Trying out an Interactive Documentary

After the lecture on Interactive Documentaries, I decided to try out the Ford McMoney one, as I was interested in how they handled the environmental issues.

The first thing I did was talk to a woman who discussed the prospects for a woman living in the fictional town, which seemed very realistic. After the talk was over, I was given the opportunity to explore the town, and the first thing I did was attend a local council meeting.  As soon as becoming a ‘citizen’, I was able to vote on matters, such as should the town run a PR campaign.  I also ‘met’ the mayor, and got to choose from a variety of questions to ask her about her town.

The experience takes four weeks to complete, as you play it in ‘real time’. Although it is therefore much longer than an ordinary documentary, deciding whom to speak to, and voting on certain matters was an interesting and different experience. However, sometimes the layout could become confusing and I understand the criticisms that we discussed in the lecture, such as it becoming less pleasurable than simply watching an environmental documentary.