14 DAY TRIAL // To celebrate the debut of The Hunger Games movie, Microsoft and Lionsgate came up with a special website
that enables fans to access new, exclusive content straight from their home computers.
The website, called The Capitol Tour, is accessible at http://thecapitoltour.pn, and offers a variety of elements that will enhance the experience users will have when watching the movie.
The website is based entirely on HTML5 and other modern web technologies, and is plug-in free, while also being capable of taking full advantage of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 and of its hardware accelerated graphics.
The main idea behind building this website was to expand the movie experience through additional content, and Microsoft worked closely with director Gary Ross to rebuild his vision of the film for the web.
“When we first partnered with Lionsgate, our goal was simple: through the power of HTML5 and IE9, create an extension of the movie and novel experience that delivers a unique interactive world that would bring the fans of The Hunger Games deep into the world of Panem,” Ryan Gavin, general manager, Internet Explorer, notes.
“As a result, the experience heightens the experience of the Hunger Games by adding visual elements to the story that haven’t been in traditional companion sites, and exclusive content that Hunger Games fans will be seeing for the first time, including footage of Effie at the Reaping, Katniss and Peeta in the Capitol and a new message from President Snow.”
The website features a series of elements through which users can interact with the content delivered to them. For example, there is Facebook personalization integrated into The Capitol Tour. All that users would need to do is to register with Facebook Connect.
“After that, you’ll start to see aspects of the experience light up in new ways specific to you. For example, as you navigate around you may notice your friends appearing on monitors as they arrive in the Capitol. It really helps to make the experience feel more unique to each individual,” Ryan Gavin continues.
Some of the developer touches that can be seen there include skewed HTML5 video, cinemagraphs, or procedurally generated particle effects.
Those who would like to have a better look at the technical details behind the website should head over to this page on The Capitol Tour. Some details are available through the video embedded at the bottom of this article as well.
“We’ve had a fun time working closely with Lionsgate, the Nerdery, and Ignition Interactive to reimagine how movie sites can come to life, and are excited that Lionsgate saw the potential in HTML5 over Flash to create the Capitol Tour,” Ryan Gavin concludes.
Internet Explorer 9 is available for download from Softpedia via this link.
