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JustAdventure has posted a lengthy interview with Dan Irish, Mattel's producer for everything Myst-related. In the Q&A he discusses the upcoming release of Myst III: Exile, including topics such as the use of Macintosh systems in the game's production, Cyan's passing of the development torch to Presto, and this interesting clip about navigation in the game:

The word is that Presto has developed its own proprietary engine to give the game Riven-style scenery with a greater freedom of movement. How will the navigation differ from previous games?

We've stayed consistent with Myst and Riven regarding the use of fade transitions. Animated transitions were implemented in Journeyman 3, but Presto noticed that players had a slightly negative reaction because the speed in which the animations were played determined how fast or slow they could move in the game. With Myst and Riven, the players determined their own speed by clicking faster or slower through several locations. We wanted to keep this method of navigation and let the players decide their own pace. Worlds in the game are prerendered, ensuring the highest quality graphics possible. But to immerse players more deeply into the experience, we're using real-time 3D technology to display those graphics. With the added feature of being able to look around a node in full, 360-degree pans, even with animations and movies playing in the background, the navigational freedom of Exile is unmatched.

JustAdventure Interview with Dan Irish

Myst III: Exile Web Site

Presto Studios (add to watch list)

Ubisoft (add to watch list)

Myst III: Exile (add to watch list)

Buy Myst III: Exile

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