Interactive videos weren't new; plenty of game companies had dabbled in similar stuff.
The interactivity was high; every time you watched, it felt like a series, and well-produced interactive videos gave players a strong sense of immersion.
Moreover, whenever an interactive video ended, various options would pop up, allowing players to decide which one to use by making donations or in other ways, further enhancing that sense of immersion while watching.
Some despicable game companies took this to another level, especially in those interactive videos themed around survival. They would craft a narrative that put characters into peril and then shamelessly urge players to recharge and change their fate or bluntly kill off the character in the next episode.
It was outright cyber-kidnapping.
To keep their favorite characters alive, players had to keep recharging, willingly paying the ransom, until they ran dry.
Underhanded as it was, the tactic was extremely effective.
