Myst Online

Preview - The unique world and history at Myst lies before you to explore.

The rapidly emerging massively-multiplayer genre is perhaps the most exciting in the industry at the moment, as developers introduce a hungry public to their own take on what comprises such a game. This excitement is fuelled by the comparative youth of the game-type, and the increasing awareness of its potential from both manufacturers and gamers. This is helped further by the slow-marching progress of broadband as it becomes more predominant.

Not only are massively-multiplayer titles becoming hugely popular, it is also becoming a very competitive area, with publishers realising that the potential for lucrative subscription games is too good an opportunity to miss. Just ask Sony Online, who rake in several million dollars monthly from Everquest alone.

One developer however, who you wouldn’t expect to be chancing their luck in this most risky of genres is Cyan – the Rand Miller controlled company responsible for the massively-popular, though hardly envelope-pushing, Myst series. But that is exactly what they’re doing – expanding the unique world of the games into the infinite possibilities of the internet, through Myst Online.

They hope and believe it will prove rather popular, especially given Myst’s reputable name and already well-established fan base – admittedly consisting mainly of consumers you wouldn’t usually expect to be interested in a game as ‘hardcore’ as a massively-multiplayer one. But perhaps that’s the beauty of their plan, introducing new gamers to new territory, and not having to worry about the competition.

The game’s been progressing under several different development titles, ‘Mudpie’ and ‘Parable’, since the much-delayed Riven was nearing completion. The current name, the most appropriate thus far, may change too as development continues, but Rand Miller’s aim is clear: "Myst without limits." This is certainly going to be no massively-multiplayer game in the sense we’ve grown accustomed to.

We’re told that the gameplay of Myst Online won’t lead us along typical MMORPG games such as Everquest or Dark Ages of Camelot, with Cyan Worlds instead focussing on the exploration that made the pre-rendered adventure games so popular. Of course, meeting other players and interacting with them is a major aspect; but unlike every other game, Myst Online will not place individuals in competition. There will be no emphasis on statistics or progress in the traditional role-playing style.

With the focus on discovery of new people and new worlds, Cyan have made the decision to keep the game fresh with constantly evolving worlds – new content updates for players to explore. As Rand Miller points out, "People want fresh content and new things every night." Just like TV networks offer their viewers, it is this philosophy which Cyan hope will give this game mass appeal. "I think to have mass-market appeal, you can't require the level of attention a lot of these online games demand," commented Miller. "Most people don't want to hang around with a thousand other people. They want to explore interesting places with a few of their friends."