March 5th, 2010 by Arjan Olsder Posted in Ad Funded Gaming, Platforms: iOS | 3 Comments »
Though Volkswagen’s last iPhone game was in collaboration with FireMint for a special Golf edition of their Real Racing game, the company returned to Fishlabs for their Think Blue. Challenge.
In the game, the objective is to travel as many miles as possible with a set amount of fuel. This is something totally different to the racing games they did before. When you start the game, it points out the optimum speed would be 60 km/h. At that point we realize the new Golf Blue Motion we are driving doesn’t come with basics like Cruse Control which makes this game a real challenge. Also you get all sorts of hints in the game like ‘Shift up at the right time’ while we appear to drive with automatic transmission and let’s not forget the brake pedal will let you drive backward as well. This clearly is where the message of the game and the game mechanics collide. But still it’s fun for a few times and it holds a good amount of marketing information so mission accomplished for Fishlabs.
The game is also stuffed with extra’s like the possibility to download more Volkswagen apps and to find your nearest dealer.
"Fishlabs has implemented the concept of fuel economy not only creatively, but also in an entertaining fashion,” comments Cornelia Lenz, CRM and Internet marketing/eGames from Volkswagen, on the new cooperation with the Hamburg-based studio. “It shows that fuel economy can also be virtual fun.”
Come on Arjan, the PR also mentioned usage of Twitter and Facebook as extra’s!
True, but we downloaded the app and found no trace of connectivity with Facebook or Twitter so we didn’t mention it.
Sorry to say it but that sounds boring. I want to race not saving fuel “virtually” 😉
But congrats to Fishlabs to do another title for Volkswagen