Have some Internet with that mystery novel

Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of television's most overrated crime drama, CSI, has hooked up with EQAL, maker of the Web's most overrated teen/young-adult dramas, lonelygirl15 and KateModern, to bring Zuiker's new mystery novel to the Web. Basically, Zuiker has written a book called Dark Chronicles, and EQAL will create a Web site for it, featuring extra interactive content. Mediaweek explains: "After every five chapters, readers will be instructed to enter a code on the Web site to unearth new content—ranging from videos to audio files to photos." Seems to me this approach would fragment and dilute the user experience in both media. When I'm reading a book, I want to be engrossed in the book, not prompted to visit the Internet. Conversely, an immersive Web experience should be engrossing in and of itself, not an extension of some book. Now, if they save us 300 pages by revealing whodunit online after Chapter 5 and make the rest of the site an ultaviolent, sexy, rock 'n' roll video game, then I'm in.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

March 3, 2009 in EQAL, Gianatasio | Permalink