Thanks to the numerous optimization techniques in Myst.
The game has achieved the ultimate in resource utilization that Gamenova's current technology can handle.
Each chapter represents a complete " Anno ".
A completely different style, a completely different puzzle design.
But without exception, they were all as magnificent, coherent, and interconnected as they were at the beginning.
Unlike the frenzy and intense passion of mainstream video games.
Unlike those games that aim to leave players with no blank moments, constantly filling them with carefully designed, exciting popcorn-like content.
The world of Myst is very quiet.
It was like reading a storybook, slow and leisurely.
Whether you intend to fully enjoy the exhilarating experience of these ingeniously designed puzzles, or simply explore this wondrous spectacle existing in a virtual world.
Hans Zimmer Studio and Lin Lixin prepared at least one background music piece for each chapter of "myst".
It's not like the highly stylized, addictive, looping, heavy-rhythm music of " Hotline Miami," nor is it like the atmospheric, environment-building music of " Biohazard."
It's more like a return to Hans Zimmer's basic principles, entirely for the purpose of creating... a certain atmosphere.
With such deliberately designed music, some players, after thoroughly enjoying an entire chapter and planning to shut down and go to sleep, didn't even realize that the game had music.
This was something Lin Lixin deliberately requested.
According to him, the music needs to be "inaudible."
It is soothing, gentle, and blends seamlessly with its environment.
These devices exist for only one purpose: to keep the player's ears occupied while playing the game.
Video games are not music, and the treatment of music always requires extra care.
The purpose of a truly excellent game soundtrack is not just for players to hear, but to feel.
Okay, that might be a bit extreme; it really depends on the specific project requirements.
However, this rule definitely applies to Myst.
Ron returned to the pier.
This wasn't the first time he'd returned here.
Trip after trip.
His thoughts were already telling him that there were probably no more useful clues here.
But he still couldn't control himself; every time he reached the intersection, he would still try to come back and stand there for a while.
Listen to the faint sound of the sea breeze and the waves that occasionally crash against the rocky shore.
There was a strange sense of peace.
He couldn't get past the grove of trees beside him, but he could occasionally hear birdsong coming from that direction.
NX's external sound card provides stereo support, which, when paired with a TV's multi-channel speakers, allows for the creation of a soundstage that, while somewhat cheap, already possesses a certain quality.
He watched the scene before him quietly.
This feeling is truly amazing.
It's a static image, yet it creates an immersive feeling.
Ron knew this very well.
Gamenova did not choose to hire highly skilled artists to create corresponding visuals for every shot in the game.
Even though they probably can afford to play that game.
Instead, images are rendered entirely from a modeled environment.
In terms of sheer magnificence, it certainly cannot compare to works where every stroke is meticulously applied by the artist.
But this sense of realism is something that other forms of expression can hardly achieve.
Myst gave him something he hadn't experienced in the world of video games for a long time.
laid back.
A complete relaxation and leisure on a spiritual level.
This isn't the kind of "relaxation" that casual games offer through gameplay and stress-relieving design; rather, it's a complex feeling that's hard to describe.
It was like an ordinary evening during my school days. The teacher was packing up his things on the podium, and the sunset outside the window painted the sky fiery red.
The weather was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, just the kind of weather where you could run around freely wearing a short-sleeved shirt and a light jacket underneath.
He absentmindedly packed his things and left school, joking and bickering with his best buddy.
No one cares if such days will suddenly end one day, nor do they need to worry about the trivialities of daily life.
That's exactly how it feels.
His heart felt empty, yet it finally gave his long-disturbed mind a moment of peace.
Ron didn't notice until he embarked on his journey to explore the island again...
The background music played continuously.
It has the lowest level of hierarchy.
With the overall volume equalization control in place, the background music volume was adjusted to a minimum.
As long as there is a demand for ambient sounds, sound effects, clues, or other sound effects, it will voluntarily give up its position and minimize its presence.
... In fact, the real "myst" didn't even have any music when it was first conceived.
The Cyan team believes that music in video games serves to remind players and enhance stimulation, among other things.
They were worried that the music would disrupt the game's immersive experience.
This idea is utterly absurd in today's context.
After all, Brother Kojima's " Death Stranding " is a prime example of using music to enhance immersion.
Without his top-notch musical taste, the overall quality of the game would drop significantly.
However, it's understandable that developers in this era would have such thoughts.
Fortunately, after extensive research, cyan changed his mind.
Without background music, the design of "myst" would feel too empty and would be difficult to create a unified emotional direction.
only...
Geeks always have such unique thought processes.
After receiving the assignment, the composer from Cyan immediately produced nearly an hour of music footage. This dealt another heavy blow to the already limited storage space.
Fortunately, Gamenova's technical capabilities are trustworthy. Their extensive accumulation of compression algorithms has allowed Gamenova's version of "Myst" to make a truly remarkable leap forward in terms of soundtrack.
Add to that Hans Zimmer, a true superstar musician who has honed his skills in Hollywood.
In terms of auditory performance, it is definitely at a level that is suitable for inclusion in textbooks.
Nevertheless, this project completely consumed the entire 700MB of data from the disc.
Apart from a small, necessary buffer, there is absolutely no redundant space.
This is already the limit that a file system can achieve.
The "realm of the gods" that follows cannot be solved by software alone.
Both optical discs and optical disc drives need to keep pace with the times and continue to develop.
But those are things we'll have to consider later.
As for now... it's time for the victory celebration.
"Thank you all for your hard work these past few days! Wuhu!"
Sam laughed heartily, shook the champagne bottle in his hand vigorously, and then let go with his thumb.
As the cork popped out of the bottle, foam and liquid sprayed out immediately.
" Sam, be careful, if you spray the board over there and get it dirty, you'll have to clean it yourself."
On the nearby "beach," Lin Lixin, wearing sunglasses, lay on a beach chair, enjoying the absolutely clear skies under California's cloudless weather.
Occasionally basking in the sun like this really gives you a feeling of recharging.
No wonder the protagonist in " Son of the Sun " gains such strong fighting power just by basking in the sun.
In a sense, humans are also a kind of Ultraseven.
Unfortunately, the Delta isn't a true island, and the earthy smell unique to rivers is still a bit annoying.
"Don't be such a spoilsport, Lin! That's a million sets! A million sets!"
Sam didn't care about any of that; he was here today to throw a party.
After all, on the PC platform alone, it sold over a million copies in less than a week, making The Myst a truly "milestone success." It even spurred the re-release of last year's Raiders of the Lost Ark 3, which boosted its box office even further.
If it's a console game, and it only sold a little over a million copies in a week, then either Gamenova has created some niche, high-quality "artwork" again.
Either Gamenova is dead.
But this is a PC platform!
Many works that are rated as "excellent" by the market actually only sell a few hundred thousand copies throughout their entire life cycle.
In less than a week, Myst utterly and decisively broke through these rules.
The momentum of new cases shows no signs of slowing down at all.
After a brief period of weakness on the second day, sales suddenly surged, quickly catching up with the first day's sales figures.
Although there was no further breakthrough on the fourth day, it surprisingly stabilized at this level.
It's important to understand that for a popular game, the sales figures in the first month account for a large portion of its total sales.
Unless you're making a super long-tail title like SimCity.
Clearly, Myst is such a game. Its target audience is not just those players who are hoping for a truly high-quality "masterpiece" in the Adventure game genre.
It also applies to "adults" who own computers but aren't particularly interested in games.
This mode, which resembles a library or a multimedia interactive video, resonates deeply with these people.
Not to mention that this time, a previously inconspicuous force has emerged among the purchasing power group.
Female gamer.
It's important to understand that this isn't one of those female-oriented works specifically designed for them; it's a legitimate work for all ages and all demographics.
Based on data samples from some of our partner stores, the proportion of female players is as high as 27%!
While this figure is far below 50%, it is still quite alarming in the field of video games.
According to current mainstream data, a video game is considered to be very popular with female players if even 10% of its players are female.
They are rarely seen in arcades, and they don't care about those leaderboards that are fiercely contested to see who has the better skills.
The super popular games "Doom" and "Quake" are so popular that most female gamers don't even bother to glance at them.
Only games like Shanghai, * the Sims *, or * Pokémon * could boast a relatively good proportion. However, Lin Lixin, as a transmigrator, knew very well that this number hadn't even reached its peak yet.
Female gamers in the 1990s will likely remain the main consumers of puzzle games for a long time, giving this genre a much-needed boost.
As it turns out, the seemingly laid-back game design of Myst perfectly caters to the tastes of this group of players.
A game that requires only quiet exploration, a "new Adventure game" that breaks with tradition.
According to the media, they categorized it as a completely new subgenre of Adventure games.
[ Myst-like Game ]