Pop-Up Playground is a Melbourne-based outfit that has dubbed itself an "experience design company." The company creates long-form, participatory stories that take place both online and in the real world, with outcomes dependent upon the beliefs and actions of people scattered across the city.
Pop-Up Playground's first narrative is called 'Outside: The Cloud.' The dystopian science fiction narrative revolves around an AI program that has developed the ability to take over people's minds and spread like a virus. After signing up for the experience online, players receive a part of the story at the beginning of each week, then have the rest of that week to solve puzzles and complete missions that impact the developments for the following story. The narrative is structured in two month-long acts, each of which comes to a climax with a live event featuring actors playing characters from the story.
Live Long-Form Narrative Experiences
Pop-Up Playground Offers Live Narratives Featuring Actors
Trend Themes
1. Participatory Stories - There is a growing trend of creating long-form, participatory narratives that engage audiences both online and in the real world.
2. Narrative Gamification - Gamifying narratives through puzzles, missions, and live events is becoming popular, creating immersive and interactive storytelling experiences.
3. AI-driven Narratives - Artificial intelligence is being integrated into narratives, allowing for personalized experiences that adapt based on the beliefs and actions of participants.
Industry Implications
1. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can leverage the trend of live long-form narrative experiences by creating unique and engaging content that offers audiences immersive and interactive experiences.
2. Gaming - The gaming industry can incorporate narrative gamification to create captivating storytelling experiences that blend the elements of gameplay and storytelling.
3. Technology - The technology industry can explore the opportunities presented by AI-driven narratives to develop innovative platforms and tools that enable personalized and adaptive storytelling experiences.