Europe’s largest independent computer, video and online entertainment developer 10TACLE STUDIOS AG will be delivering goose bumps this September when the first PC fires up the engine of the new BMW M3 Coupé. The racing specialists from London-based subsidiary Blimey!Games show for the first time on PC just what the impressive 420 horsepower Bavarian powerhouse can do in the freeware game ”BMW M3 Challenge”.
For the Munich-based automobile concern the title represents an important part of the communications mix for the launch of the new BMW M3 Coupé. This innovative product is designed to quickly reach a large target group using a free-of-charge distribution system. The partners also followed this innovative communications strategy in financing the mid-six-figure development budget, carried by BMW and other sponsors and through in-game advertising. In cooperation with marketing partner YOGO Media from Düsseldorf allowed renowned partners such as INTEL, Bilstein, Castrol and Sport1.de to be won for the project.
In addition to this project 10TACLE STUDIOS AG is already in the midst of concrete negotiations with a world-renowned firm looking to commission a comprehensive game project as part of an upcoming marketing campaign. The goal is to begin work on the title, which is to have a budget volume in the double-digit millions, before the end of 2007.
For the Germany-based firm the background for the cooperation with automobile concern BMW lay not only in an intense interest in the product to be advertised, but also in the fast-growing market for in-game and online content marketing. New studies predict a turnover volume for 2011 of 971.3 million US dollars generated through in-game advertising. Branch turnover for the year 2006 totalled around 77.7 million US dollars (Source: Yankee Group, 2007).
For 10TACLE STUDIOS the cooperation with BMW represents a consequent continuation of their concentration on cooperating with large brand name partners (such as MTV or FERRERO before this). The firm sees these cooperations as a means to tap the developing market for advertising and advertising platforms in computer and video games and secure a large market share at an early stage.
10TACLE STUDIOS AG CEO Michele Pes: “For years we have been successfully positioning ourselves in a gigantic market of which others are just beginning to take notice. We want to build on that and continue to grow with the market in this area as well. I expect this segment to provide a sizable additional yield for the 10TACLE Group, a yield not yet taken into account in any planning. Others acquire and invest vast sums in doing so – we let our strong products and first-line brand name partners do our persuading for us. “