New Transmedia Hub Offers Storytellers the Ability to Mix Written Word with Video Game Mechanics and Social Media

HOUSTON, Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- What do you get when you mix narrative and social video game mechanics with  a streaming service? The future of storytelling! Transmedia Story Stream is a revolutionary new platform that allows storytellers to create story worlds that can include written word (READ), video (WATCH), audio (LISTEN), casual games (PLAY), and live events (GATHER). Within Transmedia Story Stream, fans can immerse themselves in their favorite story world and earn points, rewards, digital badges, and collectibles that can be shared with friends. Mixing the power of video games and social media into a narrative allows for a transformed reading experience.  

The Transmedia Story Stream platform is being built on the Pubsoft HTML5 publishing ecosystem, which allows storytellers to implement a direct sales system for their digital products. Having a direct sales system for digital products means creators can now own their audiences, which brings down the long-term cost of marketing and allows a storyteller inventive opportunities to directly engage their fans.

"As a transmedia producer and author, I got tired of chasing my audience across multiple websites (Amazon, Apple, GooglePlay, YouTube, etc.)," notes Karen Snyder, Lead Visionary and UI Designer for the Transmedia Story Stream. "And the marketing dollars! Each site wants me to spend money to promote them, yet I cannot directly touch my audience to reward or engage fans. And what of the convergence of media? Each site seeks to split my story into separate silos even though consumers are mixing entertainment habits as never before. As I encountered these problems, I resolved to find a solution. What about a connected book? One that was alive with people and offered ways to immediately reward a fan for engaging with the story? With Pubsoft's assistance, Transmedia Story Stream is the solution to solving distributor gaps and empowering other storytellers to extend their stories to meet the demands of today's audience."

"We're excited to be a part of this project because we see the potential for growth. How many of us have played online social and casual games like Words With Friends or Candy Crush for hours without realizing it? What if games such as those were incorporated into some of our favorite story lines, like Twilight, and Harry Potter? What if participating in different activities provided different additional parts of the story that could only be unlocked by experiencing it in a different way? We don't want to diminish the traditional narrative form so much as we want authors to have the ability to add to it," said Heather Wied, Marketing Director for Pubsoft.

Initially the platform will be open to the romance genre author. The romance audience, women aged 35-54 years, are the dominant casual video game players. This audience of social game players ties in perfectly with romance ebook readers. Transmedia Story Stream will provide a way for authors to merge the current entertainment habits of romance readers into one enhanced story experience. Eventually, the platform will be open to other fiction genres.

The platform is now seeking storytellers who want to join in the future of storytelling. Authors can register accounts to begin alpha testing to refine product development. (http://www.kazapme.com/join-the-future.html).  The Transmedia Story Stream team will also be launching a Kickstarter campaign in early 2014.

About Transmedia Story Stream

Transmedia Story Stream is a revolutionary new platform that allows storytellers to create story worlds that can include written word (READ), video (WATCH), audio (LISTEN), casual games (PLAY), and live events (GATHER). Story worlds are securely streamed via HTML5 and can be viewed on any connected device.  Authors can add simple gameplay to text-only narratives or extend a story world to include other media components such as audio, video and deeper game play. The Transmedia Story Stream community also endeavors to provide storytellers with production talent in order to bring their story worlds to life. Http://www.TransmediaStoryStream.com

About Pubsoft

Pubsoft is a digital publishing engine that is empowering the next generation of great publishers with an array of intuitive solutions to manage multiple facets of publishing and sales. The easy-to-use administration portal lets publishers instantly create and manage an ebook store for direct sales to consumers, drive social media-enabled marketing campaigns, deliver ebooks to mobile devices, manage authors and distribute royalties. With backend solutions that streamline administration and a unique interface that connects publishers, authors and readers with unparalleled transparency, Pubsoft is poised to change the way publishers operate in the 21st century. Learn more at www.pubsoft.com. Read our blog at http://pubsoft.com/pubsoft-university/.  

SOURCE Pubsoft