Last Week's Column: We Myst By A Long Shot May 23rd, 2000 Gary: Dude, what are you chowing down on over there? Randy: (Munch, munch, munch) Can't talk…eating my words…go hell…(Munch, munch, munch) Gary: Ahhh, thought you were all cocky last week with all the news about the Myst 3: Exile and Myst 4? Randy: (Munch, munch, munch) was half right…(Munch, munch, munch) Gary: True enough. You were correct about the announcement of Myst III: Exile. The topnotch group over at Presto Studios has been chosen as the torchbearer of the Myst legacy and will be releasing Myst 3: Exile with Mattel Interactive. But you apparently went crazy and mixed up the whole Myst 4 thing. Randy: (Munch, munch, munch) …gag… (Munch, munch, munch) Gary: Do you need some water or some thing? Randy: (Cough, wheeze) Just working the wild assumptions down. I will admit, perhaps I got a little carried away with my hopes for Myst 4. Gary: Well, there was a lot of confusion when the announcement of Myst III: Exile was announced at E3 a few weeks ago. In fact Presto is not only going to do the next story in the Myst sage but they are also releasing Myst Master Piece Edition for the Mac. Randy: But that's not Myst 4. Gary: As much as you want it to be, no…it's not Myst 4. It is in fact, a port of 24-bit digitally re-mastered version of the original Myst, that came out for the PC last Christmas. Randy: Well that's pretty cool, even if it's not Myst 4, every classic Myst fan should get a copy of this edition. You can put it on the shelf right next to your Gold Boxed Edition Star Wars trilogy. Gary: Which is right next to my THX Edition of Star Wars. Which is right next to my Wide Screen Edition of Star Wars. Randy: Well make a little more room for some multiple editions of Myst too. Because Cyan is developing a product called Myst Dimensions. Gary: But that's not Myst 4 either. Is it Randy? Randy: No, Gary. Myst Dimensions is not the fabled Myst 4. But it is something pretty darn cool in its own right. This is where I started to go off track last week. I had been reading that Cyan had been working on a super secret project called Mudpie, that was first person, used on the fly 3D in a multiplayer environment. Then I read that Cyan announced Myst Dimensions, formerly known as Myst 3D, at E3 last week. So I assumed that the real-time project I had read about was Myst Dimensions. Gary: And boy, were you wrong. Randy: You know you don't have to gloat here. I seem to remember your only contribution to last week's column were monosyllabic grunts. Gary: But at least I wasn't wrong. Randy: (Aside) Note to self. Up Gary's "medication". He is growing more obnoxious than I first expected. Gary: Why are you talking to your thumb like it's a microphone? Randy: I was just saying, Myst Dimensions is a new project coming from Cyan, the original creators of Myst and its sequel Riven. And it is in real-time 3D. But it is not the next story in the Myst timeline but rather a retelling of the first Myst story. Enhanced with full motion graphics. But it's not free movement 3D. It's more comparable to the Journeyman III: Buried in Time style of real-time 3D environment. Gary: Hey, now that's cool. I will definitely have to get that version of Myst too. Randy: Well you better because there is a whole new Age in this version as well. Gary: Wooohooo! That's awesome! Fresh original Myst after all these years. Randy: And they say you can never go home again. For readers who want a sneak peek at Myst Dimensions in action check out the QuickTime footage at Spyder's Web Site. There is also a great full screen still shot that we showed a miniature version of last week in our column. Be sure to see it. It looks fantastic! Gary: Okay. So we have Myst 3: Exile coming from Presto Studios in spring of 2001. Oooh, fancy, kids! Randy: This is correct. Gary: We have Myst Masterpiece for Mac, also being ported by Presto Studios coming in fall of 2000. Randy: This is also correct. Gary: Then we have Myst Dimensions, or Myst 3D, or Real Myst, or whatever the final title will be, coming from Cyan in the fall of 2000 as well. Randy: And this is also correct. Gary: Are you sure? Randy: Yes. Yes I am. Gary: Then I just have one question for you… Randy: I never saw her before last night and those weren't my rubber tights. Gary: Well, now I have two questions. But first, what happened to the project from Cyan called Mudpie that you thought was Myst 4. Randy: Like the Isle of Myst, that too is shrouded in mystery. Cyan has kept a tight lid on the details of this project. All the Cyan web site says is "One final world. A journey through Ages that never ends." However Rand Miller has dropped some info in various newspaper and online interviews. Like this tasty tidbit from a Spokane news article: "Code-named "Mud Pie," Miller said the game will go beyond the CD-ROM technology used in Myst and Riven and rely on broadband high-speed Internet connections. Players also will be able to interact in real time with other players across the planet, via high-speed video and audio connections. Visually, "Mud Pie" will push online gameplaying to the cutting edge of 3-D technology." Gary: But will it be part of the Myst story with Atrus? Randy: Well, from the buzz on the web from several fan sites like The Unofficial Riven Homepage, say no. The popular theory is that Cyan will leave the story of Atrus to Presto and Cyan will begin a new D'ni based story line. And in interviews with Rand Miller he has said Cyan wants to "open other windows into the D'ni universe." The final words on Mudpie at Cyan's site only say, "D'ni lives." Gary: Well, thanks for clearing that up, Dr. "I don't need no stinkin' research!" Randy: I can tell you what I do need. Gary: What's that? Randy: Well, I was just eating my words from last week's column... Gary: Uh huh? Randy: It was a pretty long column. And apparently paper has some extremely high fiber content. Gary: Oh, no. Randy: That's right. If you will excuse me. For about six hours. Gary: Run for your lives!