Interactive videos have come a long way since their inception in the early days of the internet. From simple clickable buttons to immersive, multi-dimensional experiences, interactive videos have become a popular tool for marketers and educators alike.

Let’s take a look at the most well-known interactive video examples with real-life cases and how they have changed over time from then, to now.

Then: Choose Your Own Adventure Books

One of the earliest forms of interactive storytelling was the Choose Your Own Adventure book series, which began in the late 1970s. These books allowed readers to make choices that affected the outcome of the story, creating a personalized reading experience.

Each book was written in the second person point of view, putting the reader in the role of the main character. The reader would make choices throughout the story, such as which path to take or what action to take, and would be directed to different pages based on those choices.

Now: Netflix’s Black Mirror- Bandersnatch

Netflix took the concept of Choose Your Own Adventure books to a whole new level with their interactive movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Viewers were given the opportunity to make choices for the protagonist, shaping the direction of the story.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was a groundbreaking experiment in interactive storytelling, blending film and gaming to create a unique and immersive experience for viewers. 

The movie was set in the 1980s and followed the story of a young programmer named Stefan who is creating a video game based on a choose-your-own-adventure book. 

Throughout the movie, viewers were given the opportunity to make choices for Stefan, shaping the direction of the story and ultimately leading to one of several possible endings. Some choices were seemingly trivial, such as what type of cereal to eat for breakfast, while others had major consequences for the story’s outcome.

Then: DVD Menus

In the early 2000s, the DVD format was rapidly growing in popularity and becoming the primary way to watch movies at home. DVD menus provided a new level of interactivity for viewers, allowing them to navigate through menus and access bonus features or select different language options.

DVD menus typically consisted of a simple interface with clickable buttons or icons that allowed viewers to access different options. These options included things like scene selection, bonus features, language selection, and more.

The menus themselves could be highly stylized and visually appealing, with custom graphics and animations that added to the overall viewing experience.

Now: YouTube’s 360-Degree Videos

These videos offer a new level of interactivity for viewers by allowing them to explore a scene from multiple angles. These videos use special cameras that capture a full view of the surroundings, which viewers can then navigate using their computer or mobile device.

360-degree videos are popular for a wide range of applications, from travel and tourism to music videos and sports. They offer a new way to experience these activities, allowing viewers to feel like they are there to explore the scene from multiple angles.

Then: Game Boy & Arcade Games 

Game Boys and arcade games were some of the earliest forms of video games. Game Boys were portable handheld devices that allowed players to play games on the go, while arcade games were large machines found in arcades that were popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

Arcade games were often simple and easy to play, with classic examples including Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Game Boys, on the other hand, allow for more complex games and gameplay, such as the popular game Tetris.

Now: Interactive Video Games 

Video games have always been a form of interactive entertainment, but they have evolved significantly over the years. 

Video games now offer much more sophisticated graphics, sound effects, and game play than their early counterparts.

Many video games now feature immersive storylines, and online connectivity, allowing players to connect with others from around the world.

Interactive videos have come a long way since their early days. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative and immersive interactive video experiences.

Video2Market is a game changer for engagement, as it empowers viewers to participate with interactive videos in a way that was previously difficult. 

Video2Market® is an interactive video solution designed to help businesses deliver engaging and memorable content that drives action and provides real-time behavioral data. 

What sets Video2Market® apart is the integration of business intelligence and consulting services.

Our proven expertise in developing interactive video storylines, combined with our powerful business intelligence and data analytics, enables us to offer comprehensive video campaign consulting and management services.

We track results and support initiatives like Salesforce™ lead retrieval and develop HTML content that’s ready for Marketo™.

Ready to stay ahead of the competition? Explore here everything you can achieve with Video2Market.