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Author: Lauren Brady

The Ultimate Goal of Personalisation

The ultimate goal of personalisation in the automotive world

The concept of personalisation in the online world is more complex than targeted adverts or generic landing pages. Consumers seek a personal experience, where brands talk directly to them and show they understand.

Focus on the customer experience is already in full swing, especially within the automotive industry. With 93% of car sales beginning online, the landscape has to adjust. 62% of customers initiate the buying process online before visiting a showroom, so if the correct tools and excellent customer experience are in place, you could have a loyal customer.

 

The ‘individual’

Today’s customer doesn’t want to ‘keep up with the Joneses’. People want individualism. Why else would Coke put names on their bottles if not to appeal directly to their customers’ sense of self?

Something that appeals to that idea of individuality should be prevalent in the automotive industry too. Call it a millennial trait, but soon they’ll make up 40% of the automotive market. With it looking like the industry could better appeal to them, maybe others could learn from Tesla and their smooth online experience.

During the online experience, 50% of consumers are interacting with configurator tools. Those who have one are bringing in 20% more visitors. They want something that is uniquely their own, thus making them more inclined to purchase. In the world of car configurators, this means everything from the colour of the vehicle to the stitching on the seat. And with CG, you can make it realistic and configurable on the fly.

 

Customer loyalty

Those with configurators are guiding 60% more viewers into an actual dealership visit, meaning there is a greater chance to convert them to real sales.

Configurators also open the door to upselling. A controversial sales tactic in person, it flows more naturally in an online environment. With the right timing, you could increase the value of the sale with a suggestion of a car cover or an accessory.

The end result should be customer loyalty. The experience on offer should make a person feel valued, increasing the chances they come back again (see the success of Amazon). It’s a part of the ‘customer experience’, and this is a lifelong concept. In the end, loyalty begets more sales.

And that brings us full circle. You don’t incorporate personalisation into your car configurator does just because it looks good. The ultimate goal is to show people that you care, that you hear them, and that you can be as loyal to them as they are to you. It’s more than making it your goal to sell cars; it’s not even about selling your brand. It’s about being the first choice when a consumer thinks of cars. Not because they look the best, but because you care.

Never underestimate the impact your configurator can have. Consumers crave a sleek, efficient experience. You can’t afford to have a subpar configurator. That’s why RealtimeUK delivers the best, like our Bentley Bentayga configurator – so you can be the best. Get in touch with me at [email protected] to find out more.

Pocket Gamer Connects 2019

Pocket Gamer Connects London has grown substantially in just a few short years.  Now in its fifth year, I last attended in 2017 and its easy to see not just how much the event has grown in the last two years, but in how much has changed. 2017 saw an abundance of VR, with most of the first floor awash with indies pitching their latest VR offerings and investors seemingly falling over themselves to find the ‘next big thing’. Two years on, and it wasn’t until halfway through my second day that I saw my first VR headset – a clear indication of the games industry’s love affair with VR is waning.  Not that it will disappear anytime soon – VR remains exciting territory and something for which there remains huge demand from REALTIME’s Automotive division. It will no doubt find its niche in many other industries, whether it be the car configurators REALTIME’s Automotive team create, or any other number of useful applications within other sectors. All of whom will benefit from the new ground that was broken by the innovation of the games industry who first adopted the technology as its own.

Instead, replacing VR at this year’s event was Blockchain gaming – something so prevalent it even justified its own co-headline conference alongside the main event. ‘Blockchain’ is this year’s latest trend in gaming and it was everywhere – not surprising given its potential to revolutionise the way in which games will work in the future. Based on the same technology as cryptocurrency and bitcoin, blockchain gaming has the potential to increase security and instil greater confidence amongst players when making in-game purchases. Whereas items that are ordinarily bought in a traditional game are stored on the developer’s server, and therefore technically owned by them, blockchain decentralizes this, offering direct ownership and a permanent record of all transactions ever made. It offers the potential to create unique experiences and rewards in games that can be traded on a direct peer-to-peer basis.

So it’s no surprise that the Games Industry should grab the opportunity to seize this exciting technology as its own. Like VR, UE4 and the countless innovations that precede these, the games industry has a rich heritage in pioneering new technologies, developing them as their own before their potential is unleashed in other sectors. A good example of this is the continuing advancement of UE4 which continues to find new applications outside of games. Obviously, it continues to be used within games to create cinematics such as those we’ve created for ‘Sea of Thieves’ and ‘Dakar’, but is also used to great effect by our own Automotive team and even applications in TV & Film – something that will no doubt help REALTIME as it continues its future success in this area (Watch this Space!).

In summary, Pocket Gamer not only provided a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and new, it proved to be an opportunity to reflect on how far the Games Industry has come and how it continues to push into new territory that will shape the world of the future.

I look forward to seeing where it will take us next.

Standing out from the crowd

CG Trailers

Despite their huge impact, video games are a medium that have long fought to be considered art. In the eyes of the masses, they have previously been labelled as childish, gauche, or a waste of time. But the industry has spent decades trying to shake away that derision, and today they generate billions in revenue from a global audience. The mobile market alone dwarfs Hollywood.

Games have grown up. All sophisticated in one way or another – whether they boast bleeding-edge graphics, a stellar narrative, or award-winning performances – they have matured as a form of media. And today, with CGI an easily accessible tool, cinematic trailers have become the de facto way to show what you are all about. Nowhere is this more necessary than in the realm of mobile gaming.

 

Mobile dominance

The dominating presence mobile gaming has in the overall gaming market is undeniable. Almost half of UK smartphone owners use them to play games. But it is a saturated market that only grows more competitive by the day. Free-to-play, freemium, or in-app purchase models remain popular as they are a commitment-free way to get eyes on your game.

It’s not uncommon to see apps advertised within other apps, creating a web of interconnectivity. But the quality, or lack thereof, shines through. Slap-dash constructions designed to eat up 30 seconds and convey the point of their game in the blandest way possible. There are better ways of getting the attention of your audience, surely?

 

One in a million

CG trailers are commonplace at any video game convention, such as E3. They are a representation of what the game is or will be. Not in any literal sense, but in an emotive one. In a marketing sense, they bridge that gap between developer and consumer. What makes a CGI trailer stand out is the story it tells. In the case of this Smite trailer, it takes the concepts present in the game and weaves them into a story of tooth-and-nail scrapping in the battleground of the Gods.

Or take Subnautica, an aesthetically-stunning open world game set in the aquamarine seas of some distant planet. The fan favourite game has been making waves on Steam since the release of its cinematic trailer that gained over 4.5 million views within two weeks of its release.

But do they work for mobile games? They do if you want to stand out. There are 800,000 games on the App Store, many carbon copies of one popular format or another. The key is what you do with your cinematic trailer.

 

Saying something

What matters most is the story you tell. It doesn’t mean it has to be emotion-laden like the seminal Gears of War trailer. The story it tells needs to be a reflection of the game itself, its creators, and the audience. Shooting games usually have trailers filled with bombast and explosions. Puzzle games tease you with a quiet, enigmatic vibe. They are selling an image – as well as selling the game. What does it aspire to be? What does it want you to aspire to be?

There’s no reason this same logic can’t be applied to mobile games. Despite being one of the biggest names in the market, Clash of Clans still sees the benefit of creating CG trailers. They inject their humour and take advantage of the cartoonish art style to craft a narrative that engages the audience. As of writing, this trailer is one day old. It has almost a million views.

What you need is a vision. You needed one when you made the game, and you need one now. You can always leave it to the professionals, those with the experience at crafting trailers that evoke powerful emotions within the target audience. They have the knowledge to plan a trailer from beginning to end, always staying respectful of your end product. In this cramped market, they might be the edge you need.

REALTIME is one such company, creating trailers for the likes of SubNautica, War Robots and Zombie Gunship. Our staff are visionaries who can create a stand-out trailer worthy of hitting the E3 stage. If you would like to discuss your upcoming project, please contact me at [email protected].

Why changing car configurator supplier isn’t the challenge you expect!

Have you found yourself questioning how difficult it would be to change your car configurator supplier?

The online marketplace continues to dominate, and the automotive sector is proving no different. We are at a point where a majority of people would rather keep the entire experience online when buying a new vehicle. With such a focus on the online environment, it’s critical to have the first-party tools available to make these wishes a reality.

Today, 83% of consumers expect a personalised service. According to McKinsey, there is an appetite for personalisation done the right way. It can lead to five to eight times the ROI on marketing spend and can increase sales by 10%.

It’s why car configurators are more important than they ever have been, especially with the progression of VR and AR. You will likely already have a car configurator, and you might think you are set. You could change your car configurator supplier, but why would you even need to? Yours is fine, right?

 

A sense of uncertainty

To some, swapping supplier is a challenge not worth facing. With the landscape for configurators continually evolving, the choice can be overwhelming. You have web-based 2D and streaming 3D, in-dealership experiences, burgeoning VR and AR. You will have a supplier already familiar with your front and back-end, so the prospect of going through that again with someone new doesn’t seem worth it. A fine stance to take, but is it best for your business?

It is likely you will have specific front-end and back-end restrictions in place that need to be adhered to. We have seen it with Volkswagen and Bentley; they have fixed systems in place for storing and supplying data in a fixed format. At the same time, there needs to be a specific customer-facing interface that is consistent with the brand.

You need to marry these requirements with the consumer’s desire for personalisation. The truth is, there is rarely a “blank slate” when it comes to configurators. Choosing a new supplier will come down to the efficiency of their pipeline. One that has been designed to work seamlessly with your front and back-end systems. One that, once established, can be continuously worked on to improve it in terms of speed and flexibility for the benefit of the customer.

 

Getting to know you

In some cases, you might have a configurator that feels too similar to a competitor’s. Your current supplier might have a one-size-fits-all approach, creating cookie cutter configurators that lack a unique charm. If you are spending a considerable amount, you want to know you are not just another client on the pile. You want someone who is dedicated to and understands your brand.

In the case of one particular supercar brand, we performed a ‘Technical Feasibility Study’. This means working with data efficiently and effectively to produce world-class photo-realistic assets as a test, with a model that already has CGI assets available. We were able to demonstrate how quickly we can work with the client’s data and show the level of quality we could achieve with configurator assets. Working with existing assets means that the client had a ready comparison once we completed the study.

This is about more than the art. Your brand probably has a set of guidelines to manoeuver through, and it is at this point that a studio that has development capabilities comes in handy. Get your outputs delivered in the format you require, to the specifications and rulesets your brand adheres to, and the process again becomes simplified and painless, allowing the quality to shine through.

 

The start of something greater

But the journey doesn’t end when the configurator is complete. A company with ambition that matches your own will want to push the envelope, bringing you into the future tech that will dominate the scene.

That new configurator you have? Why not bring it into a VR environment. Or why not use it as a tool to create advertising images, movies, or applications. The more utility you can derive from this asset, the more value you will see from it. Remember, if you can configure it, you can use it.

So this brings us to the crux of the issue: why not change car configurator suppliers? If the configurator wasn’t the beginning of something great, you aren’t reaping all the benefits you could be. If the only thing stopping you is supposed difficulty, find a company who makes the process as painless as possible.

At REALTIME, we have been creating a wide variety of car configurators for a large range of leading automotive brands over the last 20 years. Our experience with engines such as the Unreal Engine allows us to configure in real-time. If you are looking to change car configurator supplier, get in touch with me at [email protected].

Capturing an audience through pre-rendered trailers

This is it! YouTube loads… You wait for the ad to finish… Your hard work has finally come to fruition, and you can now share your latest creation with the world. For the public, trailers are the highlight of any massive event like E3 or Gamescom. They can even be events in and of themselves. See the excitement around The Game Awards recently; for most, it wasn’t even about the awards. It was all about the trailers. A certain SMITE trailer might have made a cameo…

But sometimes you want the world to know about your game without having anything to show. Not through lack of work, but maybe the project is still in its infancy, and actual gameplay is still some way down the line. That’s why pre-rendered trailers have always been a part of the industry.

 

One to watch

There will always be an excited audience waiting to watch a trailer, pre-rendered or not. This Jurassic World Evolution trailer hit over 31 million views following its announcement at Gamescom in 2017.

There is an appetite for pre-rendered trailers. But why would you ever pick pre-rendered over in-game? Like we mentioned earlier, depending on the stage of production, the game might not be in a state where it can be shown. The intended gameplay may be solid, but the polish may be lacking. This needn’t prevent your marketing for the game from getting underway – You can still convey the intended quality of the game way before completion while getting your game first and foremost onto the consumer’s radar. A pre-rendered trailer can lead the audience into a much deeper story in a short space of time. You only get one chance to impress and win over the hearts and minds of the players, but also the upper echelons of the publisher too.

 

Capturing the action

Sometimes, it’s the only worthwhile way to show the game. Either because the gameplay doesn’t translate well into a trailer or because capturing in-game footage is less than ideal. A pre-rendered trailer allows you to be more cinematic in your approach. It’s what made pre-rendered cutscenes in original PlayStation games so prolific – see any PS1 era Final Fantasy game.

While games can inevitably change course during their development, a pre-rendered trailer can successfully set the tone ahead of its release and capture the player’s imagination. Take the Smite trailer above – a colossal clash between ancient deities. A delicate to-and-fro power struggle. This is what playing the game feels like, and only through this cinematic medium can that be expressed. A pre-rendered trailer captures that spirit and excitement.

Pre-rendered trailers also allow for a much higher level of visual fidelity beyond the power of consoles and PCs. It’s a highly effective way to impress your audience and gauge their reactions in the process.

 

Watch and see

Using a specialist CG studio like REALTIME allows the developer to remain focused on the game itself. Pre-rendered trailers are best left to those proficient in CGI production to help benefit from the time and cost-saving measure.

In today’s social media age, where exposure to your game can be just a few screen taps away, you need a trailer that will capture an audience. Multiple devices in every room allow you to reach a viewer base of millions. To do that, you need a beautifully crafted cinematic trailer to truly seize the interest of your potential players.

At REALTIME we have delivered trailers that have attracted millions of viewers. Our Smite and Subnautica trailers above are only a taste of what we have achieved. If you want a trailer that exudes quality, get in touch with me at [email protected] to discuss any upcoming projects.