Rip Curl launches 3D surfing game as iPhone app
Rip Curl has launched a high-end 3D surfing game for the iPhone titled Live The Search:The Ultimate Surfing Game.
The application is being project-managed by Rip CurlInternational and developed in Australia by Sydney-based creative agency LOMAHStudios.
‘Live The Search’ is the first high-end 3D surfing game to hit theiPhone and combines high-action arcade game-play with a realistic surfingexperience. Rip Curl created ‘TheSearch’ philosophy to help capture the true essence of surfing and to showcasethe adventure, fun, thrills and spills that surface during surf exploration.
Virgin Blue partnered with product placement through videos and in-game advertising.
“We will see more brands innovating through video games in the future via mobile phones as in-game advertising and through product placement,” said Stephen Molloy, Creative Director of LOMAH Studios.
Once levels arecomplete it unlocks additional content such as new surfboards, video, newapparel etc. Each level you can surf a different continent, and no two wavesare the same. Levels consist of Africa, Asia, North America, South America,Europe, Antarctica and Australia where you can experience 40-foot waves.
“The key to success with branded content is not to shoe-horn brandinginto existing content, but to create concepts from the ground up based upon theclient’s existing campaigns and ethos. Live the Search is a surfing game madefor surfers which really captures the ideals and lifestyle that Rip Curl is sofamous for,” said Dain Hedgpeth, Technical Director of LOMAH Studios.
“It’s really cool that Mick and I are characters in the game – we’veboth been with Rip Curl for over10 years and we grew up reading about and watching videos of Rip Curl’s firstever Search trips with Tom Curren and co back in the 80s. I’m going to play itall the time!” said Steph Gilmore, a three times ASP World Champion.
Rip Curl GroupMarketing & Advertising Chairman, Neil Ridgway said: “We really wanted thisgame to be a true reflection of the brand’s spirit. The ‘Search’, in all honesty,is what makes Rip Curl the ultimate surfing company, so it was a no brainerthat this would be the concept for this game as well.”
“The gamingmarket has been starved of a high-end surfing game for several years now andthere has been a lot of noise about this lately,” continued Ridgway. “We’rereally excited to get this game available on the iTunes Store and feed thehungry!”
LOMAH Studios spent over six months to the developmentproject.
“Ground breakingnew graphic technology had to be developed for Live The Search, butit all came together perfectly in the end,” said Stephen Molloy, CreativeDirector of LOMAH Studios. “The more we played the game and refined it,the more we became hooked on it ourselves!”
Live TheSearch: The Ultimate Surfing Game is currently available via theiTunes Store.
3 Comments
Lot of words for a bit of a gimmick.
FAIL.
Have you downloaded the game yet? Or are you still trying to get your head around radio ads?
promising game, but quite buggy, quite often end up surfing upside down under the water but the game ‘thinks’ you are still in the air (latest version)