For many coming up in the 1990s, the video game Myst was something of a revelation. The computer game was a huge step beyond what other contemporary games were: it had stunning graphics, a mysterious and creepy atmosphere, chin-scratching puzzles and a loose, somewhat-haunting story that you had to really spend time on to figure out. It was was a huge step forward for the evolving video game industry and influenced many gamers and game developers.
It’s a bit surprising that Myst never became a series of movies, books, shows or comics but perhaps that is about to change. It’s being reported that Village Roadshow Entertainment Group just acquired the rights to Myst and plan to turn it into a “multi-platform universe including film, scripted and unscripted television content.” Seems like they’re setting their sights high.
For those who don’t know, Myst dropped the player in the middle of an abandoned, mystical island full of confusing puzzles, beautiful scenery and an overwhelming sense of peculiar. The game’s story was hardly touched upon unless you went looking for it but it involved a bunch of books that could transport people to other worlds. The first Myst was a huge success back in the early 90s and lead the way to a few sequels. The franchise has been dormant for awhile but you can bet this new deal with Village Roadshow may spark things back up.
Village Roadshow obviously has an ambitious plan for Myst. They’re aiming for movies and TV, both scripted and unscripted. I’m not sure how an unscripted Myst show would work but, hey, I’m down for anything. The video game was a thinking person’s game and my hope is that whatever movies and shows spring from this deal are also brainy and deep. If Village Roadshow manages to captures the mood of the game, we are all in for a treat. A confusing, sometimes frustrating treat but a treat nonetheless.