enough to pull me into a research rabbit hole. So let's take a look at Myst Online: Uru Live!
Rise and Shiny revisit: Myst Online: Uru Live
I'm just going to get this out at the beginning: I absolutely adore adventure games, and honesty above all honesty, I think adventure gaming is almost the perfect genre. I wish MMOs would play like adventure games. I wish that adventure games had multimillion dollar budgets so they could go on forever and ever, patch after patch of head-scratching puzzley goodness. I wish that adventure games were not as rare as they are. But I also wish I were actually good at adventure gaming. I have a hard time with puzzles. Gollum would have had me for lunch. I've been enjoying my time in Lilly Looking Through and Memoria so, so much, all the while becoming extremely depressed each and every time I look up a walkthrough that made me feel like a complete and total three-year-old who could barely assemble one of those funny multi-colored donut toys. The thing is, I'm smart, right? I was in those funny advanced classes that taught me languages and told me my IQ was high and were separate from the muggles. At one point they even did experiments on me that made me put together odd puzzle-thingies and attempt to control a primitive computer. Yet here I am now playing Words with Friends and trying to spell words like "THURK" or "ZSATS." Why on earth did I subject myself to the tough puzzles of Myst Online: Uru Live?
Myst creators reach $1.2 million funding goal for Obduction
Obduction, the upcoming first-person adventure game from Myst creator Cyan Inc, has reached $1.2 million with its fundraising campaign. The project is being built with the strengths of Myst and Riven in mind - players will be abducted by an artifact and placed upon a bizarre world with a minimalistic explanation. Answering questions beyond that is up to the players. The project's Kickstarter page explains that "even the toughest puzzles should be designed so that you know that all the pieces to solve it are there in front of you." Those pieces may indeed be present, but if Obduction is to be anything like Cyan's previous works, grabbing a notebook and forming a team amongst friends to persevere might not be a bad idea. Windows and Mac users will be among Obduction's targets, once it begins kidnapping people in "mid-to-late 2015."
Myst linking book replica goes on sale with full PC inside, won't quite take us to other worlds (video)
Most of us who remember Myst are content to relive the halcyon days of click-and-watch puzzle games by loading up the iPhone port. Mike Ando is slightly more... dedicated. He just spent the past six years building a replica of the Cyan game's signature, Age-traveling link books that includes a full Windows XP PC with a 1.6GHz Atom, a 2-hour battery, a 5-inch touchscreen and every playable game from the Myst series stored on a CF card. And while we've seen books hiding devices before, Ando's attention to detail might just raise the eyebrows of hardcore custom PC and gaming fans alike: he went so far as to gut and emboss a 135-year-old copy of Harper's New Monthly Magazine to match Cyan's reference tome as closely as possible. It's tempting for anyone who cut their teeth on CD-based gameplay through Myst, but perfect devotion to one of the better-known fictional worlds will cost an accordingly steep $15,625. We wouldn't have minded seeing some real intra-world travel for the cash outlay.
Stiq Flicks: Myst and The Game
Stiq Flicks – from film and video game industry freelance writer Kevin Kelly – examines video games and attempts to pair them with matching films. It's like wine and cheese, but with more aliens. Myst is out on the Nintendo 3DS this week, which now means that the title is available on every machine ever invented. Doubt us? If you're wearing a Casio watch, hit FUNCTION and STOP/START at the same time, and Myst will launch. Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but not by much. Since the game came out on the Mac in 1993, it has since been ported to everything from the Atari Jaguar CD to the iPad.Unfortunately, this port of the game is a bit strange as it places the action on the 3DS' lower screen, with static images on the top screen. But despite the layout of the game, it's still Myst in your pocket.Regardless of where you're playing it, Myst is still a great game, especially if you figure in the fantastic sequel it provided with Riven. It's all about mystery, puzzles, intrigue, and murder. Just like David Fincher's The Game.
Prototype color e-paper skips on filter, cranks up vividness
Fuji Xerox has showcased its latest e-paper model at SID in Boston. The 5-inch 600 x 800 display adjusts the electric field for each color, swinging them between the two layers of the screen. Instead of a typical color filter, an extra layer of white-colored particles between the visible and invisible layer, offering a blank surface when needed, while magenta and cyan particles are in charge of colors on the prototype. The company's already working on CMY arrangement to provide the full range of colors on the finished e-paper model and promise a color gamut wider than a newspaper. Hopefully, it will also involve a much thinner bezel.
AT&T now accepting Lumia 900 pre-orders, only those seeking cyan or black need apply (update)
Friendly reminder here, folks. As expected, AT&T has opened the pre-order floodgates for the Nokia Lumia 900 today ahead of its April 8th release in the US. Interested parties can secure their reservation for the Window Phone 7.5-loaded device at AT&T's retail or online stores. While you'll be able to snag one in either matter black or cyan blue, we'd be remiss not to point out that the white version (slated for an April 22nd release) isn't yet on offer. If you'll recall, parting with $100 and agreeing to a two-year contract is all it'll cost ya' to get in on the action. Be sure to let us know if you plan on reaching for the "light" in the comments. Update: Wowza, if $100 wasn't already easy on the wallet, Walmart is offering the device up for only $50 with a two-year agreement -- online only, though. You'll find more info at the source link below. Update 2: Ready for more good news? According to AT&T's website, Lumia 900 pre-orders are currently slated to "arrive on or before April 6th" -- a full two days before its official launch. Update 3: This bad boy's free after a $100 online rebate for new AT&T customers. That's a serious play for signups. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
You haven't Myst this great deal on Cyan games
If you're looking to pass a quiet weekend clicking your way through some puzzles, look no further than Good Old Games. The DRM-free retailer has put its whole selection of Cyan games on sale for half off this weekend. That includes Myst 1 and 2, the RealMyst remake, and the pre-Myst children's adventure game The Manhole for $2.99 each, and Uru for $4.99. If you want the whole package, and several lost weekends, you can get it all for $16.95. The offer ends Monday at 11:59 PM EDT, so ... buy the games you want before then, unless you want to pay more for your island getaway.
Myst Online goes open source (again)
If a dictionary entry for the phrase "long, strange road" existed, it likely would feature an image from Myst Online. The fantasy MMORPG began its checkered life as the multiplayer component of 2003's Uru: Ages Beyond Mist before being scrapped and subsequently revived by GameTap in 2007. Cyan Worlds then acquired the title and released it as a free-to-play MMO, a strange move considering that the company also open-sourced Myst Online assets in 2008 but continued to support a commercial-grade centralized shard. This morning, Rock, Paper Shotgun tipped us to the fact that Cyan is once again fanning the flames of open source by announcing that the game's MOULA client engine and associated development tools (as well as a MOULA server replacement called MOSS) will be made available and hosted on OpenUru.org. "The goal of the open source CyanWorlds.com Engine and the MOSS server is to provide a playground where new writers can learn their craft, and new maintainers can inspect it, and new cartographers can map it. The Cyan Worlds MOULA servers will continue to provide a (relatively) safe environment for the D'ni faithful to mingle and share," explains Cyan's Rand Miller.
Exploring Eberron: Soupdance!
Although my wife doesn't know it yet, if we ever have another child, there's now a very real chance that we're going to call him or her Brawnpits, after my new favorite character in DDO. I think our entire group became enamoured with that name, but can you blame us? I don't think you can, especially after you meet Mr. or Ms. Pits (I have a theory it's a "she") in the first quest of the new Phiarlan Carnival chain that came in Update 5. On Wednesday night, our Massively DDO guild OnedAwesome set aside time to conquer this module, mostly because I was bouncing on the tips of my toes saying, "Can we? Please? Please? Pleeeeeeease?" until everyone capitulated just to shut me up. One of the things I love about DDO is that these newer quests are pretty innovative and varied, and I don't think you can get much different than a thespian giant, an illusionary pig, and toilets that double as rest shrines. Let's take a quick trip through the first two chapters of The Maleficent Cabal quest chain to see if it's worth your time -- and money. I say it is, if only to experience the majesty and jaw-dropping awe that is soupdance.
Mysterium calls the Myst Online faithful
Shorah, Myst faithful! It's time once again to make your plans to attend this year's Mysterium, the gathering for devoted D'ni scholars and fans of Cyan Worlds' Myst -- including, of course, Myst Online: URU Live. This year's event will be held August 5th through the 8th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with tickets currently going for the low price of $20. As with previous years, the team behind Mysterium are soliciting designs for a convention logo as well as submissions of stories and other original works based on the worlds of Myst for inclusion in the convention book. (Mind you, all submissions must fit Cyan Worlds' guidelines for fan-created content.) The events are still in the early stages of planning, but they currently show live quests, puzzle challenges, and we'd bet there will be some bevin meetups for Myst Online: URU Live cavern-dwellers in the mix. Considering CAVCON (or "cavern condition" for those unfamiliar) is currently standing at 4 (read: good) in regards to the current funding for Myst Online: URU Live, perhaps we'll see some official representatives from Cyan sign up to host a panel or two this year as well. Either way, it should be fun for all the D'ni devotees!
Myst Online roars back to life with a Welcome Back block party
This is the Myst that doesn't end, yes it goes on and on my friends... All jokes about the amazing resilience of Myst Online: URU Live aside, it appears that things are going well since Cyan Worlds brought the game back online. In a post on the official forums, it appears that the CAVCON (or Cavern Condition) is standing at 4, which -- unlike DEFCON -- is a good thing. CAVCON 4 indicates that they've gotten enough donations to cover the current operating expenses and are able to put a little to the side for the future. There have also been 13,997 accounts created, and 46,881 logins during the week ending Feb. 24th -- very good news! To celebrate the resurrection of MO:UL, the Guild of Messengers is reporting that there is going to be an enormous "Return to URU Block Party" held this upcoming weekend: March 5-7. The party is being thrown by the Guild of Maintainers, and is open for everyone to attend -- from the old-school cavern-crawling D'ni scholars to brand new seekers fresh from the desert! If you've ever wanted to try out Myst Online: URU Live but didn't know anyone in the game, this is a great way to meet some new friends and fellow adventurers. So check out Sera's great new player guide, strap on your Ki, and we'll see you in the caverns!
An introduction to Myst Online for newbies
Shorah! Many years have passed since Myst was released to game stores everywhere, conquering the sales charts and mystifying anyone with a CD-ROM drive. Since then, the game has pretty much been the defining jewel of the adventure/puzzle genre, releasing four more titles in the series and creating a spinoff that we here at Massively have always been interested in: Myst Online. However, its been years since an adventure game has captivated audiences. Some of you have played Myst long ago but were stumped by the onslaught of difficult puzzles while others have never even touched the game. But, with the re-opening of Myst Online and Cyan's servers getting slammed with people, you're interested. You want to know what Myst offers, but there's so much to learn, right? Today I want to guide you through what makes Myst so beautiful, and give you some tips on how to get your foot in the door with Myst Online (sans spoilers, of course.)
Myst Online is alive... again... for the, um, we lost count how many times it died
Myst fans, rejoice one more time. The game that gives Lazarus a run for his money, Myst Online: URU Live, is kicking once more. Cyan Worlds has gotten enough money together again to start up a brand new Myst server as the first phase of making Myst Online an open source project. The cavern that's online now is mostly the same cavern that GameTap had right as the game went offline. Best news of all? Myst Online is free. Yes, you heard us right -- free. Free as in no subscription, no paying for the client, no nothing. They're welcoming all cavern dwellers, new and old, back to the depths of D'ni. Their account creation page is getting hammered right now, as everyone wants to get back in ASAP, so if you can't create an account just give it some time. While the game is free, servers and running a business are not. Cyan has opened up a donation page on PayPal for anyone who wants to donate towards the game's bills, so if you're feeling generous then by all means show Uru some support. The game has been through hell and back, and some help would be much appreciated around the Cyan offices. They've even said they're working on a little present for those who donate... So, readers of Massively, can I get a shorah?
Myst novel optioned for film
No, this isn't one of the huge stories of the day, but we thought you might like an update after our post from March of 2008 about Myst nuts Patrick A. McIntire and Adrian Vanderbosch trying to turn the game into a film. Sixteen months later, the duo has made some more headway, optioning the rights to Myst novel The Book of Ti'ana. "This option is a major victory," McIntire said. "Cyan has placed a lot of faith in us, and we have no intention of letting them down." Though we wish the guys all the best, we're still not sure we're ready for a full-length feature film about a guy staring silently at pretty, albeit confusing things ... especially since The DaVinci Code has already covered that ground so completely.
Sharp adds cyan and yellow to its RGB displays, laughs scornfully at magenta
Sharp is taking some cues from the nearly dearly departed print publishing world for its next line of LCDs, adding two colors to the typical RGB gamut. Cyan and yellow, half of the CMYK spread that makes your Sunday Garfield sketch pop, are going to be added to the company's displays to make up what it's dubbing "Multi-Primary-Color Technology." The tech is said to be able to reproduce 99 percent of all colors able to be perceived by the human eye -- because apparently 1.7 billion colors from a traditional LCD wasn't enough. The displays will be on display at the Society for Information Display Symposium in San Antonio starting next week. So, lucky Texans, prepare to get your cone cells massaged.
