Volvo Ocean Race Game Gets Ready for New Season

After it recorded quite an amazing audience in the 2008-2009 season, with some 220,000 players signing up, the Swedish manufacturer is preparing to achieve at least the same feat with the 2011-2012 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race Game.

For the new season the carmaker and UnitedGames, the developer of the platform, have announced some changes, including more functionality to steer and manage the virtual Volvo Open 70s and the crew at the same time.

Volvo is currently looking for beta testers for the game, with more details to be announced next year. Until then, those interested in taking part in the trial and game itself can register for updates and watch for any progress at the game's official website.

And if you're thinking it's not worth your time, think again. The guy who won the last game also won a Volvo C30.

"This is great news for the Volvo Ocean Race, as the Game was a huge success story from the past edition,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. "It caught so many people's imaginations and got thousands of people hooked into offshore racing.”

“Of course, you can play the game from your home but for some of the players, they were just as sleep-deprived as the crews on the boats; many people took it very seriously indeed. We can't wait to see the improvements and get the feedback from the fans. I am sure this edition of the game will be even more of a success than the last."