In something that probably won’t come as a surprise to most Gran Turismo fans, a recent study has shown that driving a vehicle of a particular make in a video game makes the player “50% more likely” to consider purchasing a car from that company in the future. The study, conducted by Dr. Kyle Murray and Robin Ritchie, placed one person in a room with Project Gotham Racing and another in a room with a video feed of the game. The result:
Not surprisingly, we found that people who played the game enjoyed the experience more than those who passively watched. More interesting was the finding that playing the game significantly increased the players’ attitude toward the brand of car they were driving relative to the watchers. That is, driving the virtual car in the video game increased how much players liked that brand of car in the real world.
This was true even for those who had little experience with this type of game and, as a result, spent their playing time crashing into walls and taking wrong turns. Moreover, those who played the game told us they were 50% more likely to buy that brand of car in the future than those who simply watched.
These results are significant for marketers, and hopefully it will force car companies to take a harder look at what video games (and, of course, the Gran Turismo series) can do for them. They don’t have to examine academic studies, though, to see how GT has already brought international recognition Mitsubishi’s Lancer, Subaru Impreza, Daihatsu’s Midget, and Nissan’s Skyline GT-R. Now, we just need a study to prove that showing a damaged car doesn’t harm someone’s impression of the company that makes it…
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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I can attest that this is absolutely true.
After getting all golds on the license tests in GT4, I had the Solstice Coupe Concept, which I used for the PhotoMode week 2 competition winning by a landslide.
http://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58572
I really liked the car for winning me the PhotoMode competition, so I took it out for a test drive. I fell absolutely in love with the car’s handling ability. I entered races with very high A-Spec points (meaning the car was underpowered for the competition) and it simply destroyed the other cars in the corners.
A few months later I saw this gorgeous car on a tv commercial and realized that Pontiac was actually going to produce the Solstice! I had to have it! I preordered my baby and waited 6 months for it to arrive. I got it in October of ’05 and I absolutely love it! I had to get rid of it after a couple years because I realized that I should start saving money for the life ahead of me, instead of working just to have a nice car. But rest assured I will have another Solstice! Once I begin my career and get settled into a ‘real life’ I will get myself another one, most likely a GXP Targa Top that should be released this year.
Gran Turismo has a VERY high influence on many peoples opinions of cars. I NEVER expected to own American, but because I had the chance to drive this car in GT and then own one, my view of GM has completely changed and I will look to them for future car purchases for sure.
I had never heard of a BMW 1 series coupe before GT5P. A couple of months after getting GT5P I went and bought one.
the study is correct!!!i can prove it in my self,coz in these moment i played gt4 in ps2 and my fave car is the nissan motul pitwork z (350z)hehehe….im not reach and i cant afford one and even if i have a lot of money,i still cant buy that car bcoz we do not have that model in our country!!!hahahaha……
I’m pretty sure one of the reasons I was so in love with the 350z is by it being my favorite car in GT4, Although I loved how it looked from the day I first saw it before it was released..
I have one now..
Hopefully more studies like this will show car manufacturers how important getting their cars in GT series really is!! I hope that automakers will actually pay polyphony to include their cars.
I dn’t buy it. Whether I play GT or not doesn’t make me want a car or not. That’s like saying men who like pron are more likely to seek gorgeous women than men who don’t.
I may be more likely to prefer one car over the other, or consider a type I wouldn’t have thuoght of before, but the car is a necessity in some cases, and as such, it’s none more than that.
Daihatsu is spelled wrong, just a little note.
And ironically, the Midget is a car I’ve wanted ever since I was little because of GT. :D
GT has certainly changed my opinions about the Ferrari F430. Before driving it in GT I really wanted one. Now, after doing quiet a few laps in one on all the courses of GT5P, I really really want one!
well i guess its true I kind of feel like getting a lancer as my next car after playing it in GT :)
It makes no sense that manufacturers still ask lots of money for their cars to included in epic driving games like GT
i don’t no what say if you not putting damage in gt5 world make sure you change weather bit make it rain an put room online so we can invite friend only more track more cars an don’t forget trophys in the real world i will like to see that
Yep, we disovered a whole new world of cars with each gran turismo series
Soo i can wait too see the new cars that gonna amaze me
Well I guess you can say this is not limited to Gran Turismo. I ended up buying my BMW 540i because of earlier interest in the BMW M5 in Need For Speed 4, 8 years ago.