Volvo - The Game was launched on May 26. By December 1, it had already been played on more than 850,000 computers the world over. About 20,000 new players take up the challenge every week.
"Interest in Volvo - The Game has surpassed all expectations. Using this communication channel, we have succeeded both in renewing our brand name and in reaching out with our new S60 model far beyond our regular customer groups," says Michael Persson, director of market communication at Volvo Cars.
Sometimes 1+1 really does add up to 3. That's the way it was with the launch of the free game, Volvo - The Game, a joint venture between game development company SimBin and Volvo Cars. An amazing 850,000 people have so far played the game, and the number increases all the time. More than 300,000 people have watched YouTube films about the game.
So just why has this game become so popular? After all, not all free games are such a huge success story.
"Volvo - The Game is of exceptionally high quality even though it is a free game," says Magnus Ling, executive vice president of SimBin. "We generally say that a game from SimBin should be easy to drive but hard to master, so the player grows with the challenge. It is typically difficult to find the best braking points and track your ideal line in the beginning, but after a couple of laps most players have control over their driving and frustration is replaced by pleasure," he explains.
The cars and the tracks are also extremely realistic. Both the Volvo C30 and the Volvo S60 Concept are eye-catching new cars. For enthusiasts of older cars there are classics such as the Volvo 855, Volvo 240 and several more to choose between. Each car has its own unique driving feel, and is "built" to replicate the original as faithfully as possible.
Don't be tempted to assume that it is only youngsters who are playing this electronic game, because it has a dedicated following of men and women aged 30 or 40 and up.
The Chayka Racetrack in Kiev in the Ukraine was an entirely new venue in the car game context. It has also helped boost the appeal of Volvo - the Game.
Irrespective of whether the game inspires a sequel or not, today's Volvo - The Game is sufficiently challenging and continues to attract many new players six months after its release.
Facts:
Volvo - The Game was launched on May 26 2009 and can be downloaded for free from www.volvocars.com/game.
About Volvo Car Corporation
Volvo Car Corporation develops, manufactures and sells Volvo cars. In 2008 about 375,000 Volvo cars were sold. Volvo Cars is represented in approximately 100 countries globally. Research and development is located in Gothenburg, with production in Sweden, China, Belgium, Thailand and Malaysia.
About the SimBin Group
The SimBin group is a privately owned group of Swedish companies active in the Video game and Entertainment industry.
In the SimBin portfolio of developed games you will find award winning titles like "GTR - The FIA GT Racing Game", "GT Legends", "GTR 2 - The FIA GT Racing Game", "RACE - The WTCC Game", "RACE 07 - The WTCC Game", "GTR Evolution" and "STCC The Game". GTR and RACE are registered trademarks owned by the SimBin group.
Contact info SimBin:
Magnus Ling/ Executive Vice President
