DUBAI: Netflix is launching a new set of interactive TV shows that allow viewers to make decisions for their favorite characters and steer the storyline of the episode.
The feature will initially only be available on children’s TV shows but the company has said the technology is available for producers of adult content to use.
The first example is “Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale,” a standalone episode of existing Netflix series “The Adventures of Puss in Boots.”
It sees the swash-buckling cat sucked into a magical book of fairytales and allows viewers to make key decisions for him.
The show features 13 different choices throughout the episode, leading to two different conclusions.
The shortest path results in an 18-minute-long episode, while the longest creates a 39-minute-long episode.
Carla Engelbrecht Fisher, director of product innovation at Netflix, told the Press Association: “This project has taken two-and-a-half years, it’s been a long time coming and it’s all about how to make the members’ experience better.
“Kids think everything is there to be interacted with so we took all those things and it was this great a-ha moment — we can put kids into the directors’ seat and let them control the story.”
Fisher added that an understanding of touch screen technology helped to make the innovative experience more enjoyable for younger audiences.
“We have tested with kids as young as four but they often had younger siblings there and they all understand touch screens and they love that they get to choose and pick.”
