Though it was one of the biggest game franchises of all time, the progress of Myst in other media forms has been incredibly slow. Now Legendary TV thinks it can make it work, developing a small screen series and companion game to tap that vein of nostalgia while nabbing a new audience.
Myst and its sequels attracted more than 12 million people to its murky island environs in its early run, before The Sims ousted it as the most successful game series of all time in 2002. The first game, released for Mac in 1993 before hitting other platforms, saw the player as The Stranger, who travels to Myst Island through a magical book, and must solve the mystery, via laborious exploration of static screens and interrogation of hidden characters, of who killed the sorcerer Atrus (or discover if he might actually be alive).
Sequels saw The Stranger searching for Atrus' wife (Riven); pursuing a thief who stole a world (Exile); tracking down Atrus' daughter (Revelation, which starred Brad Dourif, a fan of the games); and reviving Atrus' race, known as the D'ni (End of Ages). There was an attempt at a Myst MMORG in 2007, but the servers were shut down in 2008.
In 2010, Mark Johnson, one of the producers behind the Narnia series, kicked off an attempt to turn the concept into a movie, but that got lost in development limbo. Now games company Cyan Worlds is hoping that Legendary will help bring it back to life.
“Cyan’s goal in working with Legendary is not just to create a compelling TV drama but to develop a true transmedia product that will include a companion video game that extends the story across both media,” the company said in a statement picked up by Deadline. “Seventy per cent of tablet owners use their device while watching TV at least several times a week. Cyan sees the potential to push the boundaries of interactive storytelling to a new level.”
While we’re a little worried about a company making statements as though it’s a person – “Cyan is headed to the café. Does anyone want a coffee?” – Myst fans should be happy that the idea is still kicking around.