Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age

Nintendo has just come out with a new cartridge named “Hotel Dusk” for their Nintendo DS system. What seems totally cool about this is that the game is actually an interactive novel in which the user holds the DS like an open book, and explores the world of the story, clicking on the screen and jotting down notes in order to advance the action and solve the mystery. There are similar games like this around, and I think this is a really great application of a device that’s usually not used for reading. Stories and games like this could end up being the Choose Your Own Adventure series of the new century, combining the elements of prose and graphic novels, not to mention interaction, creating an immersive experience that’s text-based and yet retains some semblance of reading a book. Bibliophiles will of course cringe, but it’s better than kids playing Grand Theft Auto.

From Amazon: “Players hold their Nintendo DS like a book and use the touch screen to grill characters, search for clues, and solve mystifying puzzles. Simple point-and-click touch screen navigation allows for players of any skill level to play.”

Nintendo Hotel Dusk website