Most recently, I've been hanging out with this bloke:
I guess that's the risk you run when you check into Asylum 626 - a clever bit of interactive media that incorporates your webcam, Facebook and Twitter profiles to generate an altogether different and quite compelling experience, if a bit spooky.
Having watched that, I know exactly what you're thinking...
"Man I could go for some Doritos right about now."
No? Well that's a shame - because this is a campaign from Snack Strong Productions - put together by Doritos to target their prime consumer - the teenage/young adult market. While it doesn't exactly drive a craving for the product - it's a clever and encompassing bit of work.
You can only 'commit yourself' to the Asylum between 6pm and 6am. A move that builds anticipation and a sense of occasion (you can get round this if you change the clock on your computer). It's an experience best enjoyed with headphones in and lights off.
This was actually released late 2009 but it does hint at where interactive media is going and what to expect from online entertainment. Not only are we demanding better quality, more immersive experiences (i.e. 3D) but when it comes to online- we want to be actively involved.
The Asylum starts to show the possibilities of incorporating your online social presence into entertainment. By registering your Twitter and Facebook and using your webcam, the experience is more personalised. In the case of horror, it arguably adds to the scariness. As I was being attacked by a chainsaw-wielding madman, using my webcam to dodge the blade, the game put out a Facebook status saying I was in a spot of bother and asking my friends to help me. They then clicked on the link and had to scream down their mics or tap as many keys as possible to distract to the psycho and save my bacon.
As if I wasn't already having a bad day, the Asylum then makes you pick between two of your friends (pulled at random from Facebook) who have been tied up and left helpless. I made the tough decision, chose one friend while the other was dragged off for what sounded like a not-nice bit of treatment. Fun?! Not exactly but quite intense!
Progress through the short but beautifully shot experience and you'll need to purchase a pack of doritos with a marker on the back and then hold it up to your webcam (you can also google it and take a picture to hold up if you can't get hold of a bag).
The Asylum follows the similarly spooky Hotel 626 which proved so successful in 2008.
So we're seeing the use of your mobile phone and social networks combined with a point and click augmented reality, motion capture through your webcam and film-like visuals. These examples are short and only hint at what may well be achieved in years to come but they are a good indication of the way entertainment is shifting. Is this a good thing? Such immersive experiences, if done well can be rewarding, fun or downright scary. But is there a danger that comes with it? When your entertainment starts calling you, writing your FB statuses, tweeting your friends or asking you to physically interact is reality distorted?
In an earlier post I looked at how Avatar caused depression amongst some people or how important it was for this guy to be good at a computer game, and his violent reaction having played for seventeen hours straight. There will always be obsessive users, or those more susceptible to the negative impact of a truly immersive experience, but does that mean it's dangerous for all of us? When I showed my Mum the above video, she looked wary and simply said "that'll create a generation of psychos!" Is she right?
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