Myst Co-Creator Rand Miller: Extended Interview | Ars Technica
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- Ars Technica is proud to present our extended interview with Cyan Worlds co-founder Rand Miller. Miller takes us on a deep dive, recounting the development of one of the best selling PC games of all time, Myst.
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Myst Co-Creator Rand Miller: Extended Interview | Ars Technica
Thank you for putting this full interview up. Rand is such an interesting guy. Please try and get Robyn for an interview, he also is a joy to listen to. Please vote this up if anyone else would like to see this happen.
Really love to have a similar interview with Robyn! Please, do it! :)
Being 5 or 6 and playing MYST with your dad on a rainy day inside a wood-paneled office in your Pennsylvania farmhouse is a life-changing experience. I have been a MYST and really a well-designed game fan ever since. Thanks to both Rand and AT for the interview.
Every single one of us has a similar sweet, dear memory to share that made us a big, dreaming family. :)
I remember being about 12 when Myst was released and working illegally in a meat market for $3/hr under the table. I used that money I earned cleaning up the most disgusting things to buy Myst on a lark at an Egghead software in NJ. Its world, sounds, music and atmosphere truly changed my life and completing the game was this profound bittersweet moment in my life. Magical is definitely the right word. The first interview was great, this was marvelous! Thank you for the extended interview, incredibly fascinating and nostalgic!
Was it because of your age that you working illegally?
@@martinpaveymusic309 yes that and being paid in cash with no taxes. I worked in dangerous conditions and the owner even let me sell cigarettes so he didn't seem to care too much about the rules.
@@nonfungiblemushroom Ah, cool. Taxation is theft anyway. Good on ya for being enterprising, I'll bet you were his best worker!
What memories man
Rand is one of my all-time heroes. MYST and RIVEN are in my DNA.
I’d like to hear him talk alongside Robyn sometime! Robyn’s music was always so engrossing and atmospheric.
Yeh that would be cool. Fascinating guys.
Right there with you Alex.
It was such a pleasure to play. I loved solving the. Puzzles. I would love to have these guys develop a themed game for me!
I still play some of the Myst music each time i come across the pizzicato sound on my synths ;p
My Grandpa had bought Sound Blaster 16 for my Christmas present way back in the 90's and paired it with Myst. We both had note books filled with 'Myst'ery solving knowledge to get all 3 endings. Sadly he passed away in August but I know with all my heart this interview would have filled him with the same joy and wonderment it brings us.
I really love these longform style interviews. Can listen to it like a podcast while doing my morning routine! More of this, please!
@@NoirAngel921 Thanks for reminding me - I'll do just that.
@@NoirAngel921 what site do you use?
I could listen to Rand's stories all day long and never get bored. With Myst, the idea to always be curious and exploring, as well as telling a story worth telling, changed me early in my life, and still affects me to this day in things I do. There is a magic, as he said, in everything Rand and crew created. The genre didn't matter, you were simply set into a world and were left to your own devices. Sometimes terrifying, other times sublime, all of it like nothing else.
These extended interviews are some of the best content on youtube.
Fantastic interview. I'd love a follow up regarding RIVEN and URU.
📣URU URU URU! 😊
It was truly gratifying to hear Rand describe how Sunsoft sought out Cyan after seeing the Japanese version of The Manhole, which led to Sunsoft financing the development of Myst. I was working in Japan at that time, as the Activision Technical Director supervising Tokyo Shoseki's conversion of The Manhole to run on the NEC PC-9801, an incompatible Japanese clone of the IBM-PC. Tokyo Shoseki did a beautiful conversion of The Manhole into Japanese, packaged with a gorgeous picture book, which no doubt impressed Sunsoft with its universal children's appeal.
In addition to working as technical liaison between Activision and Tokyo Shoseki, I wound up programming the assembly language graphics driver that dynamically converted the game's original VGA graphics to the proprietary hardware format NEC built into the PC-9801. I remember pouring over translated NEC technical docs, and how thrilling it was to crack the mysteries locked inside this foreign machine. It was such a magical time and The Manhole was an inspired work of art.
So your work led to the development of Myst... The great thing about the Internet is that we can hear these stories in places like this. Thank you for your work and sharing it!
@@apriloneil8393 - While I would in no way claim any direct credit for the development of Myst, it's wonderful to see how my own work helped lead up to its development.
What would make this PERFECT is pictures of what he's talking about. The little documentary on the MYST CD-ROM has lots of drawings, Strata extrusions, early maps that would fit perfectly.
I was thinking the same
The short form interview added animations to the more salient parts of his interview
After watching the 6 minute cut of this interview i went and found a copy of classic MYST and played through it. Amazing. I was 3 when the game was released, so it wasn't on my radar. 29-year-old me loved it
Rand and Robyn shaped my whole career thanks to Myst.
I was a little bit interested in art before, but playing Myst every night on rainy days with my dad was the best nostalgia I could ever ask for. Rand and Robyn I really hope you get to live to 100 so you get to hear all of the love and support your breakthrough game series brought to so many people over the years from across the globe.
Good to see Atrus is doing well.
I am one of those kids who was introduced to Myst through a parent. I was born in 1999, so Riven was still a major title at the time when I was old enough to play video games. I remember just how tantalizing the box art for Myst and especially the Tree in the lake on Riven's box. My dad, who had bought both games, played a little bit, but for the most part it was me, by myself, exploring the worlds and getting that excited feedback from him whenever I showed him the puzzle I just solved or the new place I had managed to get to. The experience was truly magical, and it has been so ingrained into my taste for video games that I have always preferred the puzzle games rather than the shooter games or RPGs, etc. I am so glad to be a part of the fanbase of the best game of the 20th century, and I cannot wait for Firmament to finally release and allow me to become an awestruck explorer yet again.
We need another one based on Riven. Riven is their magnum opus, as far as I'm concerned.
These guys really inspired me growing up, and still do. To think, so many years later, Myst is still so unique. You'd think it would have revolutionized what we could do with a computer.......but sadly, the gaming landscape today wasn't as inspired by it as I would have hoped.
Such a good interview. Rand, I was about 8 years old when we got our first home computer, a Mac and a copy of flight simulator, Quark Express and Myst. Needless to say my younger brother and I spent the next 3, 4, 5 years trying to figure out the world of Myst. No internet, just our intuition. Will never forget the moment we realised there were more worlds than just the island. Such good memories. Thank you to you and Robyn and the whole team.
Thanks so much for posting this. :)
Didn't expect to see you here, Austin... but Very true, couldn't wait for this to be Posted :D
Eyy, it's you! :D
This is just a top tier interview on so many levels. Myst is an artistic and technological achievement of the highest order.
I love how he’s still so enthusiastic about Myst after all this time.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to and watching this interview with Rand Miller regarding the detailed history of Myst game creation. Rand, you are a fascinating story teller! Your attention to detail when telling a story is amazing and is evident in your games as well. Thank you for your determination to make the best games on earth! I have never been able to find a game or game series that even comes close to what Cyan has created. Keep up the good work. I look forward to future games!
Cyan is a legend and a huge inspiration for new game developers. Really appreciate the fact that it's 2020 and people are STILL talking about Myst because that's the level of relevance they hold in this industry.
Siren Drake Sure! I’m a fan of theirs
Myst was a free game that my dad had with a Mac performa, no box or booklet, no Internet so no context, just pure exploration and discovery. It set the bar for all the games I now love. Thanks for documenting this! X
These two brothers changed my life in a profound way with Myst and Riven. My entire modern life really. My love for music, art, gaming, and film all rose from Myst and then even more from Riven.
Hearing about the behind the scenes of Myst is something that just emanates nostalgia in the most incredible way. Working with such simple tools, crafting something out of pure creativity in 90's America. I wish I could have been a part of something like that, but I was born in the middle of Myst 1's development! It's just something that will never be captured again, not in the same way.
Seeing Rand Miller feels like being reunited with my dad
I remember seeing Spelunx and Cosmic Osmo on the Mac Classic machines in high school. Later when I fell head-over-heels in love with Myst, Riven, etc. I had no idea they were from the same people.
I remember being a kid messing up my step grandfathers saves on myst and riven. Really awesome memories. I'm buying the games on GoG because they have hotfixes to work with modern hardware.
Their next project (after firmament) is working with the Starry Expanse Project to make an updated version of Riven!
Such a joy listening to Rand... I ate up every tidbit and detail, both technical and artistic... what an absolute legendary achievement for the Miller brothers... my own brother and I played Myst and Riven as kids (although it wasn't until adulthood that we went back and completed Riven, together) and we were heavily influenced by the experiences. I really hope to meet Rand one day so that I can look him in the eye and tell him how much his work has meant to me.
Brilliant. Having played Myst to Firmament and everything in between this is a great insight into the development of such an iconic game. Could listen to Rand discussing Cyan’s games and the anecdotes for hours. Thanks for sharing.
I have tremendous respect for this man and Cyan as a whole. Loving the Myst series.
I know these are "extended" interviews but I would love to see these as the original upload. You would be surprised how many people want to hear the whole story. Sure 3 hours is long but many people watch/listen to podcasts as well that are hour long. Id love to see these out more ofthen or not to even bother making a summarized version.
Yep, agreed. I much prefer the long form versions of these interviews.
Great video, now I'm going to go play this in VR
Absolutely love this interview! Rand is so fascinating to listen to, as a software enginner myself I can relate so much, we are bound to the technology of our time and a leap in development is always mind blowing
I got to play one of those early experimental games on a Mac. They were somewhat crude by today's standards but the magic was there. What is lacking today in many games is imagination.Maybe because those of us who are older had to used our imagination before computers and VR. This pre-Myst game was in black and white, but there were games within the game and so many places to explore. Nice to see they are still going.
I could listen to Rand talk for hours... and I suppose I just did. :D
Riven! Story telling through exploration and discovery. Changed my life, even influenced by business' logo. Can you tell?
What's your business logo?
Played myst with my dad, happiest memory .
I think that being able to write a book, and make it really interesting and intriguing all the way through is amazing. Even if you can write well, being able to write a good imaginative story is a rare ability that most people don't have.
I recall the wonder of first experiencing Myst on my uncles computer, I was 8 or 9, the magic of the exceptional level of storage and capabilities that CD-ROM offered, the photorealistic reality that was a turning point in the evolution of computer software. The sound, the immersion the evolution of the ability to create virtual space using the incredible well of imagination and fusing the wonderous vision of graphics, art, code and computer science. Truly amazing...an event so significant that initially seeing the first screen of Myst more than half a century ago is still etched into the recesses of my subconscious, I am able to recall the exact time, exact instance of where I was, there sitting at my uncle's computer and hearing the auto play excitedly awaiting for the adventure to begin.
Thankyou so much to everyone involved for this incredible interview, I could literally listen to Rand talk all day & night! So interesting & such a good speaker. The Myst games (particularly Riven) aswell as pretty much everything that Cyan create (how amazing was Obduction?!) have had such a huge impact on my life. I will be forever grateful for them & continue to support Cyan in all that they do. Bring on Firmament! P.S. Would love a further interview covering Riven & then perhaps a separate one covering Myst 3, 4 & 5 if possible.
So many hours lost in Myst as a kid, incredible frustration when you get stuck but unbridled joy when I figured it out!
I love this interview SO MUCH. Please do a follow up about RIVEN now that the Cyan remake is nearly finished.
Interestingly, the interview is less of a game plot and mechanics development and mostly about all technical burdens they had to go through just to make it run. And at this moment I realized my phone streaming this video and letting me to write a comment at the same time is more powerful than a computers they were expecting user to have. And still this is the game much more interesting than lots of modern games developed without all these complications
I'll forever thank Rand Miller for the marble puzzle
Myst was a formative experience for me. I was around 12 or so and the memory of bringing home the first CD-ROM drive for my Mac Iici, plugging it in and playing that fresh copy of Myst will forever be etched in my mind. I remember using Hypercard at school and thinking how amazing it was to invent new experiences with that tool and when I learned Myst was made using it, my mind was blown. Here I am, all these years later, still doing digital design, playing games and exploring new things. Thanks for sharing this insight into such an amazing adventure.
This is the extended interview I have been waiting for. Thank you!
Thanks for this interview. Despite Cyan's success its sad ( to me anyway) the gaming industry as a whole hasn't risked breaking off from the standard violent games and release at least a few similar thought provoking games ( at least TRY once every ten years). I believe there IS a solid niche audience out there for non violent gaming but then, to stay in business, you go where the money is. Still, I have many fond memories of hours of play within the worlds of Cyan.
Seriously re-wetting my appetite to re-play the Myst series of games again. Utter genius and thoroughly unique.
00:00 - Chapter 1: Gaming Beginnings
02:48 - Chapter 2: Dynamic Duo
05:32 - Chapter 3: The Early Years
08:39 - Chapter 4: Paths
11:07 - Chapter 5: Hypercard
17:56 - Chapter 6: Tech Upgrades
20:44 - Chapter 7: The Myst Leap
23:51 - Chapter 8: Getting Funded
26:51 - Chapter 9: Transition to 3D
32:50 - Chapter 10: Rendering Woes
42:18 - Chapter 11: Building the World
49:00 - Chapter 12: Living Within Limits
57:47 - Chapter 13: The Problems
01:02:35 - Chapter 14: Changing Technology
01:04:50 - Chapter 15: Seeing in Color (256 Colors)
01:09:57 - Chapter 16: The Sound Problem
01:15:23 - Chapter 17: The Pressure
01:17:48 - Chapter 18: The CD Layout
01:20:43 - Chapter 19: Publishing
01:28:15 - Chapter 20: A New Kind Of Game
01:38:05 - Chapter 21: The MYST Legacy
01:42:20 - Chapter 22: The Lesson
Just finished riven in 3 weeks, before finished real Myst, now in Exile.
This game absolutely genius, very greatfull for his work
this channel deserves WAAAAY more views
myst is the most revolutionary game that opened the eyes to people of what art could be
This guy is such a legend. I remember being mesmerized by the artwork on the box back in the 90’s at a local Hastings Entertainment Store here in Coeur d’Alene. My family’s computers were old Macs that only could take floppy, but by the late 90’s we got a PC with CD-Rom capability, but it sadly lacked proficient hardware for even the most basic of games. It’s funny how just the allure of the imagery made such an impact on my when I wasn’t even able to play Myst until 15 years after it came out. Also super interesting how he mentioned their transitions were rougher on the PC, then the native Macintosh which they agonized over in ‘HyperCard’. Several games I did have for early PC that did run seemed to lack the “smooth” qualities of their Mac counterparts which maybe was in part due to the developers being just like Rand here writing them on that system first. My dad used to go to tech trade shows in California for business and all the promotional floppy’s he’d bring back to us in the earlier years were almost strictly designed for the Mac and I’d spend hours playing around with ‘demos’ for different products or cool sound effects.
I'm loving these interviews; they're helping me discover the great games that I missed and discover some amazing video game history and design lessons!
Please keep releasing the long-term interviews with all of the War Stories videos! 😍
I have actually spoken to Rand Miller though email. Years ago, after Myst 3 came out, there was potential for a movie, and the internet was buzzing about it. I emailed Rand Miller through his website and he told me a movie was possible, but it may not get done. He was very respectful and I was blown away that he actually emailed me back. I wish I still had the email.
I thought I knew everything about the production of Myst 1 but this is such a deep delve. I could listen to that voice for hours, and I just did.
Very nice long video. He has a calm voice and so intellectual
I'm playing Riven at the moment funnily enough, and came across this by pure chance.. What a treat this video is - the Miller brothers at Cyan were an inspiration to me way back in my youth...to the point where I became a professional game developer myself. Every now and then I like to replay one of the games in the Myst series. It's like playing a new game though because I never remember the solutions to all the puzzles...Riven is particularly hard. Thanks for posting this gem of a video.
Yes interview Robyn next please? Its perfect timing with Firmament out now!
I can't believe only 190 comments. I was a Myst fan and played it many times. Never solved anything, but it was great entertainment. And way ahead of the pack.
Thanks! And I gotta find the CD and see if it will play on my present computer.
I grew up with Myst from watching my father play it on his computer and got a taste of Spelunx back in elementary school which had macs in the computer lab. It wasn't until I got to a shelf in Spelunx with an xray device, scanned the wall, and saw a picture of Myst Island within the wall that I realized that it and Myst were from the same people. Those games were such a unique thing, even with the Myst clones and parodies that appeared a little bit after Myst's release. One of the clones I remember was called Obsidian which was fairly trippy and VERY 90s cgi (there was even a Myst joke in the game). Then Riven came out a little later and I fell in love with the crazy world of the D'ni and Riven in a time when games were still a bit arcade. It looked so real at the time with actual people in the world with cultures, history, a language, and even a complete number system! What a crazy time.
Here I am in my early 30s replaying the entire series, reading the Myst Reader, and I fully intend to follow that with a purchase of Obduction - and when the time comes revisit Myst once again when the coming remake releases. Then to see this interview in my recommendation feed this night - sometimes youtube gets it right. Thanks for this interview!
I remember Lunar Lander. The games I started playing were those word games where you tell the computer whether you want to go forward or backward. I think those games for me, helped spur imagination because there was nothing visually that could take any of that away. Myst showed me that there was more to gaming than just moving sprites on a screen, and that gave me a renewed outlook for gaming. Even though I don't play games as much as I used to, I still jump into the games that don't need a lot of time investment.
Thank you so much for this interview. What a gentleman, and insight interview! I've been a fan of MYST since highschool. Came here after finding out the MYST remake came out last year!
Myst is a diamond of its time and still to this day challenges me. I've played myst riven and Exile. All awesome games. Even found Easter eggs.
Just finished a Myst Marathon of all 5 myst games working on Obduction now and can't wait for Firmament!
*Spoilers for anyone who has yet to play Myst* Please tell me you did it without hints! I just beat Myst with a VERY tiny hint, but honestly, I wouldn't consider it a cheat. It was the number sequence in the clock tower. I thought the only thing you could do with the levers is to pull it. An hour went by and I found out on a forum that you can hold the lever... Never would have figured it out.
@@christianclark2748 My greatest head-scratchers in MYST were exactly this, which took me probably a week to figure out, and the tiny door on the Stoneship Island. I used to keep my brightness turned quite low, and I passed that spot a thousand times without noticing. I remember walking around that island for _months_ before seeing the door.
@@christianclark2748 I got stuck on that for months as a kid. One day, I happened to get one of the gears to continue moving by accident. I got so excited, but couldn't figure out what had caused it, so I remained stuck for another couple of months. Today I would definitely have looked up a hint, but that was in 1993…
If you didn't do all 6 games, you're missing out. The full URU chronicals are amazing.
@@GEES44DC I own them all
This is so interesting and Rand is a great storyteller/historian, including the details. Clearly passionate and serious about his craft, with a great vision. Wonderful to listen to.
Oh. I had no idea this was a thing. Thanks for posting this! :)
Riven still the best game ever.
Riven is a masterpiece.
I'd love to see another interview with Rand regarding Riven. I've watched some already, but there's no such thing as enough.
Agree 100%
I played the game through for the first time four years ago. It blew me away...
Ohh, I was waiting for this, Thanks!
Oh, globits!
When I was young. I didny understand how to play this but the graphics and photos was really ahead of its time In 1993 or 94 i played it on 3DO entertainment system. And that was my first ever system to own beside nintendo famicon
I desperately want more of these long form interviews
Thanks for the subtitles!.
I was too young to ever get too far in the game, but I also booted it up many many times just to play the opening bits I could get through. Good art is good art.
dang, the actor John Keston who played Gehn just died this past February 2022 due to COVID related complications at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I always wondered what happened to him after Riven and if he was still alive many years after Riven.. thought about that finally again just now and looked it up only to discover he lived to be in his 90's and it was only stupid COVID that finally took him out. Rest in peace to that epic man.
This is TOO cool. Love the series, love these brothers and love this interview. How about a follow up with the focus on Riven and following games?? I wanna hear more development stories from them!!
Thanks for uploading this. Love seeing the perspective from the creators of this great game.
Millers are the OGs of escape rooms
Timestamps:
0:00 Chapter 1 - Gaming Beginnings
2:45 Chapter 2 - Dynamic Duo
5:31 Chapter 3 - The Early Games
8:36 Chapter 4 - Paths
11:03 Chapter 5 - HyperCard
17:50 Chapter 6 - Tech Upgrades
20:40 Chapter 7 - The Myst Leap
23:47 Chapter 8 - Getting Funded
26:50 Chapter 9 - Transition to 3D
32:48 Chapter 10 - Rendering Woes
42:14 Chapter 11 - Building the World
48:57 Chapter 12 - Living Within Limits
57:42 Chapter 13 - The Problems
1:02:35 Chapter 14 - Changing Technology
1:04:47 Chapter 15 - Seeing in Color (256 Colors)
1:09:55 Chapter 16 - The Sound Problem
1:15:21 Chapter 17 - The Pressure
1:17:46 Chapter 18 - The CD Layout
1:20:42 Chapter 19 - Publishing
1:28:13 Chapter 20 - A New Kind of Game
1:38:03 Chapter 21 - The Myst Legacy
1:42:21 Chapter 22 - The Lesson
Rand really is a legend. And a funny, natural guy I could listen to all day. Myst and all its sequels is an important thing to me to this day. Something from the golden age which was good, is good and will always remain ‚magic‘
The idea that they did not realize how popular this would be is actually surprising, because it is so remarkable.
I'm a great Fan from Germany. All years. I love the games and the books. I named my daughter Tiána. I hope to see you in much more Videos
Tiana is a lovely name. If you have more daughters you could name them Catherine and Yeesha.
I have the Myst 10th anniversary masterpiece edition for the PC. 😊
I'm currently playing the first Myst game. Plan on completing the series.🤨🧐🧐🧐😐
Amazing, thanks for sharing all the small details about the beginnings of your work and the technology back then, wonderful stuff, you're legends.
The passion flows out of every fibre of his being.
Awesome. I loved the first video you did, so I'm glad there is even more.
Now that's an interview for the most part, development just spewed out to us and in an enjoyable way rather then all this highlight/small talk q&a crap we get nowdays... but that's nearly how it gets done!, this could have been made better with more screenshots/demo footage/early footage ,etc. But I ant complaining really... wow, genuinely best game development interview, I've ever seen. You seemingly earned a loyal subscriber. I am in awe with the aesthetic of myst.
Hes so obviously a geek, the way he speaks passionately, fixes his glasses and scratches random places in his face haha. I love hearing people speak so passionately about stuff.
There's a part of me that kind of wants to go back and experience the original version of the manhole. Because it sounds really cool. I know GOG sells the PC VGA version that was made for CD-ROM but I kind of want to experience the original with its simplicity.
These extended versions are awesome, could you guys release full cuts of some of the previous war stories interviews? I'd be really interested specifically in Thief: The Dark World, but all of these seem worth fully listening to if you have the time.
I had an 80 MB Quadra 700 at the time. I remember those days well.
I know that Lunar Lander game, played it myself. I think I still have it on my computer actually, in DOSBOX.
So interesting! I love that Rand got into these technical details. Thank you for this!
Playing through on the Oculus Quest now. It's crazy to think you can now able to walk through the world at 72fps with a massive graphical update on a mobile processor when a really high spec compute took potentially hours to render a single frame when the game first came out.
I am having a very nice adventure in CG as freelance landscape artist thanks to Riven. Thanks Robin and Rend, thanks Atrus!
If I had to vote for a game, Myst would be my all time favorite ! I was there, on those Islands.
Impossible for me not write here. With Rand Miller i have discovered my ideal of exploration game.And like creator of ages for URU, i will confirm this is a man with a special Mind. MYST SAGA is the perfect exemple how shall be a great game. My Greetings fto Rand an Ars Technica for this video. Shorah B'sheemtee. :D
It really sounds like they were banging two rocks together, making the most with the limited technology of the day. These dudes earned all the success they saw.
Please Ars Technica, do more interview with him like this one but aboute the sequels as there's plenty of videos about the making of Myst but very few post mortem or long format interviews like this one about Riven and the other sequels. Please please plese, make it happen! :D
This was great. Audio level could be upped a bit.
If you have long form interviews of past episodes, please post them. I'd like to hear more about the C&C pathfinding, Ultima Online's ecology, etc. Some of the technical were missing from the short version. Thanks!