Rand Miller
{{short description|American businessman}}
{{Infobox person
|name=Rand Miller
|image=RandMiller2014.jpg
|caption=Miller in 2014
|image_size=
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1959|1|17}}
|birth_place=Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S.
|death_date=
|death_place=
|occupation=Co-founder and CEO of Cyan, Inc.
|children=3
|relatives=Robyn Miller (Brother)
|website=
}}
Rand Miller (born January 17, 1959) is a C.E.O. and co-founder of Cyan Worlds[http://www.pcworld.com/article/2052187/myst-creator-rand-miller-teases-new-kickstarter-project-during-indiecade.html Myst creator Rand Miller teases new Kickstarter project during IndieCade]. PCWorld. Retrieved on 2014-01-14. (originally Cyan). He and his brother Robyn Miller became famous due to the success of their computer game Myst, which remained the all-time best-selling computer game from its release in 1993 until that record was surpassed by The Sims nearly a decade later.Walker, Trey. (2002-03-22) [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-sims-overtakes-myst/1100-2857556/ The Sims overtakes Myst]. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Rand also worked on the game's sequel, Riven, and later reprised his role as protagonist Atrus in Myst III: Exile; realMyst; Uru; Myst IV: Revelation; and Myst V: End of Ages.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0589166/|title=Rand Miller|website=IMDb }} He also co-authored Myst novels The Book of Atrus, The Book of Ti'ana, and The Book of D'ni.{{cite web|url= http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,11550/|title= Rand Miller developer bio|author=
unknownauthor|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090415151322/http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,11550/|archive-date= April 15, 2009|publisher= MobyGames|date= April 10, 2009| access-date=January 14, 2014}}.
He remains the C.E.O. of Cyan Worlds.
Career
Before the success of Myst, Rand and Robyn Miller released The Manhole, Spelunx, and Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel.[http://www.cyan.com/games Games - Cyan, Inc. - Makers of Myst, Riven, and More]. Cyan.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
Miller, his brother, and the company they founded came to international prominence with the success of Myst in 1993 and its sequel Riven in 1997, both of which broke sales records.[http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/sep/27/myst-creator-keeps-the-dream-alive/ ‘Myst’ creator keeps the dream alive - Spokesman.com - Sept. 27, 2013]. Spokesman.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
Following the success of Myst and Riven, Miller spent nearly seven years spearheading the development of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst,[http://www.inlander.com/spokane/writing-the-next-age/Content?oid=2194852 Writing the Next Age | News | The Pacific Northwest Inlander | News, Politics, Music, Calendar, Events in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and the Inland Northwest]. Inlander.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14. an online massively multiplayer extension of the Myst franchise. Miller noted that "the essence of Uru was people love to explore and the fault in the one-off games is you get to explore until it stops. Well, what if it didn't stop? What if the worlds continued?"[http://www.gamedevelopment.com/view/feature/131152/myst_will_persist_how_uru_got_its_.php Gamasutra - Myst Will Persist: How Uru Got Its Groove Back]. Gamedevelopment.com (2006-06-29). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
Upon its release in 2003, Uru was a commercial failure.[http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/myst-creator-warns-of-over-ambition-in-mmo-space Myst creator warns of over ambition in MMO space | GamesIndustry International]. Gamesindustry.biz (2008-09-18). Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Online services were ceased by original publisher Ubisoft in 2004.[http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/04/uru-live-dead Uru Live Dead]. IGN. Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Despite this earlier setback, Cyan Worlds announced in Los Angeles at E3 2006 that they would be partnering with GameTap to bring Uru Live online again. On February 15, 2007, Myst Online: Uru Live was released. However, this version also failed to attain sufficient popularity and was shut down in 2008.[https://archive.today/20131013213214/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17230 GameTap Shuttering Myst Online: Uru Live]. Gamasutra (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
Uru{{'}}s failure caused Cyan Worlds to briefly cease operations.[http://blogcritics.org/myst-creator-cyan-worlds-folds/ Myst Creator Cyan Worlds Folds] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172058/http://blogcritics.org/myst-creator-cyan-worlds-folds/ |date=2013-10-14 }}. Blogcritics (2005-09-19). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
Miller appeared shocked by Uru Live{{'}}s ultimate failure, as reflected in his letter to the Uru Live community,{{cite web|url=http://www.cyanworlds.com/letter.php |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328203654/http://www.cyanworlds.com/letter.php |archivedate=2007-03-28 |title=Cyan Worlds, Inc |date=2007-03-28 |accessdate=2013-03-04}} which he wrote to explain why the game had to be shut down for an indefinite amount of time. In a previous interview, Miller had stated that finance from outside investment, not technology, was the reason for the failed project: "I think the biggest failure was running out of money, and thus running out of time, and thus losing control of our own destiny. No matter what promises are made or common goals are agreed upon, whoever pays the bills has the final say."
On October 17, 2013, Miller announced the development of Obduction, intended to serve as the spiritual successor to the Myst series, via a Kickstarter campaign.{{cite magazine | last = Chalk | first = Andy | url = http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128792-Myst-Studio-Brings-Obduction-To-Kickstarter | title = Myst Studio Brings Obduction To Kickstarter | date = October 17, 2013 | magazine = The Escapist | accessdate = October 18, 2013}} The game was released in 2016 (for PC) and 2017 (for Mac OS). Reviews for Obduction were largely positive.{{Cite web |title=Obduction |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/obduction/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |access-date=2022-05-17 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}
Personal life
Miller lives in Spokane, Washington, and has a wife, Robin, three daughters, and two stepdaughters.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.wohba.com wohba.com is purportedly Miller's amazing stuff blog]
- {{MobyGames developer}}
- {{IMDb name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Rand}}
Category:American chief executives
Category:American male video game actors
Category:American video game designers