Saying, "The internet has failed as a story-telling medium" is inaccurate. It is more appropriate to recognize that its worth as a story-telling medium did not immediately become apparent to everyone. But saying, "it can't be done" is less valuable than saying, "it hasn't been done yet."

When cinema was first gaining popularity a hundred years ago, the nay-sayers insisted that cinema would never be able to tell meaningful stories because it was used primarily for slap-stick trip-on-banana-peel gags. It needed its own grammar.

The same goes for the internet. Interactive fiction is nascent -- but those of us who are working in this field are pioneers. Until wallets unlock on the telling of second-person stories, we're forced to stay indie or pander to the "I want more explosions" crowd.

Ryan FitzGerald
Nihilonaut Productions