GameTap turning off Myst Online in 60 days
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Feb 4th 2008 at 6:25PM }
Sanchez went on to say that GameTap looked at a "wide variety of possibilities for maintaining the game," and in a later forum post writes the company "isn't a bunch of evil corporate types who do nothing but count pennies and wear Brooks Brothers suits." Taking a sip from the "glass is half-full" perspective: At least GameTap gave Myst Online a chance for a year.
[Thanks to all who sent this in]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Marty @ Feb 4th 2008 6:31PM
I enjoyed Uru's devious puzzles alone, but it sucks that they can't seem to keep a server going for the game. Why don't they just tidy up the host program a bit and release it to the public? I'm sure there are many people out there in the community who would be more than willing to set up a server.
Jeff @ Feb 4th 2008 7:12PM
Can someone explain what's offensive about the picture?
Maybe he doesn't get the Star Wars reference?
Jeff @ Feb 4th 2008 7:12PM
Oops. Damn you, comment system!
Uriel @ Feb 4th 2008 8:28PM
They did, called "Untìl Uru", but official support for it was stopped once GameTap took up Myst online. With luck they'll re-release the server package.
Alhon @ Feb 4th 2008 6:38PM
Seriously, you guys. That picture is one of the most offensive things I've seen on this site in YEARS.
I've worked on a podcast with the Uru community for the last two years, and I can tell you, there were thousands of people who kept this community alive, and it became the first online game to rise again from such a crushing defeat as Ubi's pullout.
Pull the picture, or lose a reader.
lawl@myst @ Feb 4th 2008 6:50PM
You should get a sense of humor. They're not knocking the community with the picture.
With that said, I think Joystiq will do just fine with one less reader. GTFO.
Alhon @ Feb 4th 2008 6:55PM
Ask yourself, "How would I feel if I invested two years of my life, and countless hours of airtime to WoW", just to have it pulled out from underneath you? This was a massive investment for me, and occupies a large place in my resume.
Obviously, you can't appreciate that.
Justin B @ Feb 4th 2008 7:04PM
Uh, WHAT? LOL!?
I am seriously confused. Are you seeing a picture of babies being ripped from their mother's wombs and impaled by Uru community members or something?
Because that's not what the picture is. Good riddance though, the posts of a paranoid schizophrenic are disturbing...
fred @ Feb 4th 2008 7:12PM
tl;dr
Marty @ Feb 4th 2008 7:22PM
Alhon, you have to understand that every game gets taken offline at some point (at least, every game that relies on a server program run by the game's proprietor).
Sure, Uru has got a lively community, and sure, it ain't gonna last as long as WoW... but they WILL turn off those WoW servers someday, and I think that when they do, you should count yourself lucky that you only invested two years of work into Uru, and not the 10+ many will have put into WoW.
Tiptup300 @ Feb 4th 2008 7:46PM
With wows popularity, I bet they will just release massive updates that give the game a makeover, but you can continue on.
Mike918 @ Feb 4th 2008 8:47PM
When you feel that bad for a Videogame... you should really stop playing and start to think what is going on in your life :P
Poisoned Al @ Feb 4th 2008 9:14PM
"How would I feel if I invested two years of my life, and countless hours of airtime to WoW"
That I wasted two years of my life and that I should stop wasting the world's resources and kill myself.
xGeneral DEATHx @ Feb 5th 2008 8:22AM
Seriously, get a sense of humor. Your "resume'"? Give me a break. Get a life.
fwacce @ Feb 4th 2008 6:49PM
Another example of how GameTap is turning towards the dark side of corporate business. I used to love GameTap and really enjoyed their game lineup at a great price. However, after pulling many games recently, including the entire Ultima series, it seems they really are just penny pinchers. Why not offer a higher priced alternate plan for members who want to play these games rather than just making the decision for us as to whether we should be allowed to play these games at all on GameTap.
LaughingTarget @ Feb 4th 2008 7:10PM
Aww, poor user, doesn't get to have subsidized services. Sorry, other gamers out there don't subscribe to GameTap so you can take a larger chunk of the resources to keep a game afloat that gets no users.
Hunting_phoenix @ Feb 4th 2008 7:54PM
I agree lately. Gametap has been going downhill. I recently sent in an email to support because Sam & Max Moai Better Blues won't work.
I got a one line email response saying "Download the game again." when my message clearly said I had already tried that.
The lost of games is upsetting. I have sold games since I know they're available on gametap, and now they are discontinuing games whenever they feel like it, it seems. The chances that I'll re-up when the time comes this year seems less and less. Maybe I'll take part of that money and buy some stuff on Steam.
fco. @ Feb 4th 2008 8:33PM
Sad news. For a second time now, I won't get to play Uru Live.
Jon @ Feb 4th 2008 9:31PM
Wait, why is this picutre offensive? Seriously, I'm not seein' it. Is there something blurred out that I should see?
Andrew Timson @ Feb 4th 2008 10:07PM
The person who thought it offensive took objection to the claim of only ten people caring that Uru was disappearing.
Apparently, he's not familiar with the concepts of hyperbole and understatement.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Mar 13th 2008 3:22AM
its 10 myst uru players su$%in off A MASSIVE @#%k, while some dwarf dressed as Smack em squirts white hot &&& O(*UU !!!!! their mothers &((*&%%)(()( and Faces!! Relax man nobody was attacking your precious game that soOOO amazing no one is playing for the second time!
DarkTetsuya @ Feb 4th 2008 9:27PM
Meh. But I swear to god, if they pull the plug on The Manhole... I'll be uninstalling GameTap never to be heard from again.
gdwarf @ Feb 4th 2008 10:24PM
I'll be sad to see it go.
I love the Myst series of games, but it seems that buyers market simply have no room for Cyan Worlds, and have abandoned the company.
Well, maybe that isn't true, a year ago Uru Live was the most-played game on Gametap, I can only assume that the number of users has plummeted since then.
While this isn't as sad a day as the time shortly after the release of Myst V (when Ubisoft pulled all support from Cyan Worlds, forcing them to lay off almost all of their staff.) it is still exceedingly depressing.
My condolences to any members of the community who see this, and my encouragement to any Cyan World's staff members who might happen to see this, hang in there, with luck the night will pass.
Nameless @ Feb 4th 2008 11:09PM
I've been playing Uru since the test shard they sit up to convince Ted Turner to pay money for Uru Live to come back. I'm really sad to see it go this way all over again.