Myst for iPhone launches: 727MB classic

[Bon-Z]

Does the world really need another port of Myst? Maybe not, but get ready to play it on the iPhone sometime soon.




The current focus is to get the servers back online and subscribers back in the game (in other words, launched!) before the end of the year. As things get done, we will have a more accurate date. Right now it is a very small development team that is working on MORE. There are two of us ( Randy (not Rand) and myself) and a handful of other people lending a hand when they can.

A number of things are done, such as getting the build and internal testing machine running again, upgrading Oracle to 11g and a whole bunch a little details like removing the GameTap logo movie.

Creating the account system including the web interface is in process. This will allow users to create and access their MORE accounts. And the MORE server is being modified to do its user authentication against this new billing system. A way to do subscription gifting is also being implemented.

Payments. As part of the account billing system we have to interface to some online payment system. It is looking like the Paypal "Buy now" button is the most likely candidate. The "Buy now" button allows you to either pay with a paypal account or a credit card (no paypal account needed).

ResEngs. The ResEngs are an important part of the online experience and they performed a lot of different duties. Since ResEngs will be limited (in number) some of those duties may need to be spread out. A complete solution has not been determined yet but will obviously have to be before launch.

Also, along the same lines, we need to find a better way for people to report bugs and for others to be able to view and search them. This way solutions can be shared and hopefully, cut down on duplicates reported. The previous ticketing system was a good one way system (to get problems reported) but not good for public displaying. And having a bug database online seems a little too geeky for the general public.

[Bon-Z]

Cyan — the developer behind the puzzle-based series — has covertly announced on its forums that a small team is working on bringing the game over to the touch-friendly device. How small? Three members strong.

The announcement — which came courtesy of one of those members — also mentions that the project is "outside funded," and that it’s "keeping a few developers employed."

I’m all for people keeping their jobs, and who knows, we may end up with an interesting new take on a classic. Let’s just hope they do a better job than the disappointing Nintendo DS port.

The game is now available to download [iTunes link], but just as the original was a spec-intensive title for the PC, the iPhone version demands a lot too: a 727MB download and 1.5GB free during installation.

Download Link