Myst 25th

I mentionned the Myst demake recently. But it hits me that Myst will turn 30 in September. 5 years ago, Fast Company celebrated Myst at 25: How it changed gaming, created addicts, and made enemies:

Even 25 years later, the emergence of Myst still represents a watershed moment in the development of computer video games. […] Like most classic works, Myst has proven commercially timeless.

The article also find detractors. But remember the best selling status of Myst was only overthrown by The Sims which was released in 2000.

If we wanted to correlate, one could say that “casual gaming” seems to be at the top of the sales. Video games that don’t require a high personal investment to play, but can be played over a longer period. Myst might have required a cutting edge computer on release (ie a colour Macintosh with a CD-ROM) which was pricey, but you could play it for a bit, interrupt and get back to. No lives, no score, no time limit, no dying¹. Just a plot to resolve, at your own pace, while discovering a gorgeous universe.