Esquire mag goes augmented reality
Esquire US has been wandering into not-beating-but-joining territory for a while now, trying to out-tech the internet with gimmicks like an E Ink cover. Its latest cross-media experiment is 'augmented reality' (also known as a barcode) - a huge cover-mounted icon on its new issue that you wave in front of your PC's webcam to activate special software.
Hosted by Robert Downey Jr, the AR software offers you the chance to interact with features from the November issue, such as viewing a fashion shoot with different backgrounds or getting a daily rotation of old jokes told woodenly by a bored-looking (but hot) Gillian Jacobs.
Of course, it's not really augmented reality as we know it, and could all have been achieved just as easily with a URL and a nice Flash website. What's your take on it? The birth of a new inter-connected medium or just the extravagant death throes of the printed page?
Comments
dave_clark_f1ve
2 years ago
I think the day of the magazine is over really. Anyone who wants anything a mag can offer can usually get it free through t'internet, and with wifi and mobile net becoming more common the whole "can take a magazine with you" isn't even a selling point anymore.
Criss11
2 years ago
I disagree with the previous comment. There is certainly a space for magazines. A lot of the free content on the internet is wiki updated by people who have no, and do not care about reputation. Information is often useful, but sometimes incorrect and the reader has no why to know which. While I use the internet a lot, I also get gadget updates from a relable souce like the Stuff.tv website and I get the magazine too.
andrewldownie
2 years ago
Mark,
Its a shame you take a negative spin on the attempts of Esquire to do something innovative with their magazine. Perhaps Stuff is threatened by its own lack of innovation? It would certainly be impressive if Stuff used an e-ink or augmented reality or some other innovation or "gimmick" once in a while rather than focussing on tabloidesque shots of women in underwear. There is still a solid place for print magazines, but don't rubbish attempts by other sto do something different - take a look at Wired for example.
A
Jonprevans
2 years ago
I this the offical response from Esquire Magazine?
MikeyB_Jawz
2 years ago
dang right.. its about time. its 2009 nearly 2010. i was expecting a mainstream paper-less magazine by now. In color!!!
gimmick or innovation, its doing something different to the printed page medium. Change is good, save trees, recycle plastic and all that jazz :)
Next stuff issue in 3D color E-ink? go on..
playc0ck
2 years ago
I would have thought the latest "3D" issue of Stuff was an ideal oportunity to use the fuji 3D camera to put some 3D pictures in the magazine and bundle some free 3D specs with it and show off the pictures from the camera. One small 3D photo in a 3D special seems a bit tight to me.
Will Findlater
2 years ago
It was the ideal opportunity. Alas, budgets got the better of us (3D glasses aren't cheap).
Can I just remind everyone that the opinions expressed in the blogs are those of the bloggers and not necessarily of Stuff as a whole. I for one applaud any attempt to innovate with print, including Esquire's augmented reality.
There's still certainly a place for printed magazines, and to my mind, will always be - but I would say that as I work for one.