Adver-driving: Chrysler and WildTangent set the pace with a new series of console-quality advergames.(Web Graphics)

With so many console and PC game rifles available, why would a person spend time playing advergames--on-line mini-games created by vendors to promote their product lines? The answer, simply, is that they provide an entertaining way to learn about a particular company or product. And, more important, they are flee. Now, because of enhanced streaming technology, users have another reason to play them--they offer high-quality content and gameplay.

The Island Rally Racing Series from the Chrysler Group, one of the latest advergaming titles to employ next-generation compression and streaming technologies, delivers a console-quality racing title over the Internet in real time. Created by on-line game publisher WildTangent, Island Rally is the first Web game to utilize WildTangent's recently released Web Driver 4.0 platform, which includes a robust game engine originally developed in partnership with Microsoft for its popular Xbox Music Mixer title, along with WildTangent's re-tuned compression and streaming technologies.

The custom-published game series, created to help promote the launch of the car manufacturer's new lineup of vehicles, features separate titles for the Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge brands. Because the main focus is to advertise the vehicles, it was imperative that the games portray the true design characteristics of each car and truck, in appearance as well as performance.

To accomplish this feat, the WildTangent artists began with the actual CAD data that Chrysler's engineers created when designing the vehicles. Each of these Dassault Systemes Carla files comprised millions of polygons, which had to be converted into lighter Discreet 3ds max versions for use within the game engine. After the conversion, the data still proved too large, forcing the artists to further reduce the information. In some instances, though, they simply used the CAD information as a reference for re-creating the game models, each of which is approximately 1MB in size.

Using Adobe's Photoshop, the group applied photographic textures to the car models, then added reflection mapping and various particle effects, "all the things you would expect to see in a high-quality console/PC game," says producer Jay Minn. After the team completed the models, Chrysler checked them to ensure that the colors and various details, such as the headlights and taillights, were accurate.

Additionally, Chrysler provided gear ratio and torque information, as well as a plethora of technical and engineering details, that were then programmed into each model's physics. "As a result, every vehicle in the game handles and performs as it should," says Minn. "You can tell the difference between a vehicle with rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive." In all, the group created 11 vehicles for the series.

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