Red Bull re-enters the games publishing race with Kinect title

Extreme sports brand Red Bull is to try its hand at video games publishing… again.

The company has announced a co-publishing agreement with Microsoft for Xbox 360 Kinect title ‘Red Bull Crashed Ice Kinect’, which is due for release some time this winter.

As long ago as 2007 it was teaming up with UK studio FreeStyleGames in an extensive in-game ad deal, and in 2009 it embarked upon its first publishing venture with a branded space and free-to-play game in Sony’s PlayStation Home.

Games seem a natural fit for Red Bull, which has evolved far beyond simply an energy drink and become on of the biggest brands in the world.

As well as running a host of own-brand events like Red Bull Rampage, X-Fighters, Flugtag and Air Race, the company also owns a number of high-profile sports teams such as Formula One teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Red Bull, football teams New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Leipzig and FC Red Bull Salzberg

As for the game itself, it’s dubbed as a winter sports party game” experience and will reflect the real-life Crashed Ice sport where four skaters compete simultaneously on an icy downhill course.

For any developer it’s a huge opportunity getting their hands on a fresh IP like Crashed Ice,” Bongfish game director Michael Putz stated. Combining the nature of this unique sport with the power of Kinect should result in an outstanding experience and evolve digital sports to its next level.”