Guild of Writers

After several months of negotiation, Spokane-based Cyan Worlds regained the rights to its complex immersive game, Myst Online.

Company President Rand Miller said the deal was arranged with GameTap, the Turner Entertainment subsidiary which published Myst Online for about a year. The company shut down Myst Online in April 2008, saying the closure was due to business reasons.

Ardent fans of Myst and Myst Online have been vocal about having a hand in resurrecting the game and adding more content to the project. Up to now, Cyan Worlds has resisted approving that option, pending the regaining of the publishing rights from GameTap.

Miller said the new plan is for the game's fans to have that freedom to create new environments and new content.

He added it's uncertain if the revival will lead to a longterm commitment by Cyan to continue developing the game. The regaining of the rights is a step in that direction, but Miller said it's unclear where the experiment in shared, user-created content will lead...