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Collaboration with a manufacturer?

Started by cdx, October 07, 2014, 07:27:18 AM

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cdx

Hi PiBoSo, I was wondering whether you have considered looking for a partnership with a motorcycle manufacturer? Maybe swapping the demo bike with a branded one? It should be quite beneficial for both parties. More details:

I saw some time ago stuff about BMW and Auto Club Revolution - here is a good video on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuvuqj_jk3I . Quote from the video: "BMW is always looking just for partners who have the same high standard quality like we do..."

Auto Club Revolution is another sales channel (meaning brand exposure) for BMW, and ACR is just one among many other racing sims. So I was thinking, wouldn't BMW be interested in licensing/collaborating to have their bike (S1000RR) as the first official bike in the ONLY current generation high quality race bike simulator?

Say you swap the demo bike with a licensed, "collaborated" S1000RR (or just add it). They get crazy exposure to a very desirable target audience - all race bike enthusiasts who are looking for a serious simulator. That would be the first thing all players would see and play. Not a Honda, or Yamaha, or Ducati but their own bike.

What you'd get is a more solid AAA game feel from the demo. I do love the demo bike and it's amazingly fun to ride! However, the lack of a recognisable name in the only bike in the demo decreases the positive impression quite a bit. People would be way more pumped up if they download the demo and start a bike they already know and admire (also more happiness = more licences sold). It would give the game a face, like the CBR for Tourist Trophy.

But what's way more important, having one licensed bike in the game would very likely attract competing manufacturers for the full game. Auto manufacturers are getting big time into games as a sales channel (brand exposure) - if you play Gran Turizmo 6 you can see all the jazz about Vision GT cars. You can see "KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide" and the Corvette story. Now even Mini is making a supercar.

As for the community and mods - I don't think official bikes would hurt that. 20-30 official bikes could be just the tip of the iceberg, the community could add hundreds more. Historic bikes, paints, mods for official bikes, different year models, totally different bikes and so on.

One potential problem - "Ride" is already trying to do that - acting as a sales channel for the motorcycling industry. And they already have the support of the manufacturers, too. However, it is very likely that Ride will be more like simcade or even arcade rather than a solid simulator (because Milestone). They have the manufacturers on their side but Milestone's target audience is any gamer who would buy a "cool bike game" - very few of the total Ride's players would buy a motorcycle. For GP Bikes the percentage of riders would be much higher (solid simulation experience). GP Bikes would be an additional, much more focused sales channel for the manufacturers. All you'd need to do is convince them in the validity of these arguments. :) I kept mentioning BMW as they seem the most obvious choice to me but it could be any other manufacturer.

Random thoughts (good and bad) for convincing the first manufacturer - "Manufacturer races" where only their bike(s) are ridden with separate ranking; maybe you're willing to include a track of their design ("The BMW track" - that ought to light them up); game promotional materials with the bike (PiBoSo/GP Bikes websites, in-game art (not ads!), wallpapers); forum board about the bike; using the bike in paint making/modding tutorials; running a competition about best paint mods for the bike, etc.

I just love GP Bikes and want it to get all the possible support it possibly can. This seems like a good way to transition from a smaller-scale, amazing simulator with a great community to a fully licensed amazing simulator with a great community. :)

What do you think?

PiBoSo

Quote from: cdx on October 07, 2014, 07:27:18 AM
What do you think?

A partnership with a manufacturer would be very much welcome.
However, GP Bikes, as the name suggests, should be about GP bikes.
So maybe the collaboration should be with KTM, or Suter, or Ducati, or Aprilia, ...
"La perfezione non è il nostro obiettivo, è la nostra tendenza".

doubledragoncc

I totally agree with the idea, but as Piboso said it would have to be a GP Bike. My only negative thought is for those possible customers who are into only one make of bike may be put off if it is one they do not like. A small point but one to consider.

I was also thinking about they point of wondering if Piboso would work together with a controller manufacturer? I would love to see GPBikes if it was written using a real controller and not just a gamepad. I am naturally up for this as I make my own controls, but do not have the finances to help myself yet alone another company, although I would if I could. I hope one day to give Piboso one of my systems to see what he thinks ( If Piboso is a "he" that is as we still dont know lol)

Either way I am looking to hook up with a manufacturer myself, so if I get any info can I pass it onto you Piboso? 
GPBOC Live Streams: https://www.youtube.com/c/IASystemsComputerControls; i7 12700K 5.1GHz Z690 ASUS Strix Z690-A Mobo 32GB 3600MHz DDR4 RAM ASUS Strix RTX3080 OC 10GB DDR6X ASUS Ryujin 360 AOI Cooler ROG Thor 1200w PSU in ROG Helios Tower Case.

cdx

Quote from: PiBoSo on October 07, 2014, 09:07:54 AM
However, GP Bikes, as the name suggests, should be about GP bikes.

Yes, of course, sorry for missing the obvious.

I kept thinking of production bikes because of the marketing dynamic. In GP racing manufacturers sell the brand name but that's diluted by team, bike setup and rider. With production bikes they sell the bike itself - way more direct. The simulation/test drive would come into play - "feel how our bike rides, then go and buy one". I guess the scenario I was describing was much more suitable for "SBK/Supersport Bikes" or something similar :). Gran Turismo for two wheels - a test drive platform / manufacturer (Nissan for GT) endorsement platform - exactly what Ride is going for but I expect they would do a very inferior simulation compared to GP Bikes. Ride would likely provide the advertising platform but not the test drive.

Anyway, for GP Bikes it still makes sense for manufacturers to gain virtual exposure, even if it's just selling their brand name rather than their product. About the negative point doubledragoncc mentions, I guess it's true for a small number of people but that should be outweighed by the positive effect on everybody else?

I don't know if you have contacted any manufacturers before and what the standing of GP Bikes is with them but as a product which isn't already firmly established in the marketplace I guess it would be your job to do the first step. Either checking with your most favourite manufacturer or asking all of them? I imagine getting the first one would be the most difficult, so maybe a limited-time endorsement of their brand (by the means previously mentioned) might be appropriate? Unless they all join in and that would be even better! :)

WALKEN

I say let them come to you  ;)

If you make something special everybody is gonna want a piece! 
Help me, help you!

doubledragoncc

It does not have to be a bike manufacturer really, I made 2 systems for Ebay Motors to use in the USA for the MotoGP events and they pay big bucks even though they are not involved in motorcycle racing, if they can advertize their sites they will pay. You can have bikes with a companies livery and signs around the track, if its seen buy customers and youtubed its still being seen big time.

I am good friends with Darin Gangi from Inside Sim Racing and I know he loves GPBikes as I have spoken with him often about my systems and how Piboso is the only person who makes a real bike sim, Darin has many contacts to the sim industry, he would be a good person to contact about it Piboso.

I am hoping to meet up with Leo Bodnar at his facilities at Silverstone in the next week or so to discuss my systems and would like permission to speak about GP/MX Bikes if thats okay Piboso?

I truly believe that there are people out there that are willing to sponsor GP/MX Bikes its just finding them.



GPBOC Live Streams: https://www.youtube.com/c/IASystemsComputerControls; i7 12700K 5.1GHz Z690 ASUS Strix Z690-A Mobo 32GB 3600MHz DDR4 RAM ASUS Strix RTX3080 OC 10GB DDR6X ASUS Ryujin 360 AOI Cooler ROG Thor 1200w PSU in ROG Helios Tower Case.

cdx

October 08, 2014, 12:09:54 AM #6 Last Edit: October 08, 2014, 12:19:52 AM by cdx
Quote from: doubledragoncc on October 07, 2014, 11:11:30 PM
I truly believe that there are people out there that are willing to sponsor GP/MX Bikes its just finding them.

I completely agree. However, I was thinking more on the lines of manufacturers licensing the bikes for use in the game, meaning more support (licences, data, collaboration) from them = more established/popular/better sim. But, of course, money from advertisement = more development = better sim, too.

On the other hand, money from advertisement can only do so much if the core sim can't use any licensed bikes. Nothing wrong with that, PiBoSo and the community are doing an amazing job.

However, if manufacturers, teams, racing organisations get involved the whole thing can get transformed into something massive. Licences for MotoGP "Pro" games or MotoGP seasons within GP Bikes, manufacturer-specific sponsored mods/games, larger scale peripherals development for these... But actually I have no idea what PiBoSo is going for - growing the project as much as possible or purely making a solid sustainable sim series with a great community. Staying away from too many licences and sticking with advertisement would probably make managing the whole thing a lot easier - a lot less marketing, contracting, relationship building, company management, "serious business stuff" and all that jazz.

BOBR6 84

Some great ideas! All I know is if lets say dorna got involved somehow, that would be bad.. Lol


Chispifumy