Immersive TV and movie 'activations' are reshaping fandom, but is audience participation going too far?

SAN DIEGO - Imagine what might be the world's largest escape room: Several blocks of a major American city have been taken over by a few monolithic corporations that not only control the space but also dominate the culture. Currency is handed out as a reward for pledging allegiance. And everyone you meet is a potential friend or maybe simply a brand extension.

Welcome to San Diego Comic-Con International, where our stories and myths have been gamified. And you, the fan, are the protagonist.

Step into a transporter and be zipped and zapped to different "Star Trek" locales in about 30 seconds. Apply to be a cop on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Venture into an underground hangout for gamblers and worse as reflected in the world of Epix's "Pennyworth."

You might take a stroll through a Victorian-era speakeasy where fairy-tale creatures mingle with burlesque performers, a full-scale representation of Amazon's