In 1993, Cyan Worlds released the CD-Rom game Myst, which greatly expanded the CD-Rom gaming market. The brothers behind Cyan, Rand and Robyn Miller, have been in talks with Legendary Pictures to make their massively successful video game franchise into a television series.
Cyan Worlds has made a statement saying that not only are they working with Legendary "to create a compelling TV drama" but to "include a companion video game that extends the story across both media". They also went on to say that "seventy percent 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."
Myst's official tagline upon its early nineties release was "a surrealistic adventure that will become your world". The concept was a game from a first-person perspective in which the player has to figure out why they are on a mysterious island filled with magical books that can transport them to other worlds. The puzzle-solving game had a style that was beautiful and mysterious, and it was mostly done through still images rather than 3-D graphics. The game and its sequels of Riven (1997), Myst III: Exile (2001), Myst IV: Revelation (2004), and Myst V: End of Ages (2005). There was also a multiplayer game known as Uru with two expansion packs, and the Myst franchise has sold more than 15 million copies.
The story of Myst is one that inspired three books based on it, as well as a comic book series. Talks have been going for years about bringing Myst into video or movie form, but nothing has emerged until now. Legendary Pictures has worked with Warner Brothers to produce many films, mostly based on comic book source materials such as 300, the Christopher Nolan Batman Series, Watchmen, Superman Returns, and The Man of Steel, as well as other hits like Inception and Pacific Rim. The company is also producing other works based on video games, such as the popular Dead Rising, Mass Effect, and the very popular World of Warcraft.
It hasn't been revealed whether Legendary intends to release this Myst series on a major network or completely online. The idea of a television show based on a mysterious island was mildly successful with ABC's Lost, which had a storyline that drew people in immensely. A Myst TV series could have the same effect, and made even more great with the integration of a second screen like a laptop or tablet.
Cyan Worlds is also still creating games. Last year, they raised $1.3 million on Kickstarter for a "spiritual successor" to Myst known as Obduction.
