{{short description|American businessman}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}} {{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 an American businessman and video game developer who is the CEO and co-founder of Cyan Worlds<ref name="pcworld1">[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 January 14, 2014.</ref> (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.<ref>Walker, Trey. (March 22, 2002) [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-sims-overtakes-myst/1100-2857556/ The Sims overtakes Myst]. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref> 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''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0589166/|title=Rand Miller|website=IMDb }}</ref> He also co-authored Myst novels ''The Book of Atrus'', ''The Book of Ti'ana'', and ''The Book of D'ni''.<ref name="mobygames1">{{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}}.</ref>
He remains the C.E.O. of Cyan Worlds.<ref name="pcworld1"/>
== Career==
Before the success of ''Myst'', Rand and Robyn Miller released ''The Manhole'', ''Spelunx'', and ''Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel''.<ref>[http://www.cyan.com/games Games - Cyan, Inc. - Makers of Myst, Riven, and More]. Cyan.com. Retrieved on January 14, 2014.</ref>
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.<ref>[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 January 14, 2014.</ref>
Following the success of ''Myst'' and ''Riven'', Miller spent nearly seven years spearheading the development of ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst'',<ref>[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 January 14, 2014.</ref> 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?"<ref>[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 (June 29, 2006). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref>
Upon its release in 2003, ''Uru'' was a commercial failure.<ref>[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 (September 18, 2008). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref> Online services were ceased by original publisher Ubisoft in 2004.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/04/uru-live-dead Uru Live Dead]. IGN. Retrieved on January 14, 2014.</ref> 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.<ref>[https://archive.today/20131013213214/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17230 GameTap Shuttering Myst Online: Uru Live]. Gamasutra (February 4, 2008). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref>
''Uru''{{'}}s failure caused Cyan Worlds to briefly cease operations.<ref>[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=October 14, 2013 }}. Blogcritics (September 19, 2005). Retrieved on 2014-01-14.</ref>
Miller appeared shocked by ''Uru Live''{{'}}s ultimate failure, as reflected in his letter to the ''Uru Live'' community,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyanworlds.com/letter.php |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328203654/http://www.cyanworlds.com/letter.php |archivedate=March 28, 2007 |title=Cyan Worlds, Inc |date=March 28, 2007 |accessdate=March 4, 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The game was released in 2016 (for PC) and 2017 (for Mac OS). Reviews for ''Obduction'' were largely positive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obduction |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/obduction/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |access-date=May 17, 2022 |website=Metacritic |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
Miller lives in Spokane, Washington, and has a wife, Debbie, three daughters, and two stepdaughters.<ref name="mobygames1"/>
== 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:1959 births Category:American chief executives Category:American male video game actors Category:American video game designers Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia Category:Cyan Worlds people Category:Living people