Reality TV meets video games ... on Facebook? A new social experiment

Part video game, part reality show and part animated series, a new project airing on Facebook wants to shift the thinking on interactive television. At first glance, “Rival Peak,” which started Wednesday, might remind you of “The Sims.” Only here we’re not controlling characters so much as prodding them along. “There will be familiar presentation styles to reality shows, whether ‘Survivor’ or ‘Big Brother,’ with gaming elements alongside it,” Henick says. But that requires us to then pivot the story to account for those changes.” The more I dove into “Rival Peak,” the more it reminded me of one of the first computer games I fell in love with, the mid-’80s Activision title “Little Computer People.” I was transfixed as a 5-year-old at the relaxed lifestyle of the tiny digital sprites that lived in our basement desktop. This is persistent and has the potential to be a part of your life in a way that doesn’t require a lot of your attention, like a Tamagotchi or a fish bowl.” If “Rival Peak” finds an audience, the hope is that it will not only show the power of live, cloud-streamed games but further meld linear, TV-inspired storytelling and interactivity.