Explore the world of ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie with Internet Explorer 9

“The Hunger Games” fans can visit the fictional nation of Panem and immerse themselves into its futuristic Capitol city by visiting a new Internet Explorer 9 website powered by HTML5.

KUALA LUMPUR — March 28, 2012: The pages of the bestselling trilogy “The Hunger Games” introduced readers to a captivating set of characters living in a post-apocalyptic world, and today the movie adaptation of the first book will bring that world to life. Now, thanks to a partnership between Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team and movie studio Lionsgate, fans can also dive in and experience a stunning virtual tour of Panem’s Capitol city, powered by HTML5 on Internet Explore 9.

The “game-changing” Web experience brings visitors into the world of The Hunger Games from the moment they step off their train in the Capitol city. From there, visitors can do things like tour the Capitol, visit the Avenue of Tributes, and even listen to an address by President Snow.

“We wanted to make a breakthrough online experience for fans. We are so excited about what we were able to create with the team at Microsoft by tapping into the power of Internet Explorer and the investments they’ve made in their product to bring Web content to life.,” said David Hayes, vice president of digital marketing for movie studio Lionsgate. “We’re thrilled to show off the Capitol Tour to Hunger Games fans around the world.”

The site, powered by HTML5 and CSS3, is animated, colorful and true to the style of the movie and the book, explained Danny Ong, Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, Microsoft Malaysia: “Visitors will see the city’s iconic skyline, with a breathtaking level of detail down to the twinkling stars and drifting clouds. They’ll see the highly fashionable Capitol citizens out and about in the city, and even cross paths with some of the iconic characters from the books and movie.”

“Visitors will be also be able to look at items, rotate them, and see information about how they were used and what they do. It’s what a museum of the future will look like. It’s the perfect opportunity for uber-fans of the book series to go geek out on the history of the Hunger Games,” he added.

The sheer scale and complexity of the project required an intelligent team of creative and technical experts, including special effects experts from Lionsgate, members of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team, and creative experts from digital agencies Ignition Interactive and The Nerdery.

A “game-changing” breakthrough with HTML5
Evan Dehaven, president and executive creative director of Ignition Interactive, said his company appreciated the opportunity to work on a project that is a true breakthrough for designing in HTML5.

“It’s such a great thing that Microsoft has fostered, through Internet Explorer 9, the idea that its on the Web is beautiful!” said Dehaven, who is currently working on Web experiences for nearly 30 films. “They want to bring things to life and allow people to tell stories through technology rather than telling people to live within these boxes and these rules while they’re making something. Now we’re just looking forward to fans and the world seeing what we’ve created.” Dehaven hopes the Hunger Games site’s creative use of HTML5 will be a trendsetter for movie and television experiences online.

Microsoft approached Lionsgate last year about creating a “game-changing, one-of-a-kind” website for the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the bestselling book. “Through this partnership we have the opportunity to dig into the universe of the Hunger Games and fundamentally change how people perceive what’s possible on the Web, all of which is best experienced in Internet Explorer 9,” explained Ong.

Typical movie websites mainly exist to house associated content – movie trailers and film clips, photos and electronic press kits. If there’s anything more, it’s usually an interactive game or social media connection. Most movie websites are also designed using Adobe Flash, which means they can’t be accessed by people using other platforms and devices. “This time around the team set out to design the site using HTML5 and CSS3, which means the content is more broadly available across platforms, devices and browsers without the need for plug-ins,” added Ong.

Along with the Capitol Tour and the other Hunger Games experiences that launch today, the team will be adding even more in the weeks to come, including a training center where visitors can see Hunger Games competitors exercising and preparing for the games, and a memorabilia center where visitors can explore artifacts and weapons used in previous Hunger Games.

Check out the Capitol Tour http://thecapitoltour.pn/ via IE9 today to enjoy the full experience of The Hunger Games. To receive notifications about Hunger Games content updates, users should pin the site to their Internet Explorer 9 toolbar.