[paul1275]

Just today received an email from Cyan worlds regarding the beta testing for Uru Live. Rather bizarrely, they say...

"Please note that GameTap is not currently available for residents outside the United States, but that both Cyan and GameTap are working together to make sure that Myst Online: Uru Live will be available internationally, including during this Beta Phase."

But request that non US residents sign a petition to request that Uru Live is available internationally via game tap. Is Cyan not telling us something?

To show your support you can visit…

http://www.petitiononline.com/UruLive/petition.html

[fov]

I don't think there's any question that it will be available internationally. I think the petition is meant to show GameTap that there is strong support for URU Live internationally (which could potentially convince GameTap to roll out the full service, in addition to URU Live, in those countries).

[Christian IV]

Yes, fov is completely correct. Cyan has been adamant that URU Live will be available internationally, if not at first thru subscription to all of the 600 plus games available on GameTap, then through a download. There will also be a free "visiting guests" area of URU Live for anyone to check out, it will not have most of the content but people will be able to see what it is like and all about. GameTap is working hard to support and promote URU Live and they are very definitely behind this great effort. The petition is a way to track and have a clear picture of the support, because the steps that GameTap may take involve some big changes to a large system, and they really are very suppotive, so the petition will help in that. The e mail went to all people who signed up for the beta test of URU Live which began over a week ago, and has progressed trhough two stages of selectoin, it will continue until there are a LOT of people beta testing to stress test the system to the fullest extent according to all that Cyan has said in meetings and in the forum posts from the Cyan sites. Some of the top execs of GameTap and Turner have come into the cavern, the active and vistable area of the city in URU Live "in virtual person" (as avatars) to talk with the community of URU players, and also the Cyan execs have been equally open and stayed in close touch with everyone, so it is quite a remarkable synergy and show of support for a remarkable game rebirth. GameTap has appointed several leading staff to be totally focused on the URU release and community relations and they work closely with the liaisons who were selected by the community through the DRC to help coordinate these "Town Hall " meetings which are open to all who have the URU Live set up and who wish to attend, within limits of how many people can attend at one time, due to server limits of stability. There were 96 people at one meeting that Rand Miller was the guest at, and there have been over 100 at other events. The new server and set up of the redesigned URU Live due to launch at the end of the year will have an entirely new physics engine and should be able evidently to carry many more people in a stable way than in the past.

[Terramax]

In other words, Uru can be made online out of the US with the help of Gametap or not, but it would be much easier for both Cyan AND non-US players if Uru DID use Gametap?

[DoctorDevice]

In other words, Uru can be made online out of the US with the help of Gametap or not, but it would be much easier for both Cyan AND non-US players if Uru DID use Gametap?

That sounds about right.

And yeah, as has been said, there's really no question that Uru will be available to everyone, internationally.

[Christian IV]

The way they say it will work is that if yoiur country or area does not have GameTap yet, they will arrange for a download, and once GameTap is set up in your region, then it will be available exclusivley through GameTap, that is for the entire URU Live experience. As I said, there will be a small area that is free for visitors to experience it.

[Arma]

I really can't wait to try it!

[Christian IV]

Perhaps one of the most intriguing and appealing aspectts of URU and the Myst series, is that Cyan and the creators appear to reach beyond the veil, past the frontier of what has been done, somewhat similar to some other brilliant and leading game designers, and creators, and so there is a sense of something vast and unknown and mysterious that promises a lot of fun and some real surprises and joy.