Volvo the Game, 6 Months and 850,000 Players

In a feat not easily achieved by a carmaker, Volvo's "Volvo - The Game" managed, in just six months, to get downloaded by no less than 850,000 users worldwide, with some 20,000 new player joining in every week. This feat managed to catch even its creator by surprise, especially because this is a free game and, as all you gamers know, not all free games are "as advertised."

"Volvo - The Game is of exceptionally high quality even though it is a free game," Magnus Ling, executive vice president of SimBin, co-developer of the game said in a release.

"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."

Volvo's take at the virtual world comes with three difficulty levels and features six different Volvo models, which can be handled through two tracks. The game offers a choice of skill levels: "novice" with all the driver assistance technology activated such as ABS brakes, "semi-pro", and finally "pro" where there is no assistance whatsoever. It can be downloaded for free by following this link.

"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," Michael Persson, director of market communication at Volvo Cars concluded.