Knowing how your audience accesses content will also shape the structure of your transmedia narrative. The experience of watching an episode of your narrative on a big-screen television is very different from watching the same episode that has been downloaded to a smartphone.
One of the most interesting new devices from a transmedia perspective is the tablet computer (i.e. Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Amazon Kindle Fire, etc.). However, these devices are just starting to enter the mass market phase of adoption and many potential audience members for transmedia projects don’t have them. In addition, content designed for one tablet may not be compatible with another brand. Knowing which technologies your audience uses is important when deciding how you will structure your transmedia project. Examples of technology platforms for transmedia projects include (Hayes G. P., 2011, p. 13):
- 2D PC Web: These are traditional browser-based websites that can include Flash, HTML 5, or similar rich media elements.
- 3D PC: These are isometric or full 3D applications or browser-based game-like engines.
- Mobile (Generic): These are well connected handset sized smartphones, including SMS (texting) only handsets.
- Tablets (Generic): These are mobile, connected devices with larger screens than smartphones.
- Connected TV & Set Top Boxes: These are specialized hardware connected to or integrated into large-screen TVs or cinema screens that effectively combine TV content and the web.
- Specialized Consoles: These are large games platforms, media boxes, or handheld game devices.
- Augmented Reality: These are technologies that allow the layering of digital content over the real world and are primarily marker or location-based.
- Real World: This is physical space in the real world.
- TV Sets: These are conventional television sets that receive traditional broadcast or cable signals.
- Cinema Screens: These are traditional movie theater screens.