Euro Truck Simulator 2: gamifying the life of a trucker

Published on 31 March 2022 - 10 reading minute(s)

Hardcore fans of real brands

If you’ve never heard of the runaway success, the ‘Euro Truck Simulator 2’, it is a video game that puts players behind the wheel of their own heavy duty truck. They start out as a newly-hired driver, tasked with delivering cargo. As they advance in the game, they drive through famous cities and picturesque stretches of road, haul bigger and bigger loads, move up the ranks and can eventually start their own company and manage an entire fleet. Throughout the game, they’re able to customise their vehicles.

“When we first launched the Euro Truck Simulator 2, we had to create a lot of content, really quickly,” remembers Pavel Sebor, CEO of SCS Software(1). As a result, early versions of the game were much less detailed than the life-like version now on the market. Today, hardcore fans have upped their expectations. “The more realistic we make it, the better our players feel,” he indicates. “They don’t want to drive a truck with an invented brand name or an invented tyre name. They want to play with the brands they know and love.”

Which is why brands, like Michelin, have taken centre stage in this success story. “Our collaboration began seven years ago,” precises Mike Lawton, Michelin’s Head of Global Marketing and Communications for brand licensing(2). “It has been a mutually beneficial experience,” he adds. “We share our technical understanding and input with SCS Software, which gives their game even more credibility. The whole relationship is about authenticity and giving players a real feel for our products. And it’s a win for us as well because we’re able to communicate with our target user in a very different way. Our fans engage with the brand in a way they never have before.”

Personalisation takes the front seat

“The tuning element is huge,” says Sebor. “The trucks in our game are like huge barbie dolls ౼ you can change the mirrors, the design, add deflectors ౼ it’s important for people to be in control of how their truck looks.” Players seeking a genuinely immersive experience can buy the Michelin Fan Pack. The add-on includes a highly detailed range of truck tyres so players can pick the appropriate tyre for their application. “It gives it another level of authenticity,” says Lawton. The fan pack also lets players paint their truck in Michelin’s signature blue and yellow, add Michelin licensed products such as caps, coolers and air fresheners to the interior of their cab and, of course, put the iconic Michelin man mascot atop their truck

Michelin has been voted one of the best, most recognisable brands in the world several times over ౼ so it comes as no surprise that the fan pack has been downloaded upwards of 600,000 times since going on sale in Jan 2017. "We're a brand that resonates with people. Our brand advocates have grown up with the Michelin man, they played with toy sets as kids! We're a brand that has been with people their whole life," says Lawton. "They see our brand as being trustworthy and having real credibility."

Next up

Over the years there has been what Lawton describes as a “natural evolution of reality.” He says: “The first reality was just being able to see a branded Michelin tyre in the game. Later, players were able to select the type of tyre they wanted and deck out their truck with branded products.“

“For me, the next stage will be to inject realism into the experience. Not just brand presence, but brand value ౼ to show that Michelin delivers longevity and safety,” says Lawton. That deeper experience will, for instance, mean integrating real performance and safety aspects into the game. For example, rolling resistance and wet braking performance, which are highly dependent on the technology inside the tyre, but also the way people inflate and maintain tyres.

Lawton hopes these developments will translate into real world habits as well. “Hopefully adopting the maintenance practices necessary to succeed in the game will encourage drivers to integrate those same habits into their everyday routines. We want them to check pressure and manage their tyres appropriately so they will get the best life safety and fuel consumption out of them.”

The future for Sebor will be focused on keeping up with demand. “Staying relevant and on the edge of technological progress is a never ending challenge. The job is never done!” he says. “Whether it’s adding a deer running across the road, a new scenic route...there’s always new features to add, there’s always fans asking for more. Rapid, constant growth is demanding, but it’s a nice problem to have.”