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Myst Online: URU Live - All News

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Saturday - December 13, 2008
Tuesday - February 05, 2008
Monday - November 26, 2007
Saturday - May 12, 2007
Tuesday - February 27, 2007
Thursday - February 15, 2007
Tuesday - February 13, 2007
Friday - January 26, 2007
Friday - January 19, 2007
Box Art

Saturday - December 13, 2008

Myst Online - Goes Open Source

by Myrthos, 22:23

Although Myst is not an MMORPG, it is interesting to note that it will be made available by Cyan Studios as open source. As far as I know its the first MMO that makes the transition to open source.

...So, Cyan has decided to give make MystOnline available to the fans by releasing the source code for the servers, client and tools for MystOnline as an open source project. We will also host a data server with the data for MystOnline. MORE is still possible but only with the help from fans.

This is a bit scary for Cyan because this is an area that we have never gone before, to let a product freely roam in the wild. But we've poured so much into UruLive, and it has touched so many, that we could not just let it whither and die. We still have hopes that someday we will be able to provide new content for UruLive and/or work on the next UruLive.

This is also a bit scary for the fans. We realize that this could turn UruLive into the "wild west" and lead to many fractured and diverse MystOnline servers. But it is our hope that with the help of dedicated core fans (if you are reading this, it probably means you) that a safe and secure MystOnline server set (many servers from around the world working together as one) can be created that will let people explore and live in UruLive.

Source: Massively

Tuesday - February 05, 2008

Myst Online - Closing Down @ Official Site

by Inauro, 20:42

GameTap has announced the not entirely unexpected news that Myst Online will be closing down.

I have some news that some of you have probably not been looking forward to. GameTap has decided to discontinue the operation of Myst Online: Uru Live.

The decision was a very difficult one and was made for business reasons rather than due to any issues regarding the design and vision of the amazing world that Cyan Worlds and Rand Miller have brought to us. Despite the great Myst Online experience coming to a close, Cyan is still a very valued partner of GameTap, we are on excellent terms, and we look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.

Monday - November 26, 2007

Myst Online - Interview @ ACG

by Inauro, 21:11

Adventure Classic Gaming talks to Mark Dobratz, Producer/Project Manager at Cyan Worlds, about the redevelopment of the Uru project as Myst Online: Uru Live.

You were among the few employees who never left Cyan Worlds. When did you first hear the news that the Uru Live project had been revived under GameTap as Myst Online: Uru Live? How many, among whose who had previously worked on Uru Live, were invited back to Cyan Worlds to work on this new project?

Literally just a couple days after we had let almost everyone go, Mark DeForest (our CTO) and I flew down to Atlanta with Rand Miller and Tony Fryman to see if we could work something out with Turner. At first it seemed like standing over the open coffin and trying to do CPR at the funeral, but as the meetings progressed we began to realize what a great fit this might be, and by the end of the trip we were confident that, against all odds, we were going to make something good happen. Of course, it took a little longer to get all the details and paperwork sorted out, but that trip was when it became a reality.

Saturday - May 12, 2007

Myst Online - Episodic Content @ Official Site

by Inauro, 01:14

The official Myst Online site has more on the upcoming transition to the release of episodic content.

Based on your feedback and in-game actions, we are making some big improvements. Starting with the next update, we are making the move to regularly scheduled episodic content release. By having a set schedule of updates, players can be ready when major events will be happening in the cavern. That means that the release of all of an episode's content and story (e.g. new Ages, pages, clothing, character interaction, story revelations, artifacts and intrigue) will be packed within a single week each month, rather than spreading out the releases over the entire month.

Tuesday - February 27, 2007

Myst Online - Interview @ RPG Vault

by Dhruin, 08:30

RPG Vault catches up with GameTap's Rand Miller to update readers on Myst Online and GameTap's revival of the title:

Jonric: Given it's not a "normal" online world, how would you introduce Myst Online: Uru Live? What is the basic concept? How is it related to Uru Online: Ages Beyond Myst?

Rand Miller:
Myst Online doesn't necessarily fit into any orthodox MMOG category, if there is such a thing. There is no leveling, no killing, no dying, no inventory, no health meter. But bear with me - the idea behind Myst Online is that we think people are curious about what's around the next corner. And rather than limit their ability to get around that corner with combat and dying, we will just keep adding new corners to explore. Repeat after me - content, content, content.

Myst Online is the online incarnation of Uru that was cancelled before ever launching three years ago. But this time it's launched, alive, and full of more than a few surprises.

Thursday - February 15, 2007

Myst Online - Launches

by Dhruin, 13:19

GameTap has launched Myst Online: Uru Live - here's the announcement courtesy of Blue's:

ATLANTA – February 14, 2007 –GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), today announced that “Myst Online: Uru Live” will officially open its doors tomorrow on Thursday, February 15. Published by GameTap and developed by Cyan Worlds, “Myst Online: Uru Live” is the most recent addition to the GameTap Originals label. This latest installment of the best-selling Myst franchise introduces all-new Ages and puzzles while fusing the social concepts of a traditional massively multiplayer online game with mystery and problem-solving facets. Consumers can now visit www.gametap.com/mystonline to take advantage of a free trial offer and enjoy “Myst Online: Uru Live”.

“’Myst Online: Uru Live’ is the most ambitious Myst experience we’ve ever created,” says Rand Miller, CEO of Cyan Worlds and co-creator of Myst. “By developing an interactive, online world driven by intrigue and exploration instead of violence, massively multiplayer online gamers now have a choice unlike any of the other options.”

For the first time ever in the Myst universe, a player’s choices, actions, and experiences will help drive the ongoing storyline which expands and adapts on a continual basis. This new adventure-driven take on the massively multiplayer online game genre features the ongoing release of new content, including all-new Ages and puzzles. As players act and react to their surroundings and each other, a new Myst story will be told.

Keeping with tradition, “Myst Online: Uru Live” combines all of the classic adventure and puzzle-solving elements and visually-stunning worlds that made Myst the top-selling franchise of its time and among the most critically-acclaimed games of the 20th century.

“Myst Online: Uru Live” includes elements unique to the Myst franchise, including books used to teleport, exploration through wondrous, immersive new Ages; and mind-challenging puzzles to solve either as a group or alone. The title also includes all of the key social features like text and voice chat that make today’s massively multiplayer online games so popular.

“The evolving storyline of ‘Myst Online: Uru Live’ makes it an ideal addition to our GameTap Originals line-up of episodic games,” said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap’s vice president of content. “Also, thanks to our extensive catalog of more than 800 games, subscribers who might not have experienced the previous Myst titles are able to do so very easily and at no extra cost.”

“Myst Online: Uru Live” was created exclusively for GameTap and is available to GameTap subscribers in the United States and Canada. It will also be available via direct download to consumers and in select countries around the world. Expanding beyond computer borders as well, “Myst Online: Uru Live” will be available for Mac users later this spring. To sign up for the Mac beta program or to view the list of international countries Myst Online is currently available in, please visit www.gametap.com/mystonline.

To register for GameTap and experience “Myst Online: Uru Live”, visit www.gametap.com where you can sign up for just 99 cents for the first month.

Tuesday - February 13, 2007

Myst Online - Previews @ 1Up, Ten Ton Hammer

by Dhruin, 23:01

Myst Online has been previewed at 1Up in a short article that doesn't really reveal much about the gameplay:

In less than a week, the long hard road to The Cleft will finally lead to its destination. Originally laid to rest in 2004 due to low subscription rates, the online portion of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst was one of the more ambitious online titles of its time, melding elements of the classic point-and-click adventure series with the concept of the metaverse -- the virtual world that replaces the internet as penned by Neil Stephenson in the novel Snow Crash. Even today, the game, now known as Myst Online: Uru Live, is still one of the most novel, not to mention intriguing, games in this "World of Warcraft" that we live in. There is no loot to score, nor are there dragons to down, but the satisfaction felt in unraveling the mystery of the D'Ni rivals that of any hack-and-grind around.

Meanwhile, Ten Ton Hammer takes a more detailed approach:

Make no mistake, this is an explorers’ and a socializers’ MMO – those who need constant scoreboarding to get their achievement fix should stick this game out for at least an hour to see the virtues of a purely cooperative, non-combat MMO. Maybe it’s not your gaming cup of tea 100% of the time (as part of the Gametap fold, it doesn't have to be), but few will disagree that Myst Online is one heck of a beautiful, brain-expanding escape from the grind. Gametap is a perfect home for Myst Online emphatically not because the community is so niche, but because the barriers to entry are so low. Myst Online is a good reason to check out Gametap, and Gametap is a good reason to check out Myst Online. While it doesn’t have quite the broad appeal of "Sam and Max", Turner seems to have scored themselves a brand building win-win with Myst Online: Uru Live.

Friday - January 26, 2007

Myst Online - Release Date Revealed @ Official Site

by Inauro, 23:06

The URU Live site reveals that the launch date for this first online installment in the Myst saga will be February 15, 2007. 

Friday - January 19, 2007

Myst Online - New Area & Mac Version

by Inauro, 22:23

GameTap and Cyan Worlds have announced the development of a new city area and that the game will be released for the Mac.

New Faces and New Places

The “Myst Online: Uru Live” preview storyline continues to build with last week’s introduction of Cate Alexander. Cate’s appearance has had a significant effect on the D’ni Restoration Council (DRC) and the cavern restoration effort as a whole, as evidenced by the recent opening of several city areas. That pattern continues with the opening of more city areas, including the Great Zero, and the restoration of an all-new Age, which explorers can visit for the first time ever.

“Myst Online: Uru Live” is designed to continually expand in order to provide new game experiences and areas of exploration for its players. The launch of the first all-new world, while still in beta release, illustrates the game’s commitment to the ongoing rollout of new content.

Uru to Premiere on Mac

GameTap and Cyan Worlds, developer of “Myst Online: Uru Live”, are pleased to be able to bring the story of Uru to the Mac platform for the first time, powered by TransGaming’s Cider portability engine.

“The original Myst game premiered on the Mac,” said Rand Miller, CEO of Cyan Worlds and creator of Myst Online. “The Mac community has always been huge supporters of the Myst franchise and we’re thrilled that we will soon be able to invite them to the newest Myst experience.”

TransGaming Inc. is a leading developer of software portability products for the electronic entertainment industry. “The release of Myst Online for Mac represents the beginning of exciting new possibilities for Mac gamers,” stated Vikas Gupta, CEO and President of TransGaming, Inc. “We look forward to bringing many more great games to the Mac in coming months.”

Players interested in participating in the Mac beta program should visit www.GameTap.com/mystonline for sign-up information.

Information about

Myst Online: URU Live

Developer: Cyan Worlds

SP/MP: Massive
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: MMORPG
Combat: None
Play-time: Unknown
Voice-acting: Unknown

Regions & platforms
Internet
· Homepage
· Platform: PC
· Released: 2007-02-15
· Publisher: GameTap