Myst Online goes open source

Myst developer Cyan Worlds is making all the code and assets of its twice-cancelled puzzle MMO, Myst Online: Uru Live, available to the public as an open source project.

After it was dropped by GameTap earlier this year, Cyan started an attempt to resuscitate the game itself called MORE - the Myst Online Restoration Experiment.

But the company, as revealed on the official site, has had to conclude that the project was a luxury it couldn't afford. Having done so, it's decided to leave the game's fate in the hands of fans by making it entirely open source.

It's releasing all code for the game, including tools and server architecture. Although this means that anyone can now set up their own Myst Online server, it's also promising to maintain one data server for the game, to give the community a single focal point.

"This is a bit scary for Cyan because this is an area that we have never gone before, to let a product freely roam in the wild," said Cyan chief Tony Fryman.

"But we've poured so much into UruLive, and it has touched so many, that we could not just let it wither and die. We still have hopes that someday we will be able to provide new content for UruLive and/or work on the next UruLive."

It's a bold experiment and no mistake. The game's small but dedicated fan community has responded enthusiastically, opening up a forum for continuing development. We wish them luck.