New Myst iPhone Web Site
Earlier I wrote “Myst-Uru-SL and the iPhone” and wondered whether the Myst-Uru fans and Cyan would make a place for iPhone users on the Myst Online forum. They did and with some fan effort to create a boat load of in-bound links iPhone users are finding the forum and joining up, more than tripling enrollments. Fans are answering questions and finding work-arounds to minor problems in the Myst iPhone app/game. In the process some interesting questions have come up that show the value of mixing the new and old fans.
One of the big questions I’m sure no one at Cyan or even in the fan base anticipated is from the confusion about the Myst games. One poster asked about sequels to Myst. I think many of us, fans, anticipated that question and hoped new fans would be asking, which is why I wanted the new iPhone fans on the Myst Online Forum. But when the fan started trying to round up the collection of Myst games… things got really confusing.
Myst Online Forum with iPhone Section
The confusion comes from life and the history of Cyan and the Myst series of games. Lots of things don’t make any sense until you understand history. Cyan and Myst’s history has lots of twists and turns and obviously is confusing to the new players. So, what are the game names and where can they be found?
On the Myst Online forum there is a great post by vidkid7 in the thread, “Myst sequels coming?“. It gives the BRIEF history of the Myst series and links to the more …complicated… history. Check it out. vidkid7 also provides a basic list of the Myst series games;
- Myst and its fully 3D remake, realMYST
- Riven
- Myst III: Exile
- Myst IV: Revelation
- Myst V: End of Ages.
There are also three Myst novels…
- Myst: The Book of Atrus
- Myst: The Book of Ti’ana
- Myst: The Book of D’ni
Next vidkid7 points out the complications to and confusion about game names created by Uru or Uru Live and To D’ni and Path of The Shell.
So the complete list is:
Most games take place 200+ years ago. Noted with a year are those taking place in the present day.
- Myst (CD)
- Myst: The Book of Atrus (Paper Book)
- Myst: The Book of Ti’ana(Paper Book)
- Riven (CD)
- Myst: The Book of D’ni(Paper Book)
- realMYST(CD)
- Myst III: Exile (CD)
- Uru: Ages Beyond Myst/Uru Live (Now defunct – DVD + MMO) 2003-2004
- Uru: To D’ni (Expansion Pack 1 – Download only*) 2004
- Uru: The Path of the Shell (Expansion Pack 2 – DVD) 2004
- Until Uru (Now defunct – Online MMO) 2004-2006
- Myst IV: Revelation (DVD)
- Myst V: End of Ages (DVD) 2005
- Myst Online: Uru Live (Now defunct – Online MMO & no DVD) 2007-2008
- Myst Online: Restoration Experiment (Indefinite Hiatus) 2008
- Uru: Open Source (Coming… one day. Eventually – MMO) 2009
Of course none of this refernces the Second Life and THERE replications of the games.
The break in the story line is from game play and the attempt to build Alternate Reality Game concepts into Uru Live. That also adds to new fan confusion. Prior Myst games one plays and adventurer that is in the body of someone that lived 200+ years ago. In the Uru incarnations of the game you play yourself in the present day. Because of that some consider Uru Live to be separate from the Myst series. They are related and story components cross lines so I see the distinction as academic.
Visit the Myst Online forum if you’re interested in getting these games and getting them running on your computer. Fans will help you find the cheap places to purchase them. And there is support for most operating systems (PC/Mac).
*To D’ni is included in the Path of The Shell DVD.