On 17 May, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) launched a marketing campaign promoting its first ever official game – the Pegasus Dream Tour – as it opened for pre-registration on iOS and Android ahead of its global launch on 24 June.
Pegasus Dream Tour is an immersive, avatar role-playing game (MARPG) which puts players into a virtual Paralympic Games held in a fantasy, futuristic, inclusive and diverse metropolis.
In gameplay, users generate an advanced avatar called ‘Mine’ which pursues its dreams of becoming a Para athlete and is created using each player’s own face via a smartphone taken and supplied photo. ‘Mine’ is able to forge new relationships with other avatars by freely roaming the city and participating in different online competitions (including boccia, 5-a-side football, athletics and wheelchair basketball).
The campaign, which rolled out 24 hours after the ‘100 Days To Go’ mark to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, was posted across the IPC digital and social platforms led by a hero video, social content and a supporting PR push.
Video game The Pegasus Dream Tour pre-registration is open!
The first official #Paralympics video game will be available worldwide on 24 June ahead of @Tokyo2020
Check out how to apply: https://t.co/db4klu6rWW #ThePegasus ⚡ | @Bridgestone pic.twitter.com/Lt1bMQQqsJ
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) May 17, 2021
The creative executions seek to drive viewers to apply via Pegasus official website https://pegasus-dream.com/ as well as on Google Play and Apple App Store.
‘The Pegasus Dream Tour’ will be available worldwide on smartphone devices on 24 June in the immediate build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Leveraging the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic and created by JP Games (a development studio founded by Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata), The Pegasus Dream Tour plays out inside ‘Pegasus City’ – an online virtual city that ‘upholds the IPC’s diversity and inclusion values’.
The game features nine of the world’s top para-athletes – including five who are contracted as ambassadors by IPC sponsor Bridgestone which is also the inaugural sponsor of The Pegasus Dream Tour.
The Para sports stars are Japanese boccia star Takayuki Hirose, Canadian wheelchair basketball player Patrick Anderson, New Zealand field athlete Holly Robinson and Argentina’s football 5-a-side legend Silvio Velo, plus Worldwide Paralympic Partner Bridgestone-supported athletes Manami Tanaka (wheelchair tennis, Japan), Kohei Kobayashi (badminton, Japan), Rie Ogura (badminton, Japan), Scout Bassett (athletics, USA) and Chaiwat Rattana (athletics, Thailand).
The gaming initiative, which was illustrated by Japanese artist GODTAIL, will enable people from all over the world to ‘enjoy the Paralympics by gathering inside Pegasus City with friends’ creating a virtual forum for fans while attending in person is still difficult or impossible.
It will be available in five languages: Japanese, English, French, German and Spanish and part of the profits generated by in-game items will be donated to the Agitos Foundation (a global organisation that develops sports activities for people with impairments as a tool for changing lives).
“We are greatly excited about The Pegasus Dream Tour launch on 24 June as it will help the Paralympic Movement connect and build engagement with new and younger audiences, as well further increase Para sport awareness ahead of Tokyo 2020,” commented IPC Brand & Communications Officer Craig Spence. “We want all gaming and sports enthusiasts to pre-register already for this ground-breaking video game, which will see people from across the world virtually coming together and being able to enjoy the Paralympic Games in a whole new, innovative and fun way.”
“Bridgestone believes in the power of the Paralympic Movement to create a more inclusive world through sport and inspire people of all abilities to chase their dreams,” added Mitsuhira Shimazaki, Vice President and Officer for G Brand Strategy and OPSCA (Olympics, Paralympics, Sports, Cycle and Active Healthy Lifestyle), Bridgestone Corporation. “We are excited to work with the IPC and JP Games on this ground-breaking video game to introduce a new generation to the unique excitement of the Paralympic Games and celebrate the truly remarkable feats of Paralympic athletes.”
Comment:
The game launch is one strand of the IPC’s strategy of further promoting Para sports across new, younger audiences.
The game’s pre-launch campaign rolled out in parallel with the IPC’s official 100 Days To Go online video.
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