We’ve seen Netflix deliver breakthrough new films and series for years now and it looks like the future of the platform could be choose-your-own-adventure-styled content. Just like how the company changed how we rent movies, they also want to change what kind of entertainment we enjoy! The idea for interactive TV isn’t a new one, and YouTube has had plenty of successful stories fall into this range, but Netflix is, of course, going to have slightly more ambitious plans.
This option would give viewers the ability to decide which way they want to take the story from having multiple paths recorded in advance. In fact, they want to have the option to have nearly “infinite” show content through multiple ways to go through a story.
The early rumor about this plan is to pilot this through children’s shows later this year. If successful, the network would explore making this option available for more of their content as well.
An unnamed source close to the network statedt:
“We’re doing work on branch narratives so you are actually making choices as you watch. All the content will be there, and then people will have to get through it in different ways. . .We’ll see how it plays out. It’s an experiment. We’ll see if it gets much success. For creators, it’s new territory.”
Netflix president Reed Hastings has almost fully confirmed this rumor at this point by stating:
“Once you have got interactivity you can try anything.”
Obviously, this isn’t the type of show that would be for everyone, and most networks would be unable to keep up with this kind of creation. Netflix though has proven time and time again to be both agile and innovative in just the right way to make something this ambition work.
Would you be looking forward to being able to control the destiny of the shows that you watch by making character’s choices in a series or do you prefer being able to sit back and zone out? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Screen Rant
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
