Gaming News - January 2003

San Francisco, CA (January 8, 2003) - Ubi Soft Entertainment and Cyan Worlds, Inc., developers of Myst and Riven, today announced their upcoming online adventure Uru: Online Ages Beyond MYST.

"Uru is an ancient word, the earliest word for city. It is rooted in the idea of a gathering of people, which is precisely what Uru will foster," said Rand Miller, founder of Cyan Worlds. "We've been working for almost five years developing the cutting edge technology, detailed design and breathtaking graphics that allow us to build real-time online worlds that go beyond Myst. Imagine being able to explore lush landscapes, ancient deserted cities, mysterious forests, curious swamps -- and that's only the beginning. We're trying to provide an environment that's so engrossing, people will talk about it and share their experience. With Uru the journey is experienced together within the game, with friends, family, even strangers uncovering fantastic places together."

From Ubi Soft:

Players will have the opportunity to explore and interact with meticulously crafted environments in, around, and beyond the newly discovered underground D'ni empire that predates human civilization. Explorers wishing to help test the game during its beta phase are invited to apply today by visiting uru.ubi.com.

Uru will take advantage of broadband to deliver a continually updated, immersive environment and storyline, with content that grows, changes and evolves constantly. It will also be the first persistent world to support real-time voice communication. Uru is designed to appeal to a broad audience and enable players of all skill levels and interests to experience expansive ages of the Myst universe in a uniquely social environment. Playing their own avatars, hundreds of thousands of players will meet new people, all realistic impersonations of themselves, play games, solve mysteries and embark on a voyage of discovery with friends. Players will be able to customize their level of interaction with other players, choosing to play alone, with small groups of friends or in areas where they can meet new people.

With 12 million units sold worldwide, Myst is one of the most widely recognized and critically acclaimed game brands in history. "Uru represents an incredible evolution in the Myst product line and in online entertainment," said Jason Rubinstein, General Manager of ubi.com. "Fans of the Myst series, online socializers, mystery buffs, Internet chatters, multiplayer online gamers and non-gamers alike will be amazed by Uru. It will definitely raise the bar for an immersive online experience, and we expect it to attract new customers to online gaming and perhaps change the face of mainstream entertainment."

PC users will be able to enjoy Uru, which will be made available through ubi.com, one of the top ten gaming portals. The final version of the game is scheduled to launch in late 2003 with a closed beta test commencing in January 2003. For more information about Uru: Online Ages Beyond MYST, or to apply to be a beta tester, visit uru.ubi.com.

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