Progressive Releases Online Game to Facebook, Yahoo
If we didn't already have enough proof that we live in the digital age, now auto insurance companies are reaching out to the online gaming community to push their products, and they're doing it with video games.
One insurer -created game, available on both Facebook and Yahoo! Games, is the Progressive-engineered "Route-rageous!" It's the second online game the insurance company has created. The first, "Special Investigations Unit: The Cade of the Crooked Crackup," is available only via Yahoo! Games.
The new game allows online players to earn points by driving different types of vehicles around "town" using arrows and speed markers. While traveling, they must not only stay in their lane, but must also navigate jumps and avoid collisions with other vehicles. In addition, players can run errands and collect points to improve their scores, though points are lost if they engage in risky driving behavior.
While the Yahoo! Games version of "Route-rageous!" is a single-player game, the Facebook version allows friends to share scores or challenge each other.
Are games like these a clever way to garner new customers for Progressive, or other companies with investments in social media? Chris Scott, emerging media manager for the insurer, says not.
"Our goal was to create a fun, interactive, game," he said. "Sure, online games help us build our brand, but as a gamer myself, I feel it's important to create games people actually want to play, not just advertisements dressed up as games."
