Down, Across And In 3-D

Brandweek,  May 1, 2000  by Jennifer Owens

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For those of you who believe that The New York Times' Sunday crossword is no match for your literary wits, Horizon: A Glimpse of Tomorrow Inc. thinks it's time you took your downs and acrosses not only online, but in 3-D.

Yes, Horizon has created a three-dimensional crossword puzzle exclusively for the Web. Appropriately named 3DCrossword, it rotates onscreen while players navigate across, down and through the puzzle.

Based in Pasadena, Calif., the technology firm has already pre-sold its 3DCrossword to a handful of Web sites, including Bla-Bla.com and BusinessMall.com, as a way to attract and retain visitors. Horizon reps claim the company can customize puzzles with a Web site logo or advertiser's slogan as well as integrate product names or company trivia as clues and answers.

"3DCrossword circumvents adavoidance behavior because messages can be presented within, rather than alongside, content," said Dan Moran, who invented 3DCrossword and now serves as CEO of year-and-a-half-old Horizon.

Horizon has filed for patents for its 3DCrossword generator, its online 3-D word game and for its business model using embedded advertising.

In the meantime, the company is now working with online content distributor uclick to create a syndicated Web puzzle to be called "Universal 3DCrossword by Timothy Parker." Parker, who Moran called "a pioneer in the crossword community," serves as uclick's resident crossword editor and created the Universal Crossword line of puzzles.

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