Meet A Killer Shark And A Killer Game

We’re applauding. Can you hear us? area/code (the agency that’s not an agency you’ve never heard of but should start paying attention to) has created an amazing interactive game for Discovery Channel’s 20th Anniversary Shark Week. Called Sharkrunners, the game asks players to take on the role of marine biologists who are seeking to learn as much as possible about sharks through advanced observation techniques. Yeah, but that’s not the cool part – players control their ships against real-world white sharks with GPS units attached to their fins. “Ships in the game move in real-time, so players receive email and/or SMS alerts during the day when their boat is within range of an encounter. Players login, choose crewmembers and an approach technique, and then collect various data from the nearby sharks.”

Your jaw is hanging open right? Well there’s more… what’s happened is that a community of players have begun to offer each other tips and tricks to game the game. There are also solo warriors out there posting information about Sharkrunners that have no affiliation with area/code or The Discovery Channel. This is how you do it people. area/code has created a platform on which shark diehards, gamers, bored housewives and random teenagers can get involved with a television promotion in the real world. True, this is what area/code specializes in – BIG GAMES, but boy, they do it so well.

Here’s the insight: Agencies need to understand that gaming is a big huge term that doesn’t necessarily involve a console and that people want to play together. On this last point – all this consumer generated ad stuff is real cute and all, but again, how can you create a campaign for a brand that involves more than one guy creating a video or playing alone in his bedroom? Something to think about.

Via PSFK