In January, 1997 I attended CES in Las Vegas. The highlight of that conference was a demonstration about movies on a CD sized disk called DVD. Movies on CD had existed before then, but the new technology brought clarity to both the vision of sound of the movie experience. Later that year, DVD movies hit the market. The “establishment” was outraged that such a clear, crisp version of film could be placed into the public’s hands. Pirating would get out of control and motion picture studios would lose money. Because of the risks, many movie studios refused to introduce their films to DVD, insisting that video cassette was and should remain the format for the home.
Has anyone purchased a VHS tape lately? How about a DVD?
Technology changes. It’s inevitable. It’s wanted. It’s a good thing. Just like the commotion over DVD, the e-reader has shaken things up a bit. Soon, e-readers as we know them will soon no longer exist. The days of simply reading words on a screen will go the way of the VCR. Interactive reading experiences are coming. Actually, they’re here.
Imagine opening your favorite book to a menu of music, video, and more options than a simple chapter list.
· Watch the book trailer.
· Play games or answer trivia about your favorite characters.
· Enjoy an introduction presented by the author.
· Enter contests or giveaways
· Learn about similar titles
When you open to the first chapter, a song sets the mood of the scene. Depending on what options you’ve chosen, that music will fade away or continue until you end the chapter. At certain scenes, small video clips of the action or romance will entice your senses and encourage a more interactive experience.
Can you imagine the possibilities with this technology? Like it or not, changes are coming fast, so hang on tight.
Happy reading.
Hmmmmm. I agree that technological advancement is inevitable and in many ways a very good thing. I am not so sure, however, about interactive features in books. I'm not against it for the sake of being against change--I just think it would really dilute the reading experience. And I believe there will always be people who want a good novel, in its purest form, without music and video clips interspersed to pamper a short attention span.
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