Toyota Offers Nerds $1 Car

Yesterday Toyota’s Scion brand revamped their lineup of cars by dropping the xA, redesigning the xB, leaving the tC alone(because it’s sweet), and introducing the all new xD model.  What makes the introduction of the new xB and the xD that much more interesting is that they were released simultaneously at both the Chicago Auto Show and in the online virtual world of Second-Life.

Scion hasn’t been shy about who they’re marketing towards.  They’re targetting young people…even those so young they can’t even legal drive, much less buy a car.  Last year the car maker launched vehicles in the online world of Whyville - an online community for older children and teens.  This time around, Scion is offering xDs for a price of 300 Linden Dollars, or $1US, as well as virtual real-estate in their “Scion City”.  Second Life Users will be able to customize their cars with real and fiction accessories and upgrades.  The Scion City will not only provide commercial real-estate for virtual entrepreneurs, but hosting community events such as concerts and movie showings.

This all seems fine and dandy at first, but I don’t know if I’m on board yet.  I trust Toyota(more than most) to exercise restraint in their endeavor and not ruin the experience for Second Life users.  It may very well be a win-win situation, but if it’s not, Toyota needs to  know precisely where the line is and swear to never cross it.  I remember a few years back reading about the emergence of advertising in games.  In some ways, it was clever and  seamless and didn’t take away from the game.  Seeing billboards zip by while playing a racing game isn’t really gonna take away from that style of game.  Most would agree that it actually ads to the experience.  However, if you’re seeing ads for H&R Block while playing World of Warcraft, I can see how gamers would quickly be seeking the blood of game developers, publishers, and marketers foolish enough to think they could get away with it.  Toyota and Scion may do a masterful job of this experiment, but what happens when GM wants in on the action?  Scion buys a small plot of land and offers features and experiences that the gamer wants.  GM shreaks and gets their own slice of land, only 10 times as big.  Instead of giving users a reason to visit their property, they just plaster F-150 ads everywhere and call it a day.  Before you know it Pepsi, Dell, Levi, and Martha Stewart all have “cities” in Second-Life.  The dagger comes in the form of the Wal-Mart continent blasting every small virtual business owner out of business and effectively being the fat kid that emptied the kiddie pool.

Back to the present.  I can’t really notice any significant changes to the Scion xB, but the xD looks like it’s really trying to get into the same pants as the Honda Fit or even parent company Toyotas Yarus.  It’s offering an mp3-CD capable audio system and ipod functionality as standard equipment(way to be proprietary you jerks, I own a Zune), and the option to upgrade to a pioneer unit that can download images, songs, and video from Pioneers website.  Well isn’t that cute.  I’ll pass on that crap as it’s sure to include rediculous monthly fees and limited capabilities.

Anyhow, welcome to in-game marketing at it’s finest(lowest?).  It won’t be long before we’re forced to watch commercials during timeouts in Madden ‘08!