[Eleri]

You guys will hear it eventually, might as well hear it from the Lurking Myst Missionary.

Today (Friday) Cyan Worlds laid off all staff, including people who had been there since the garage, in order to keep the company on life support until the pre-production debt of Myst V can be paid, and backing can be found for their new projects.

A FAQ with what little we know can be found HERE

Myst V is still on track for release mid-september, but the fate of the mysterious & supposedly innovative 'Latus' project hangs in limbo.

I'm sure some here will greet this news with joy and celebration. But I say when one of the pioneers, the best and the brightest of the non-violent gaming world has to pack it in because blood and guts is what sells, we are all diminished.

[fov]

That's awful.

I'm sure that even people who don't like the Myst games will realize that this is a terrible thing.

[LauraMac]

I hope that people don't celebrate. The loss of any major developer is a loss for gaming.

And Cyan's impact, is undeniable. That 100's built on their model producing an overabundance of Myst clones - is their choice and a credit to the success for so long of Cyan. That Cyan was persistant in building the games they wanted, that they believed in and never budged from doing it their way is enough cause for respect - regardless of your preferences.

In an industry that rarely compensates according to creativity, I toast the dreamers that were Cyan.

[Jake]

Bah, Doug sent me this link earlier: http://www.cyan.com/img/medium/cam_goodbye.jpg

[Eleri]

That's RAWA and Grey Dragon And someone had to be half way up a tree in the parkinglot to get that angle, lol!

[Lucien21]

Here's a very good article that might explain why Cyan has laid off all their staff.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/8/3

[Eleri]

Exactly, and amen. There's almost no room for dreamers and creativity in the market anymore. And I don't think that'll change until the consumers stage a revolution. But how can we stage one of those, when we've got so little to point at as the alternatives?

[tabacco]

I just can't over how ridiculously nice their office was.

Anyway... my feelings on the Myst games are very conflicted. I actually read Rand Miller's Myst books, and the game has an awesome backstory that just never seemed to manifest itself in the games. At least, not well enough for my taste. *sigh*

Sucks to see Cyan go, though. Even if their games weren't my favorite, they were a good developer.

[squarejawhero]

Fantastic office. I've wanted to visit it for years, but it's a bit difficult when you're on the other side of the world.

This is a sad day for the games industry. However, they are doing the right thing. I was in a production company that kept their doors open beyond their means and ended up closing for good, with no chance of reopening. Cyan sound like they've had to tragically cut their losses. I'd assume that they're now going to work on Latus using freelance help when needed and start pitching around...

Think of it this way -

Cyan aren't dead, they're only sleeping.

[Lucien21]

Originally Posted by squarejawhero

Cyan aren't dead, they're only sleeping.

That's what they said about Old Yeller



Edge magazine in the UK has a interview with Rand Miller about the Myst series and their future projects.

* Latus - which he describes as a whole new kind of interactive entertainment that mixes linear storytelling and interactive 3D in a way that has never been done before

* An Action/Adventure game with a Cyan twist.

I thnik when people look back you will find it was probably URU live that was the companies downfall.

[insane_cobra]

Sad sad sad

I don't care about Cyan games at all, but it's definitely not a good thing for anyone.

Still, I don't agree there's no room for dreamers and creativity in the industry anymore. There are ways, but for the most part it's true that one either has to adapt to their rules or wither away.

[MDMaster]

Well, I guess it was to be expected, it's a bit insane hoping that Myst V will give Cyan the funds to keep on but I guess there's not much else to hope for right now.

[MaryScots]

Originally Posted by LauraMac

The loss of any major developer is a loss for gaming.

And we have lost too many already (i.e. Detalion, MicroĂŻds). Although, I am not really a fan of Myst myself I am really sad to read this.

[Martin Gantefoehr]

Welcome in the realm of two-man operations, Cyan...

Although not totally surprising, this is a tragic and daunting event for everyone involved in development and gaming.

[squarejawhero]

Gaming development is getting very similar to animation. It's probably a better model to adopt than the bloated film industry ideal everyone's working to. Small core team within the company and freelancers is the way to go, I think.

[Martin Gantefoehr]

Small core team within the company and freelancers is the way to go, I think.

It is the only way to go for independents, anyway, who don't get (or don't want to get) bought out by one of the, uh, one major publishers.

It's clear that more and more small or mid-sized developers get atomized down to two-man operations, while EA employs anonymous development factories with hundreds of staff.

[ART_Adventures]

Originally Posted by Martin Gantefoehr

It is the only way to go for independents, anyway, who don't get (or don't want to get) bought out by one of the, uh, one major publishers.

It's clear that more and more small or mid-sized developers get atomized down to two-man operations, while EA employs anonymous development factories with hundreds of staff.

I'm a lone developer making a game, but quite like it that way. Indeed, large publishers can afford to recruit lots of people. Though, how many members does HOT have now?

[Martin Gantefoehr]

We've been two people ever since we started.

We have one sales agent to support us with contracts and negotiations when a project is finished. That's it.

[ART_Adventures]

Originally Posted by Martin Gantefoehr

We've been two people ever since we started.

We have one sales agent to support us with contracts and negotiations when a project is finished. That's it.

Oh, I never realised that. I always thought HOT was a large team (well, a group of around 5-7) programmers and artists that got together online somewhere, somehow.

Hmmmmm, I see. Learn something new everyday

[Steve Ince]

It's a shame that we're being forced into this. Being part of a good sized team can be very stimulating when it comes to developing ideas and brainstorming.