Netflix To Trial “Choose Your Own Adventure” Branching Storylines

Netflix is reportedly working on a “choose your own adventure” style feature with branching endings. It will test the concept with an upcoming kids’ show before moving on to more complex uses of the technology.

The reports come from the Daily Mail newspaper, quoting both an unnamed source and Netflix chief Reed Hastings.

The newspaper gives the examples of viewers deciding whether an Orange Is The New Black characters joins a gang, or even whether Princess Margaret gets married in historical drama The Crown. However, it doesn’t appear this is anything more than the newspaper itself coming up with ideas and the report notes Netflix didn’t say whether or not it would apply interactivity to existing shows (which would seem highly unlikely.)

Instead the technology will debut in a children’s show later this year “based on an established character.” If that works, Netflix will not only extend it to adult shows, but may experiment with more complicated implementations such as non-chronological stories.