A second life for Uru Live

by Alan Rose { May 18th 2006 at 8:15PM }

Myst fans who weren't stymied by installation problems and frequent crashes in the Uru spin-off games were left lamenting the cancellation of Uru Live back in early 2004. The opportunity to build virtual neighborhoods and engage in multiplayer exploration of the Miller brothers' wondrous ages was taken away when Ubisoft decided there were not enough projected subscribers to support an online service.

Enter GameTap. Last week at E3, Ted Turner's on-demand gaming service announced they will team with developer Cyan Worlds to give Uru a proper online home this holiday season. The decision was due in no small part to the active Uru Live community that nurtured the franchise after the plug was pulled two years ago. Read more about these fan-created services in the CNET article, and for more information on the game itself, visit Uru Live where you can sign up for the beta.

Now, maybe Ted can do something about Duke Nukem Forever.

[Thanks to Daniel at CNET]

Tags: ages of myst, cyan worlds, e3, gametap, myst, path of the shell, to d'ni, ubisoft, uru, uru live

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DidYouLoseASock @ May 18th 2006 8:34PM

I thought Infinium Labs is going to try and get Duke Nukem Forever as a Phantom exclusive.

darko82 @ May 18th 2006 8:40PM

Ummm, and pigs are going to fly tomorrow. Have you been living in a cave, DidYouSee?

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/18/infinium-founder-charged-with-using-impending-phantom-launch-t/

Phantom = vaporware

warlord @ May 18th 2006 8:48PM

Screw Duke Nukem! This is awesome news for a game that deserves a second chance. Kudos to GameTap and Cyan for bringing back Uru!

DidYouLoseASock @ May 18th 2006 9:24PM

It was sarcasm, because Duke Nukem Forever = vaporware. Now add Duke Nukem Forever and Phantom together and see what you get.

Ibere @ May 18th 2006 10:32PM

I'm happy to see that GameTap is turning in a house for "renegade" games. Very smart of them... it's a shame I don't live in US, it's a very interesting service.

WedgeTalon @ May 18th 2006 10:38PM

As I pointed out in my tipoff I sent to you guys about this during e3, there's a chance, according to some Uru forums, that it won't be required to have GameTap. Sorry, I don't still have the link; if Joystiq checks their old tips, they will find it though.

Serious Kriss @ May 19th 2006 12:54AM

Why oh why is Gametap only available in the US? I'm pretty sure they'd be very successful in Europe where the PC gaming market is in very good shape. Some kind of legal restrictions?

vid @ May 19th 2006 2:06AM

If you check the Uru Live FAQ at www.urulive.com they make it clear that everyone will be able to play, regardless of where in the world you are. So you'll almost certainly still be able to access Uru Live even without GameTap.

WedgeTalon @ May 19th 2006 10:01AM

Serious Kriss - It's because of the complex issue of licensing. GT has to aquire the right to distribute those games in other countries before they can, well, distribute those games in other countries. I've heard rumour around the office that they are looking at expanding past the US (probably first to Canada).

calthaer @ May 19th 2006 10:18AM

Someone I work with beta-tested Gametap, and I have looked at it now and again. Although I loathe subscription fees, I'm sort of impressed by what they've done so far. Lots of classic arcade games, legal emulation of classic console games, and they're picking some of the best modern PC games to be part of their roster: Beyond Good & Evil, Heroes of Might & Magic III, Quest for Glory...

If they add more classic DOS games like Syndicate, X-Com, and the Ultima series, it'll become very tempting. What would make it more tempting is if the arcade games could be played multiplayer with other Gametap subscribers.

SID SPACE @ May 19th 2006 5:54PM

This is awesome news. I just played through the main game and most of the Uru Live expansions. (I know, I don't play computer games very much) But, it would be great if they revived the Live service.

The locales currently on Live are cool, but they seem so empty with no one else in there. It's creepy.