URU Live: Interview with Rand Miller

Dana · June 2006

Rand Miller, CEO of Cyan Worlds, talks to us about how URU Live was reborn. Originally developed a few years ago, the online portion of this Myst sequel was canceled by UBISoft before it ever got off the ground. Recently, Miller and his company announced a partnership with Turner and GameTap to bring it back.

In addition to our interview, we just re-added URU Live to our game list. To hype it click here.

MMORPG.com: What are your plans for a launch date? Will there be a beta?

Rand Miller: All we know now is that we will launch during the 2006 holiday season, and there will be a beta.

MMORPG.com: Can you give us some history on the Dni civilization and how they will play a part in the game?

Rand Miller: The D'ni arrived at earth 10,000 years ago and set up shop deep underground. It was their contact with a woman from the surface that altered their history and destroyed their civilization. That woman was the grandmother of Atrus - the main character in the Myst series. Atrus learned from the D'ni and his entire family was affected. Now the D'ni are gone, but their grand underground city remains - haunted with the legacy of their power and their destruction - and ready to be rediscovered.

The full interview is available here.

RemyVorender · June 2006

The game looks interesting, but I didn't see any mention of combat...is there?

Effect · June 2006

Originally posted by remyburke

The game looks interesting, but I didn't see any mention of combat...is there?

There really is no combat at all in the Myst series, save for the very rare story decision moments and it's not really combat, just deciding the fate of something or someone. My might see some combat but it's usually done by someone else as you watch it happen since it relates to the story. Myst is mainly about exploring, puzzle solving, and story. It's always been that type of game. Some of the puzzle are really fun and some are just down right hard and confusing at times but that is what makes the Myst (Riven is apart of the series, second game though doesn't have the Myst name) series great.

BadT · June 2006

Aye more of a "thinkers" game. I played Myst way way back and enjoyed it. May be interesting to see it in an mmo. Certainly a break from all the combat and competition. Not saying now that I will forego my mmorpgs, just taht it looks like a nice break.

Effect · June 2006

I have to agree. You have to approach the Myst series with a certain mindset because it's in a very specific type of game. It's a shame that more of these games don't come out anymore. Everything has to be fast paced or have tons of explosions

Eleri · June 2006

I think it'll be like apples and oranges to look for 'traditional' MMO features in Uru Live. It'll branch out beyond 'talk to contact, go do mission/quest, kill things along the way, come back to contact.' So if you want to try something different, this is just the thing.

JaDrake · June 2006

I'm an old member of UrU and the game is so far removed from your "Traditional" types of MMORPG's that it is a breath of fresh air and an alternitive to the old grind and shoot em up's that seem to rule the MMORPG worlds.

I wait with great "Antica.....pation for this resserection to hit the online community.

daniellex55 · June 2006

The original Myst was one of the first computer games that I ever really got "hooked on". It has made me the gameaholic I am today. I would like to play this game just for a little change in pace, if nothing else.
I love solving puzzles and the Myst games have always had the best ones out there.

Toriauru · June 2006

My first post here. I'll admit URU Live brought me here. I love all the Myst games. I've just gotten a new graphics card and with it, came a full copy of Deux Ex, Invisible War. I'm going to try it, but I'm not sure I'll like it, after being used to the Myst style of games. URU Live with friends will be great, I bet. Lovely interview with Rand Miller.

PianoJoe · June 2006

Looks good. Looks very, very good.

Leehrat21 · June 2006

Haha. Hey Toria. I think you should all give URU LIVE a shot. Right now there is something called Until URU which is somewhat of a sample that the fans kept alive after the first failure of LIVE and it is a blast. I first viewed it as there to be little to do. Yet, I confess after going on a MYST journey with others until 2 AM, I am obsessed. For all of you who have played the old MYST's just imagine the same thing, plus more features and activities, with others. So you can do puzzles with the help of others and just have others to be there.

Cyan_Husky · June 2006

I agree. Everyone who can appreciate slower games with a basis on exploration should try it out. It's a great experience. And the community for this series is always nice and helpful. If you get lost, almost everyone would be happy to help you out.

oldmanjob · June 2006

For all of you who would like to get your feet wet until UrU live comes on the scene, Cyan has set up the D'mala shard, and they will give you a free invite to play. All you have to do is install UrU Ages Beyond Myst or the Complete Cronicles, and E:mail cyan for the free invite.

Razorback · June 2006

Didnt play Myst or Uru as i have just never really been into adventure games that much (although Lucas Arts Full Throttle was brilliant).

So consequently Im not quite sure what to make of this as most of the terminology used in the interview means zipp to me.

However I do like the notion of an online game that breaks completely from the current trend, this in itself is very positive for the industry and I hope the game is successful just so it gets other devs thinking outside the very small boxes they currently think in.

Razorback · June 2006

Havnt changed my mind either

theanimedude · June 2006

I own the game, and I have since the day of launch. I can finally brush it off and launch it up into online play!!!

Although.. GameTap kind of turns me off... but that's okay! Uru is one of the best Myst games to date, it was one of the hardest ever!

Originally posted by oldmanjob
For all of you who would like to get your feet wet until UrU live comes on the scene, Cyan has set up the D'mala shard, and they will give you a free invite to play. All you have to do is install UrU Ages Beyond Myst or the Complete Cronicles, and E:mail cyan for the free invite.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!? SEE YOU THERE!

Originally posted by oldmanjob
For all of you who would like to get your feet wet until UrU live comes on the scene, Cyan has set up the D'mala shard, and they will give you a free invite to play. All you have to do is install UrU Ages Beyond Myst or the Complete Cronicles, and E:mail cyan for the free invite.

How do you go about doing that?

EDIT: Anyone who wants to join up in Until Uru go HERE!

SuperGram · June 2006

I would likd to thank MMORPG and Garrett Fuller for this great interview with Rand Miller and for the excellent article on the return of UruLive.

Having been a Myst fan for over a decade, I am among the many UruLive fans. I came to UruLive and entered the cavern Jan.6, 2004 and explored the amazing worlds of D'ni during prologue until Ubisoft's premature cancellation. Since that time I along with other fans waited, hoped and dreamed of the day UruLive would return. When the news came that GameTap and Cyan planned to re-launch UruLive the excitement among the fans was electric. To call UruLive a game is an insufficient discription...A better word would be and experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

SG

dadguy · June 2006

This is my first post here. I was drawn to the site by the Rand Miller interview on URU Live. Having been through the original Beta test and making so many friends in URU Online, I was thrilled to see it is being resurrected.

URU is very unique to the MMORPG world. No guns or combat. It might put some of the traditional MMORPG gamers to sleep, but it seems to have found a whole new brand of player that is hungering for the exploration more than the battle. An untapped market???

I joined up with the free invite referenced above and have reunited with olf friends and a lot of new players.

It will be interesting to see how the game develops!

Regards,

Dadguy

MW2K · June 2006

Just like to point out that not having guns or combat isn't unique to URU. The Tale in the Desert series are like this too.

OK, carry on...

dadguy · June 2006

Thanks, Ulujain! I intend to look that one up. I think the words I intended are "somewhat unique..."

It's not that I am offended by combat or weapons... I happen to LOVE the Tomb Raider series. I just need a break from the exhausting swordfight or martial arts kick once in a while. I find the beauty of the 3D environment and the sounds in URU allow me a virtual escape. I'd like to find other games like this.

Thanks for the response!

Dadguy

veralun · June 2006

Great!

Looking forward to play Uru Live again!

kelm · June 2006

Two year's of Waiting And Still Causiously Optomystic counting down the day's until release day

JKtoC · June 2006

after taking part in the first Uru Live, I'm so glad I have stuck with the community for this long. I guess I always knew it would return someday. I can't wait!

annd · June 2006

URU certainly deserves another opportunity to go Live. It is not the usual game fare (more imaginative. more potential for story, and more immersive).

Toriauru · June 2006

There was an article on CNet news about URU Live being resurrected and some person did a comment like "oh 10 guys in Ohio still play it?" Well, the response to that thread was hilarious. I think at last count I saw 28 responses, all on some theme of "I don't play it in my basement, I don't live in Ohio, and um, yeah, still like it." LOL! Quite funny. I think it good that there are some "different" games out there in the marketplace. "The Place in the Desert" game sounds very cool. I've also heard some things about the Island game. Can't recall the name of it, but it's a single-player game, anyhow.

I think the news of MMORPG carrying news about URU will bring more people here, that are more well spoken than your "average" gamer, if there is such a thing. That's the thing I've most noticed about the Myst and URU forums -> the Niceness of people and the willingness to say "you need help? Just ask and we'll be happy to". No real flame wars thankfully, but yes, disagreements from time to time. After all, we're only human

The CCNT Cavern Communications Network provides live broadcasts from the Caverns of Until URU actually! You can catch some cool podcasts. The Cavern today

to that team.

Marten! · June 2006

As one of the folks who got to participate in the "Prologue" in January 2004, when Cyan first attempted to launch URU Live, the E3 announcement heralding Uru's return was "a long time coming" but I'm glad to have been around for the wait.

The relationship between Cyan and fans of the MYST series is unlike anything I've seen between other game companies and their customers. When I first signed up to access Uru online, I was highly skeptical of its premise; like thousands upon thousands of others, I had played through MYST and Riven as solo gaming experiences, and the idea of working with others online seemed threatening to me. Happily, I soon learned just how wrong I was to worry, and I developed a healthy appreciation for the community that has developed around the MYST mythos. Know any other gaming companies for whom their fans have thrown pizza parties? Didn't think so.

Likewise, during the past two years, I've witnessed how committed and supportive Cyan is to its fans. The Until Uru service, released in August 2004 and still continuing today, provides continuing online access to the original Uru universe for free. Intended to be a place of gathering until Cyan could secure financing for another attempt to start Uru Live, recently Cyan announced that they will not terminate Until Uru with Uru Live's return. That's dedication for you.

While there are others who are imminently more qualified than myself to speak on the history and the experience of Uru (especially some of the original 2003 beta testers), I'd be happy to answer whatever questions I can about what Uru is like, and how it is similar and how it is different from other MMORPGS. I'm also a World of Warcraft player (my primary 'toon on WoW is now level 57) so I have some experience by which to compare the two.

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