The NY Times reports that Volvo and Microsoft have collaborated on a game for Xbox called Volvo Drive for Life, "a showcase for the Volvo nameplate, three Volvo models and the longtime Volvo brand identity as the car designed with safety foremost."

Clearly, this won't be a Burnout clone -- players drive on a proving grounds course with and without safety features in the Volvo S40 S60R, and XC90. The player can then drive the car in three real-world courses, Pacific Coast Highway, the Italian Grand Prix, and the road to the ice hotel in Jukkasjarvi. Real-world is relative, I guess.

This is a good approach to an advergame; it focuses on simulating the features of the actual products and gives the player an embodied experience of using it. Of course, cars are much easier to simulate in games -- we have a long chain of precedents to rely on -- unlike other consumer goods. That's where we have to work harder.

It's unclear if the game will be sold commercially or not. The Times article suggests that it will be given away at auto shows and possibly through Netflix and GameStop, but I'm not sure if players have to buy it. If so, I wonder what the price point will be... surely not the US$50 we expect to pay for a commercial game.