massive layoffs last month. Netflix has frequently said it is not interested in getting directly into the video game business, however.
It’s currently unclear just how much narrative branching will be possible in these Netflix specials, or how divergent the storylines can become based on viewer interaction. Filming extra content for such branching storylines can add significantly to the production cost of traditional linear TV narratives to create content that some viewers may never end up seeing.
Live TV programs and game shows have long integrated interactive elements via telephone calls, webpages, and custom apps. But fully interactive narrative stories have been more closely associated with video games, from text-based stories like to Hollywood-style blockbusters like and everything in between. This narrative flexibility has also been included in video game experiments focused on filmed live-action stories, ranging from the campy to this year’s innovative WarGames reboot.
Other TV networks have been looking to expand into the interactive space of late as well. HBO recently teamed up with director Steven Soderbergh to produce , a filmed interactive narrative series released exclusive as an app last year.
