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In this multiplayer online version of URU, players can move at their own pace
spending hours discovering visually stunning real-time 3D worlds, solving a large
variety of mind-challenging puzzles, enjoying the company of other explorers, and
following an epic storyline.
That Uru Live has life at all is probably surprising to some. The game had
a strong fan base before it was shut down during beta on February 9, 2004 due to a
lack of financial resources. Left with no official place to play the game, many
players stayed together in an unsupported freeware version of the game called Until
Uru, made available by its developer, Cyan Worlds. Now Gametap will offer it as
part of its gaming service where for a monthly fee you can play a range of games.
So far it is available in the U.S. and Canada but will expand to other parts of the
world eventually. There are a number of changes to the game from the
freeware version. GameTap has implemented a new physics engine that governs
movements in the game's virtual space and has new sound support for Uru Live.
Explore a growing selection of ever-changing worlds on your own or with your friends.
Discover believable persistent online environments that change when you interact
with them, and the various in-game events assembled by the Uru Live developers.
Be a part of the many in-game and out-of-game events set up by individuals in the
community. Play multiple mini-games while you wait for friends to log-on. Create a
personalized avatar that you can customize. Receive your own personal island place
where you can relax and call home; you can also personalize your home to fit your
mood. Receive customizations from the Uru Live developers by completing different
tasks or being apart of in-game events and groups. Use text chat to interact with
friends and "neighbors"; use Voice chat to personalize your avatar even further. This lasted until Gametap decided to remove Uru from its roster in April 2008, so less than a year and a half it had picked it up. At least, this version introduced many new areas. Two years after the cancellation of MO:UL, Cyan acquired the rights for the game and re-released it as Myst Online: Uru Live again, or MO:ULa for short, in 2010. It is currently still being maintained and can be played for free, however it is funded with donations. The content is identical to that of MO:UL, but there have been several minor bug-fix updates since its initial release. There is no story continuation or new content though. |