{{Short description|Video game developer}} {{About|the game developer|the music studio|Presto! Recording Studios }} {{Infobox company | name = Presto Studios, Inc. | logo = Presto Studios logo.jpg | type = Private company | foundation = San Diego, California (July 20, 1992)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presto.com/corporate.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990128165304/http://www.presto.com/corporate.html|title=Origins|website=presto.com|archivedate=January 28, 1999|accessdate=May 30, 2022}}</ref> | defunct = 2002 | location = Encinitas, California, United States | key_people = | industry = Video game developer | products = ''The Journeyman Project''<br>''Myst III: Exile'' | num_employees = | revenue = | net_income = | homepage = [http://presto.yune.me/ presto.yune.me] }} '''Presto Studios''' was a computer game development company of the 1990s. The company is notable for its award-winning series ''The Journeyman Project'' as well as ''Myst III: Exile, the'' 2001 sequel to Cyan's Myst series.
In August 2002, Presto Studios shut down new development after the release of the Xbox title ''Whacked!''. In a statement, Greg Uhler (executive producer) announced the closing of the company:<ref name="Inside Mac Games">{{cite web|url=http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=6142|title=Presto Studios Closing Down|date=2002-08-28|author=Andy Largent|work=Inside Mac Games|access-date=2005-08-20|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174642/http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=6142|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<blockquote>Due to business, financial, and personal reasons, Presto Studios is discontinuing software development. Whacked! for the Xbox will be the last product that we ship. The company will remain as a corporate entity for many years, but will not be developing products. A minimal staff, including Michel and myself, will be here until the end of October.</blockquote>
==Closure of the company== ''Whacked!'' for Xbox was Presto Studios' final title before closing its doors shortly afterward. Though still in decent financial shape, Presto was facing an uphill challenge in the transition from the PC to console game market. The directors of the company anticipated a rapidly shrinking PC game market and decided to close the company while it was ahead.<ref name="San Diego Union Tribune">{{cite web|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/1006689/presto.html|title=Game maker Presto Studios closes doors {{!}} Macworld|author=Cohen|first=Peter|date=2002-09-02|work=Macworld}}</ref> A significant number of the creative staff moved on to high-profile roles in motion picture and animation production.
==Games== {|class="wikitable sortable" ! Year !! Title !! Platform |- | 1992 || ''Hi-Rez Audio Volume 1'' || Macintosh |- | 1993 || ''The Journeyman Project'' || rowspan="3" | Macintosh, Windows |- | 1994 || ''The Journeyman Project Turbo!'' |- | 1995 || ''The Journeyman Project 2: Buried in Time'' |- | rowspan="2" | 1997 || ''The Journeyman Project: Pegasus Prime'' || Macintosh, Windows, Linux |- | ''Gundam 0079: The War for Earth'' || Macintosh, PlayStation, Windows |- | 1998 || ''The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time'' || Macintosh, Windows |- | 1999 || ''Star Trek: Hidden Evil'' || Windows |- | 1999 || ''Stephen King's F13'' || Macintosh, Windows |- | 2000 || ''Myst: Masterpiece Edition'' || Macintosh |- | 2001 || ''Myst III: Exile'' || Macintosh, Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2 |- | 2002 || ''Whacked!'' || Xbox |- | rowspan="2" | Cancelled || ''Beneath'' (scheduled for 1999 release) || Windows<ref name="CNN"/> |- | ''The Journeyman Project 4: Resurrection'' (scheduled for 2000 release) || {{n/a}} |}
==''Beneath''== ''Beneath'' is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Presto Studios that was scheduled to be published by Activision in 1999, but was cancelled.<ref name=titles>{{cite web|url=http://presto.tommyyune.com/presto/titles.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203060636/http://presto.tommyyune.com/presto/titles.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-02-03|title=Presto Studios - Titles|access-date=2008-07-11|publisher=Presto Studios Archives}}</ref>
In 1906, Jack Wells travels to the Arctic in search of his father, who has gone missing on an archeological expedition. The exploration leads underground into a vast subterranean world.<ref name=next>{{Cite magazine |magazine=Next Generation Magazine |issue=48 |date=December 1998 |url=https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration48Dec1998/page/n57/mode/2up |page=57-58 |title=Beneath}}</ref> The gameplay involved around rock climbing.<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |last1=Chronis |first1=George T. |title=Beneath's fortunes are rising |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9811/04/beneath.idg/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=April 25, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010618113451/http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9811/04/beneath.idg/index.html |archive-date=June 18, 2001 |date=November 4, 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
The 3D game engine was to feature 16-bit graphics and hardware acceleration.<ref name=allgame>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:14616|title=Beneath (Canceled)|access-date=2008-07-11|author=Chris Couper|publisher=Allgame}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://presto.yune.me/ Presto Studios Archives] *[http://www.mobygames.com/company/presto-studios-inc Presto Studios] at MobyGames *[http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/235/ Tommy Yune on history of The Journeyman Project] at Adventure Classic Gaming
{{Journeyman Project series}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States Category:Video game companies established in 1991 Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2002 Category:Video game development companies Category:Companies based in San Diego County, California Category:1991 establishments in California Category:2002 disestablishments in California