[Fez]

http://psp.ign.com/articles/670/670041p1.html

November 22, 2005 - Sega will be bringing one of adventure gaming's classic titles to the PSP, the latest issue of Famitsu reveals. Myst is currently in development for the portable format at Hoplite Research and will be published by Sega in Japan in March of next year.


Details on the PSP version are scarce at this point, but it seems that Sega and Hoplite are planning some bonus content in the form of new adventure scenarios. The game's visuals will also be updated for the PSP's wide screen format.
While a US version has yet to be announced, given the recognition the Myst name still holds, we're certain you can expect the title to appear in some form down the road.

---It is also important to mention that although a North American version is not yet announced, the PSP is one of the only systems which is region free---meaning import games will work without system modification.

Good stuff!

[reno6]

...You'd think Myst would work better on the DS. Seriously. Sure, you can get more graphics into the PSP screen, and Myst is gorgeous, but the touch screen is practically BEGGING to be used with adventure games.

Then again, on second thought, Portable Myst sounds like a bad idea to begin with. There would be no sense of immersion, and unless I'm going on a long road trip, I can't imagine it being accessible to short-span play. Myst requires more dedication than most adventures. Personally, I have to be in a very certain mindset to play, with no distractions or outside interference to break the suspension of disbelief, and a notebook at my side. It's just not a winning formula that would lend itself to on-the-go play.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Good point, reno. Though I am excited to see more interest in adventure games on consoles and portables, Myst seems a bit risky precisely because it may not lend itself to being away from home (though it's perfect for a laptop - imagine relaxing into it for a couple hours in your hotel room if there's nothing else to do).

For portables I was thinking more of games like Broken Sword 3, 80 Days, and even Missing (In Memoriam) for portables with wi-fi.

[AFGNCAAP]

Originally Posted by reno6

...You'd think Myst would work better on the DS. Seriously. Sure, you can get more graphics into the PSP screen, and Myst is gorgeous, but the touch screen is practically BEGGING to be used with adventure games.

True. Especially since Cyan introduced the "hand cursor" interface with moves imitating switching, dragging, knocking etc. in Revelation. It'd be great to implement it, capitalizing on stylus, in Myst DS. Choosing the PSP for its platform does seem odd.

Then again, on second thought, Portable Myst sounds like a bad idea to begin with. There would be no sense of immersion, and unless I'm going on a long road trip, I can't imagine it being accessible to short-span play. Myst requires more dedication than most adventures. Personally, I have to be in a very certain mindset to play, with no distractions or outside interference to break the suspension of disbelief, and a notebook at my side. It's just not a winning formula that would lend itself to on-the-go play.

Those are some good points as well. I believe the puzzles in a portable adventure should be easier and/or more self contained to provide adequate entertainment. Backtracking and searching for cross-referencing clues to find a solution may translate not too well to handhelds. And assuming you are playing "on the go", odds are you don't have a walkthrough anywhere handy either.

[SirDave]

Speaking of portable/pocket adventure games: Myst is already available for PocketPcs using the touchscreen. Also, available is Beyond Atlantis aka Atlantis II (in the form of Atlantis Redux), The Egyptian Prophecy, and Return to Mysterious Island will be out on Dec. 5. Riven is in the works. Plus, of course, all the ScummVM compatible games have been available for PocketPCs (PocketScumm) for several years.

[squarejawhero]

Yay, SirDave! Educate them more, you've got a ton of knowledge on this subject. This post is far too short and it's been too long since I read something by you, matey.

[Fez]

Originally Posted by SirDave

Speaking of portable/pocket adventure games: Myst is already available for PocketPcs using the touchscreen. Also, available is Beyond Atlantis aka Atlantis II (in the form of Atlantis Redux), The Egyptian Prophecy, and Return to Mysterious Island will be out on Dec. 5. Riven is in the works. Plus, of course, all the ScummVM compatible games have been available for PocketPCs (PocketScumm) for several years.

Also of note, SCUMMVM is also available on the PSP. Sam and Max look better than ever on that LCD

I'm also skeptical of the merit of Myst in a portable, but let's see if they can pull it off.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by SirDave

Speaking of portable/pocket adventure games: Myst is already available for PocketPcs using the touchscreen.

I was tempted to get it to see how well-implemented it was. Then I remembered that I don't particularly like Myst, and that my $15 could be far better spend .

[stuboy]

Surely just about everyone who wants to play Myst has already done so on the ten million other formats it's appeared on? Why not make a new game?

[Karmillo]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

(though it's perfect for a laptop - imagine relaxing into it for a couple hours in your hotel room if there's nothing else to do).

It probably would be, but according to the back of the box (on III and IV atleast) its says laptops arn't supported...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Too bad. It could have sold a huge amount if marketed to business travellers.

[DustCropper]

Originally Posted by Karmillo

It probably would be, but according to the back of the box (on III and IV atleast) its says laptops arn't supported...

Hmm? They work great on my laptop.

[fov]

Originally Posted by stuboy

Surely just about everyone who wants to play Myst has already done so on the ten million other formats it's appeared on? Why not make a new game?

That's exactly what I was thinking.

I understand, financially, why it would make more sense for them to convert a game that's already very popular and has huge brand recognition, rather than taking the risk of creating a new game. But do we really need another version of Myst?

[Sage]

Originally Posted by DustCropper

Hmm? They work great on my laptop.

Mine as well.

[simpson_yellow]

Originally Posted by squarejawhero

Yay, SirDave! Educate them more.

By which you surely mean 'educate us more'...

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Karmillo

It probably would be, but according to the back of the box (on III and IV atleast) its says laptops arn't supported...

That's simply them avoiding any responsibility for providing support. If you have the required system specs there's no reason why a laptop can't run the games just fine.

Originally Posted by fov

I understand, financially, why it would make more sense for them to convert a game that's already very popular and has huge brand recognition, rather than taking the risk of creating a new game. But do we really need another version of Myst?

While the continued success of the Myst franchise never ceases to astound me, I suspect that you're not really the target audience for this product. They're trying to appeal to those who haven't played Myst in a long time, or that have never played it, and providing it in a new format will allow them to target a different group of gamers. Couple that with the low development costs of converting the software (wasn't a lot of it Quicktime based anyway?) and the publishers have obviously decided that it's worth knocking out.

[SirDave]

Originally Posted by squarejawhero

Yay, SirDave! Educate them more, you've got a ton of knowledge on this subject. This post is far too short and it's been too long since I read something by you, matey.

Hi SJH- How are ya?

Well, I guess it's time for a little recap: You can play all the ScummVM games on PocketPCs- you can check out my Manual if you want to find out how to do it:
http://www.pocketmatrix.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8606

Here are where the ScummVM downloads are for the PPC:
http://scummvm.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

Tetraedge has been porting the Kheops games to the PocketPC for the last year:
http://www.tetraedge.com/games.htm

Here's Atlantis Redux available at Handango:
http://www.handango.com/PlatformProd...42743&R=142743

MeanHamster software has ported Myst to the PPC & Riven is due in the next few months:
http://www.meanhamstersoftware.com/prod_pocketpc.html

Here's a picture of Myst (best I could do ) on my Hp 2215

[RLacey]

I'd probably think about getting PPC Myst if I had actually enjoyed the PC game. Tell me, SirDave, does it have all the same sound effects as the PC version? And how does it handle the videos?

[fov]

Originally Posted by RLacey

While the continued success of the Myst franchise never ceases to astound me, I suspect that you're not really the target audience for this product.

I'm sure I'm not... I just wouldn't think the average PSP owner would be, either.

I'm just making an assumption that PSP (and DS) owners are very up on technology and gaming, which would mean they would have had many opportunities by now to play Myst. But maybe not. Or maybe the average PSP owner was not born yet when Myst came out...

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by fov

I'm sure I'm not... I just wouldn't think the average PSP owner would be, either.

I'm just making an assumption that PSP (and DS) owners are very up on technology and gaming, which would mean they would have had many opportunities by now to play Myst. But maybe not. Or maybe the average PSP owner was not born yet when Myst came out...

Still, let's look at the facts. It is being [initially] developed for the Japanese market. Some research must have been done to merit consideration for this particular game over there. Japanese gaming culture is quite different from American and European gaming cultures. You have tons of grown salarymen with portables in their briefcases, and housewives playing pachinko next to schoolkids. Gaming there is taken severely differently from here.

What does the porting of Myst to the PSP say about many Japanese gamers who like portability? Why the slow paced, non-action oriented Myst and not, say, Beyond Good & Evil which would seem better suited thematically and stylistically to the PSP? Does this mean there's a large adventure game market in Japan that we don't know about, and that the demographic is more receptive to slower paced, cerebrally challenging games on portables?