Yesterday, we got our hands on Esquire‘s augmented reality issue and fired up our Web cam for a test run.

It took us a few minutes to download and install the software from Esquire‘s Web site, and after it loaded it promptly took over our computer screen. Our cam took a little while to recognize the special augmented reality squares, and we were unsure whether we had to keep holding the magazine in front of the cam during the videos, but the extra content from Robert Downey Jr. and Gillian Jacobs was a nice treat. But, it seemed like Esquire didn’t want us to ever leave their augmented reality; when we were ready to quit, the program froze, forcing us to restart our computer to escape.

Although we were curious enough to seek out the issue — hey, it’s our job — we’re wondering how you feel about this special issue. Is it a gimmick or a valuable marketing tool? Will you be picking up the latest issue of Esquire — or the latest InStyle, which is also trying out augmented reality?

And, if you happen to get one of these magazines, we’d love to hear about your experiences with the new technology. Did your computer crash, too? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Will You Be Picking Up An Augmented Reality Issue This Month?(survey)