The Rise of the Auto-Gaming Relationship
Gameloft’s Global racing sensation Asphalt 8: Airborne working with automotive partners since 2013.
Driving and gaming have gone hand-in-hand since the earliest games hit our screens. From Sega’s eighties Out Run and Codemasters’ Micro Machines in the early nineties, to Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport today, a natural partnership has formed between these two industries that shows no sign of slowing down. With exciting new car models and updates to look out for, as well as dramatic split-second lap times, driving games can be every bit as engaging as the real thing.
When we think of car games, however, we still tend to think of console gaming. But as our mobile devices have become more advanced, mobile gaming has overtaken console and PC gaming to become the biggest, most lucrative market of the three.
It accounts for 42% of the game industry’s overall revenue worldwide, and mobile games are now so successful that they eclipse Hollywood’s global box office revenue at $50 billion versus $40 billion. On average, people spend six and a half hours a week playing mobile games.
This offers a great opportunity for automotive brands to build on driving’s relationship with gaming. Such games still have a massive audience on mobile — Gameloft’s flagship racing game Asphalt 8 is one of our highest grossing games of all time.
For the automotive industry, mobile offers the opportunity to engage with consumers in an exciting, positive environment. It’s a space that is unique to mobile. When we sit down to watch Top Gear or F1, for instance, we are rarely paying full attention to the content for the entire time it’s on the TV. We flit from one screen to another and — more often than not — this second screen is a mobile device.
In 2017, a report by The Google Consumer Barometer Report found that three-quarters of the British population use a connected device while watching TV. However, when people play games they are fully immersed in the content — actively participating, rather than passively observing. And that means they’re paying attention to adverting, too.
Asphalt 8 features collaborations with a breadth of automotive manufacturers, including Ferrari, Porsche, Audi and BMW. The game lets players drive their most exciting models and shows off the brand in a relevant way — adding to their experience. In addition to his, Gameloft also works with auto brands to give players power-up and extra lives in return for watching a branded advert, meaning players are incentivised to engage with sponsored content.
The relationship between automotive and gaming has stood the test of time and, as we shift towards a more digital, mobile future, it’s set to move up through the gears.
Make sure you read Swipe Right on Gamified Advertising — Memorable Ads and Brand Awareness as well:
