The Audi e-tron electric concept car rides right onto the virtual scene. The concept of the vehicle with a purely electric engine was revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Speed demons, gamers and Audi fans alike will be put in the drivers’ seat and will get a chance to drive the e-tron concept car via the PlayStation Home. Audi is the first carmaker to develop its virtual area at the PlayStation Home.
From December onwards, players will be able to test drive the vehicle in the Vertical Run driving game located within the latest Audi Space. Gamers will be able to get a glimpse of the Audi drive concept of the future in PlayStation Home. This is a 3D social gaming service formulated specially for the PS3 community. The e-tron is powered with four motors- one for each wheel as it smoothly glides on the 3D racetrack in Vertical Run.
“Most young people gain their first driving experience from video games. With the Audi Space, we can bring this target group into contact with our brand in a highly emotion-packed and interactive environment, and demonstrate our ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ with the virtual e-tron race,” said Kai Mensing, who is responsible for video games and virtual worlds in Online Marketing at Audi.
He further added, “It was important to us to create an environment with Audi Space that differed from a classic showroom at an Audi dealership. To achieve that, we got together with the architects at Allmann Sattler Wappner and developed an interactive concept where the focus is on selected Audi models, making it possible to experience the brand in a selective, interactive way.”
Players can knock out their rivals in multiplayer challenge in the Vertical Run. This can be done by gathering electric energy and avoiding making any driving errors while gaining momentum and attaining the highest speed possible. The Audi Space has a centrally placed tower which resembles cities like Chicago and Shanghai. The Audi apartments that are located above the city can only be enjoyed by the creme of the drivers.
Audi content like Audi tv reports can already be acquired in the cinema within the PlayStation Home. What’s more, next year will be witness to some more content by the carmaker in its allotted virtual place. PS3 users can access Audi Space when it zooms in this December by simply downloading PlayStation Home for free on their gaming systems.