When “Myst” came out in the ’90s, it was the best-selling PC title of its time.

So introducing the game to a whole new generation of gamers on a popular handheld platform would be a no-brainer, right?

Not exactly.

When industry veteran Manny Granillo decided to acquire the license and make a DS port of the game, he had trouble finding a publisher. “You’d be surprised,” Granillo told Multiplayer at a demo of the game last month. “The problem is you get doors closed from publishers because they’re so focused on ‘What’s my next quarter? Where’s my sequel to whatever game?’ They’re not seeing the bigger picture.”

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File this under “What Could Have Been.” Two Saturdays ago, I entrusted MTV News reporter James Montgomery with my PSP and a copy of “Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.”

His mission was to take my PSP with him to Antarctica, where he would shadow the band Fall Out Boy’s attempt to set a world record for touring on all seven continents within a nine-month stretch.

James was going to use “MGS:PO”’s Wi-Fi soldier-recruiting function that I used over a year ago in Georgia and in Rockstar Games HQ to fetch what may well have been the first “Metal Gear” warrior ever recruited from the Antarctic. And I was going to have this soldier on my PSP! Mine… all mine!

But then the weather got bad and James and the band were stuck in Chile. For a week. James returned my PSP to me this morning. Mission Failure.

Let’s blame global warming. Or James. Or Fall Out Boy.

I need help. I could go to Wikipedia. I could go to GameFAQs. Or I could ask you fine folks.

Since I never played “Final Fantasy VII” but do hope to start the new PSP game ”Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core” in the next week, what do I need to know?

All I know about “FFVII” is that there’s a hero named Cloud. And I know who dies. That’s it. So… in 50 words or less, what do I need to know about “FFVII” to fully appreciate “Crisis Core”? You could do it in a haiku, if you prefer. But there’s no prize.

You won’t just be helping me, you’ll be helping the few dozen other people in the world who somehow missed playing “FFVII” and still consider themselves gamers.

Back for your Monday morning procrastinating is a new Vs. Mode, the monthly series of arguments between me and Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal. This time, we tackle PSP rhythm-war game “Patapon.”

Slight problem: we both really liked this game.

Never fear, however. I think we’ve got some stuff in here that will provoke you.

• N’Gai lays out the three things that make the game special for him: The Power of Indirect Control, The Importance of Feel, And The Thrill of Iconic Design. And he wonders what it means that he was obsessed with the game for 21 days in the winter but doesn’t think about it at all anymore.
• I proclaim that “Patapon” is nifty and doesn’t make me feel guilty, stating that “Devil May Cry 4,” “Pursuit Force 2” and most other games I’ve played do make me feel guilt. “Patapon,” sweet “Patapon,” does not.

Did you say you want criticism of video games, something meaty, something that isn’t just a graphics/audio/gameplay review. With Vs. Mode we try to give you that.

Here’s a quote from my letter for everyone to chew on:

How many games do we not have to apologize for when recommending them to others? How often do we have to say not to mind the character design or the dialogue or the music or the controls or something else? How many did we in some way suffer? Is the high tolerance for imperfection not unique to gamers, at least to the extent we have to suck it up and try not to be bothered by the bad parts — or, if you’re like me, feel guilty that we spent time with things so full of bad parts?

What follows is Round One of Vs Mode: “Patapon”… (You can read it below or on N’Gai’s “Level Up” blog. Round two follows late this week)

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Earlier today I published the first part of my DICE summit interview with Insomniac Games president Ted Price. He talked about “Ratchet & Clank Future” and hinted at new intellectual properties.

In part two right here, we’re talking gaming gossip Surfer Girl. And storytelling. And the pie-in-the-sky possibility of “Resistance” going handheld. Read on, then check back tomorrow morning for a conclusion that will please anyone curious about “Resistance 2.”

Multiplayer: The Surfer Girl leak. How did you find out about it and what was your reaction to it?

Price: We find out about it through our guys finding it on the ‘net. Our reaction was: it’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate that whenever misinformation is published about a title — It’s just too bad, because it can spoil the experience for those who are fans of a franchise. Because you never know when that information is true or not. You’re kind of left wondering until the game comes out or the first articles about the game come out… We just said, ‘It’s out. It’s no big deal. We’re going to keep focusing on making the game.

Multiplayer: She or he — or whoever it is — was putting up screenshots, right?

Price: There were a few things. There’s some statements about the story and levels and things like that. There was a screenshot that was purportedly from multiplayer, which was whack.

Multiplayer: And it was not a real screenshot?

Price: I can’t actually comment on that.

Multiplayer: Did you try to track down Surfer Girl? I would imagine you’ve got ways to figure out how this got out there and to figure out who this person is.

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San Francisco — After making three “LEGO Star Wars” games, you’d think Traveller’s Tales would have it down pat by now.

But lightsabers and Batarangs aren’t quite the same thing.

“LEGO Batman: The Videogame” producer Loz Doyle told me at the Game Developers Conference last month that the team is still working on what the Wii version’s control scheme will be like. “We’ve been messing around with the different ways we can do the Batarang,” he said. “We don’t want people throwing their Wii-motes out the window. I can just imagine mothers calling us up. We are working on it.”

So while I didn’t a chance to see the Wii version of the game, Doyle gladly demo-ed the Xbox 360 version for me in a W Hotel suite, a block away from GDC.

With Doyle having worked on all three incarnations of the “LEGO Star Wars” games, I wondered what it was like for him to transition to a new IP. “It was quite strange at first because I’ve been doing ‘Star Wars’ since 2003 or something, so then I had to switch to a completely different universe and different characters,” he said. However, Doyle and co. were allowed more creative freedom this time around, since the games aren’t strictly based on movies like “LEGO Star Wars” was.

The game is broken up into 18 levels, with three different story arcs (six levels per story arc) featuring the standard two-player, drop-in/out cooperative play (online co-op play is available for the Xbox 360 and PS3). The stories were penned by Traveller’s Tales, with approval from Warner Bros. and DC Comics after they were written. “It seemed only natural that the over-arching story was a big breakout from Arkham Asylum,” Doyle said. “Once they broke out from Arkham Asylum, they break off into three groups, which enables us to have three stories that aren’t linked to each other.”

They weren’t inspired by any one medium: “I think everyone on the team has at some point watched all the films, the TV series, the animated series, read the comics,” he said. “We’ve got some massive Batman fans up at Traveller’s Tales, so that was really useful. But yeah, I don’t think we took particular inspiration from a specific film or TV show, it’s more that we kind of looked at a character, and we built the story up based on how that character would behave.”

While I didn’t get my hands on the controller, I did bombard Doyle with questions as he played through some early levels. Read on…

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What platforms is the new “Puzzle Quest” game coming out on?

Earlier this week, I wrote that “Puzzle Quest: Galactrix,” the sequel to “Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords,” would be released on PC, DS, Xbox Live Arcade as well as the PSP and “possibly Apple Mac,” all according to the official website. However, when I checked the next day, on Tuesday, February 26, the PSP and “possibly Apple Mac” versions were removed.

I put in a request to D3 Publisher of America to ask them why. Would there be a PSP version on the way, since “Challenge of the Warlords” on PSP was one of the first platforms released alongside the DS? And would we ever see an Apple Mac version? (Last year, we also learned that the ESRB rated the PS3 and Mac versions of “Challenge of the Warlords,” but we have yet to see them.)

Here’s the response I got from D3 Publisher of America:

“The Infinite Interactive site is maintained by the developer, separate from D3 Publisher. They were likely updating game details (posted intermittently since March 2007) to align with details announced during the first look last week. At present, ‘Puzzle Quest: Galactrix’ is confirmed by D3PA and Infinite Interactive for DS systems, PC and XBLA. There is the possibility that more SKUs will be announced. We’ll keep you updated as new details about the game are revealed.”

What other platforms would you like to see “Puzzle Quest: Galactrix” made for?

San Francisco — Ben Judd, a producer at Capcom, is sympathetic to many an online complaint about the two “Bionic Commando” games he is producing — the first major new ones in 20 years — perhaps because he too can be a pest.

In fact, if Ben Judd wasn’t good at being a pest, there probably wouldn’t be anything for anyone to complain about. When I asked him last week at the Game Developers Conference why the “Bionic Commando” series was coming back after so many years on hiatus, he told me it was because he kept nagging his bosses about it, for the last four years.

So, those “BC” fans complaining about the new PS3/Xbox360 game’s hot dog arm?

Judd has nagged worse, but does feel bad enough about the complaint that the color of the tubes on the hero’s arm are now “more like snake skin.”

Those “BC” fans not happy with the main character’s hair cut?

He’s impervious, saying “when you try to re-do a game that’s 20 years old, that nostalgia has crystallized.” The crew cut isn’t coming back, though maybe it could be an unlockable.

Those Nintendo fans feeling left out and aggressively petitioning Capcom to bring some sort of “Bionic Commando” to the Wii?

He’s reasonable, saying, “I understand where they’re coming from.” But he’s also realistic about the suggestion that it should involve swinging the remote to make the game’s hero swing his bionic arm: “If we did a Wii version it would not be with one-to-one swinging… you couldn’t do [that] for more than 10 minutes.”

So what about Judd’s own nagging? And how does the PSP — a system the new “Bionic Commando” is not being released on — play two key roles? You read about one of them earlier today.

For the rest, read on…

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San Francisco — “Bionic Commando: Rearmed,” a re-make of the original “Bionic Commando,” is coming to a PSP near you — but isn’t going to be released on PSP.

Say what?

Capcom producer Ben Judd told me last week that the PS3 version of “Bionic Commando: Rearmed” for the console’s PlayStation Network will be playable on PSPs using the PS3’s Remote Play feature.

Remote Play allows a PSP user to access content on their PS3 theoretically from any location where they can get a WiFi signal. The feature was implemented in limited fashion for last fall’s PS3 dragon-combat game “Lair” and then delivered in full for the PSN game “PixelJunk Monsters.”

If Capcom gets Remote Play to work properly, the game may well be one of the first to use the service well and among the first, if not the first, third-party game to use it.

The end result: “Bionic Commando: Rearmed” playable on PSPs, even without the game being released on PSP.

Like I said.

The Xbox 360 and PC versions of “Rearmed” won’t support this, obviously. Could this added feature be the differentiator between other upcoming XBLA/PSN cross-platform releases?

I spoke with Judd about some other “BC” matters, including why it’s taken so long for a sequel. Look for a full interview at the end of the day right here at the Multiplayer blog.

So that’s why Phil Harrison wasn’t doing interviews at GDC.

Sony announced today that Harrison, head of worldwide studios for Sony Computer Entertainment, will be leaving the company he’s been a part of since 1992 at the end of this week.

Kaz Hirai, current head of Sony Computer Entertainment, will now assume Harrison’s role.

Quotes from today’s press release:

“As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry,” said Kazuo Hirai. “It is sad to see him departing from SCE, but I wish to express my gratitude for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavors.”

“The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far,” said Phil Harrison. “I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship. It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis. I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can.”

On a personal note, I will miss chatting with Phil about all things Sony. Furthermore, a friend of my wife’s recently mistook Phil for me, because when you do a Google image search for my name, you get… THIS.

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Harrison may wind up at Atari to boost that struggling company. I’ve reached out to Atari for comment.

And finally, two of my favorite interviews with Phil:

• E3 2007 (Quick and on video)
• End of year 2006 (Long… a 64-minute interview)