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PQube has an exclusive distribution partnership with Milestone, we ask PQube’s Head of Marketing Geraint Evans about how the publisher secured the rights to the biggest two-wheeled franchises around?
PQube and Milestone are working together in the UK, what’s the deal?
2018 is shaping up to be a huge year for Milestone with the release of three incredible racing titles, MotoGP 18, MXGP Pro and the recently announced Ride 3. Each one has a different flavour and together they bring real progression to three of the leading motorcycle racing series.
What’s new for 2018 for those franchises?
MotoGP 18 and MXGP Pro both represent a real leap forward in terms of development. MotoGP 18 has been completely rebuilt from scratch using Unreal Engine, creating the most immersive MotoGP experience ever. Both games have all-new AI, bike physics and collision systems. Meanwhile, drone scanning and 3D face mapping means that the drivers and tracks are replicated in incredible detail. We’re looking at the ultimate test of your riding ability – and great fun to boot.
You’ll have to wait a little longer for the full low-down on Ride 3, but it’s sure to pick up where its predecessor left off and lead the way when it comes to bringing gamers the most comprehensive motorcycling simulation in existence. The vision for Ride has always been to become the Gran Turismo or Forza of bike games – one that is almost encyclopaedic in its scope. Now with the new technology and over 200 bikes, Milestone is sure to deliver on that promise.
You’ve worked together before, right?
We have a very strong relationship with Milestone, having worked together over many years and helped to establish MotoGP, MXGP and Ride as some of the UK’s strongest racing brands. They’re also franchises that PQube not only has great fondness for, but also a track record of great success with.
Milestone is entering an exciting new era and now felt like the right time to bring that partnership back together.
What kind of sales potential do these titles have?
The potential is bigger than you might imagine. MotoGP is very much the Formula 1 of motorcycle racing. It’s a huge deal all around the world and over 100,000 people will be at Silverstone for this year’s UK MotoGP.
Meanwhile, MXGP has a solid base of dedicated young fans who live and breathe motocross. These games are not just for hardcore bike racing fans though – I challenge anyone to jump into a MXGP race for the first time and not get caught up by the thrill of the race.
That’s the great thing about Milestone’s racing games – they’re accessible for a more mainstream gamer, but the depth of in-game options and configurations means that with each new release, motorcycle racing fans get even closer to the real thing. This is especially true with the upcoming releases for 2018 – so we’re excited to help Milestone ensure that the game gets into the hands of gamers and motorcycle racing enthusiasts alike.
Can you tell us anything about marketing activity around these?
For both MXGP and MotoGP, high impact TV campaigns will be focused directly on race weekends through both motorsports’ event calendars. This will be supported by the full marketing mix of online, print and social, targeting gamers as well as bike fans. We genuinely feel that these games set the standard for motorbike racing, while the sports themselves already have large, dedicated followings. The challenge for us is to reach every single one of those fans – whether they’re engaging with their favourite sport on social platforms, or standing in a rural, muddy field watching motocross bikes tear up the track.
What else is going on at PQube right now?
Our portfolio of niche Japanese games is stronger than ever and we’re continuing to see that growing community support our releases – it’s a stable business which continues to be successful for us.
Over the last 12 months we’ve seen a significant upsurge in our indie business. We continue to see incredible success in this area and increasingly developers are reaching out to us to help them gain visibility in a market which is becoming more and more crowded.
