Classic Mac game 'Myst' comes to Apple Silicon

Posted:
in Mac Software
The original creators of famously atmospheric puzzle game "Myst" have released a version for Mac, optimized to run on the Apple Silicon M1.

Myst returns to the Mac
Myst returns to the Mac


Nearly thirty years after it debuted on the Mac, the absorbing, compelling, and moody adventure game "Myst" has returned Now optimized for Apple Silicon, but still able to run on Intel Macs, it's available from the original creators via Steam.

"Cyan, the indie studio that created the beloved classic, has reimagined Myst," says the game's page on Steam. "Built from the ground up to play both in VR as well as traditional flatscreen displays, Myst is teeming with new art, new sound, re-imagined interactions, and even optional puzzle randomization."

The style of game play will be familiar to anyone who remembers the original, or its later Windows versions and sequels. But it's been "designed and built from the ground up in Unreal Engine," and is a "newly-reimagined version of Myst."

As well as being available for both Intel and M1 Macs, the game is now also localized in multiple languages, "for the first time in Myst's history."

It can be played with or without a VR headset. But it does include VR-specific "comfort level" features, meaning that experienced headset users can speed up the game to suit.

Cyan says the minimum Mac requirements are a quad-core Intel processor, 8GB RAM, and macOS Big Sur 11.5.2 or later. However, the company recommends 16GB RAM.

"Myst" costs $29.99 via Steam. It's also available on Epic Games, GOG, and Microsoft, for the same price.

Read on AppleInsider
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    Myst in VR could be really cool. 
    StrangeDaysMplsPwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 29
    I remember when it first came out.

    Is it any different  than the original from back then ?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 29
    I remember when it first came out.

    Is it any different  than the original from back then ?

    I never got around to playing it when it first came out. Maybe now's the time.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 29
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Myst - and Riven - are still imho some of the most amazing games that I grew up with.  I would get a VR headset just to play this game again.  

    Considering how realistic some games appear using the unreal engine, this is something I'm definitely going to look into.

    I'm happy to see that Cyan is still around and keeps this wonderful game updated.
    napoleon_phoneapartwilliamlondonStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 29
    The question I have revolves around the technology of the day. 30 years ago, a small low res (by today's standards) Quicktime video frame was all that was available due to processing constraints. So that's what you got in Myst.

    Does this new version take better advantage of the resources available to it as well as having been re-done in Unreal?

    Side note: I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 29
    HeliBumHeliBum Posts: 129member
    sflocal said:
    Myst - and Riven - are still imho some of the most amazing games that I grew up with.  I would get a VR headset just to play this game again. 
    Myst III: Exile was a good one too. It had a good story and a well-known actor as the protagonist (Brad Dourif, a.k.a. Wormtongue in LotR).

    Myst IV sucked.

    I miss these sorts of games. Journeyman Project and its sequels were fun to play too, 
    StrangeDaysexceptionhandlerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 29
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,324member
    Myst was an extremely popular game back in the day primarily because there really wasn't anything quite like it.  I show Myst in 256 grays on the internal CRT of my Macintosh SE/30 (made possibly by the Micron Xceed Grayscale yoke adapter) at the 21:55 mark in my video here, as well as show it in color on an attached Dell external LCD at the very end of the video.  The fact that Cyan Myst is coming to Apple Silicon is pretty slick!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 29
    ikirikir Posts: 127member
    It runs GREAT on M1! This is the Myst to try if you never played it or never finished it. Awesome game in every aspect.
    williamlondonfastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 29
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    So many people upgraded to CD-ROM drives in order to play Myst, and The 7th Guest. Such a fun time for gaming. 
    williamlondonJinTechwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 29
    fahlmanfahlman Posts: 740member

    Does this new version take better advantage of the resources available to it as well as having been re-done in Unreal?
    Built from the ground up to play both in VR
    Optimized to run on the Apple Silicon
    Teeming with new art, new sound
    Requires a quad-core Intel processor, 8GB RAM

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 29
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,020member
    So many people upgraded to CD-ROM drives in order to play Myst, and The 7th Guest. Such a fun time for gaming. 
    Both great! What about the 11th Hour and Phantasmagoria? Wasn't Phantasmagoria on like 7 CDs?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 29
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)
    One million of revenue is a total joke. Assuming it took four years of development, that's $250,000 per year. How many developers can you pay with that sort of chump change? LOL

    There's an opportunity for Cyan to make piles of money, not because it's a macOS game but primarily because it is also coming out on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S:

    https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/08/17/myst-is-coming-august-26-with-xbox-game-pass/

    There are 60 million Xbox One units out there. Even if only 2 million Xbox owners buy the game (3.33%), that's potentially $120 million.

    It's worth pointing out that the best exclusive content often sees purchase rates of >20% on a console platform.

    I think Zelda: Breathe of the Wild and Animal Crossing are two such games (that are somewhere in the 25-30% purchase rate). There are 90 million Nintendo Switch units. If 25 million Switch owners buy a $60 game, that's $1.5 billion of revenue for that title.

    Assuming the VR reviewers give it a thumbs-up, I will buy this game the first time it goes on a sale since I have an Oculus Rift S. Hopefully Cyan developers studied Half-Life: Alyx closely.
    edited August 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 29
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I remember when it first came out.

    Is it any different  than the original from back then ?
    Well, it’s been ‘reimagined’ whatever that means. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 29
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    I remember when it first came out.

    Is it any different  than the original from back then ?
    Doesn't anyone read the goddamned articles anymore before asking stuff like this? It literally says it's been reimagined and re-built from the ground up in Unreal Engine for both 2D and VR with various new features, etc. So yeah, it's "any different than the original".
    muthuk_vanalingamtenthousandthingswatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 29
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    mpantone said:
    I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)
    One million of revenue is a total joke. Assuming it took four years of development, that's $250,000 per year. How many developers can you pay with that sort of chump change? LOL

    There's an opportunity for Cyan to make piles of money, not because it's a macOS game but primarily because it is also coming out on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S:

    https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/08/17/myst-is-coming-august-26-with-xbox-game-pass/

    There are 60 million Xbox One units out there. Even if only 2 million Xbox owners buy the game (3.33%), that's potentially $120 million.

    It's worth pointing out that the best exclusive content often sees purchase rates of >20% on a console platform.

    I think Zelda: Breathe of the Wild and Animal Crossing are two such games (that are somewhere in the 25-30% purchase rate). There are 90 million Nintendo Switch units. If 25 million Switch owners buy a $60 game, that's $1.5 billion of revenue for that title.

    Assuming the VR reviewers give it a thumbs-up, I will buy this game the first time it goes on a sale since I have an Oculus Rift S. Hopefully Cyan developers studied Half-Life: Alyx closely.
    As far as console sales, it's on Game Pass as that link clearly states, so everyone subscribing to that (not sure what percentage of Xbox users do) will get it included. Not sure how that money trickles down to developers in that model. 

    Also, it's out and there are 60 reviews on Steam already (some pertaining to VR):
    https://store.steampowered.com/app/1255560/Myst/#app_reviews_hash
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 29
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    Side note: I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know
    some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)

    I opened this article intending to buy it, then when I read they aren't selling it on the Apple app store, I changed my mind. 

    But I don't "feel bitter," I just feel sorry for them. They don't want money.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 29
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    Side note: I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know
    some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)

    I opened this article intending to buy it, then when I read they aren't selling it on the Apple app store, I changed my mind. 

    But I don't "feel bitter," I just feel sorry for them. They don't want money.

    What's wrong with Steam? It's a far better place to buy games than the Mac App Store. 
  • Reply 18 of 29
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,564member
    Side note: I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know
    some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)

    I opened this article intending to buy it, then when I read they aren't selling it on the Apple app store, I changed my mind. 

    But I don't "feel bitter," I just feel sorry for them. They don't want money.

    What's wrong with Steam? It's a far better place to buy games than the Mac App Store. 
    I didn't say anything was "wrong" with Steam. If you want to use it, go ahead. I support Steam's right to exist (although there really is no such right.) The question is why isn't Myst available on the Apple app store. Why won't they sell it to me? How many sales do you think Myst is losing? I don't have to use every and any app store that exists. How many app stores are there, by the way? How many app stores do you want me to install?

    It's not my job to accommodate game sellers. They should be accommodating me. In fact, they sell Myst on 19 different OS platforms. That proves they know how to accommodate customers.  But they won't accommodate me by selling it on the official Apple app store? Why are they so inconsistent in terms of accommodating their customers? It's especially ironic since the Myst game was originally developed on Apple computers and users on Apple computers were also their only customers. And now we get this slap in the face.
    edited August 2021 DAalsethwatto_cobraJanNL
  • Reply 19 of 29
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Side note: I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know
    some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)

    I opened this article intending to buy it, then when I read they aren't selling it on the Apple app store, I changed my mind. 

    But I don't "feel bitter," I just feel sorry for them. They don't want money.

    What's wrong with Steam? It's a far better place to buy games than the Mac App Store. 
    I didn't say anything was "wrong" with Steam. If you want to use it, go ahead. I support Steam's right to exist (although there really is no such right.) The question is why isn't Myst available on the Apple app store. Why won't they sell it to me? How many sales do you think Myst is losing? I don't have to use every and any app store that exists. How many app stores are there, by the way? How many app stores do you want me to install?

    It's not my job to accommodate game sellers. They should be accommodating me. In fact, they sell Myst on 19 different OS platforms. That proves they know how to accommodate customers.  But they won't accommodate me by selling it on the official Apple app store? Why are they so inconsistent in terms of accommodating their customers? It's especially ironic since the Myst game was originally developed on Apple computers and users on Apple computers were also their only customers. And now we get this slap in the face.
    So much obnoxious entitlement on display here that I almost don't want to post this.... but Myst is very much available in the Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myst/id1580649368?mt=12

    So knock yourself out buying it from your most favouritest store.  I suspect you probably won't anyway.
    muthuk_vanalingamfastasleep
  • Reply 20 of 29
    ikirikir Posts: 127member
    Side note: I don't know how much Cyan stands to make from this, but assuming they stand to make over $1m on it since the UE port, a chunk of what you're paying will go to Unreal (Epic Games.) I know
    some people here are... bitter or put off by that. (I'm not, but if you're not aware...)

    I opened this article intending to buy it, then when I read they aren't selling it on the Apple app store, I changed my mind. 

    But I don't "feel bitter," I just feel sorry for them. They don't want money.

    It is available on Mac App Store, even they PR announce said that, I bought few hours ago: it is incredible!!
    fastasleepwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.