Dubai: Legendary rally driver Sebastien Loeb’s car features the logo of sponsors Abu Dhabi prominently.
And that’s crossed over from real life to video games as Milestone, developers of the game Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo, are keen to duplicate the star’s iconic vehicle in the game.
It’s also likely the game will feature a stage set in the emirate as well.
“Milestone has spoken with the office in Abu Dhabi responsible for the logo to get permission to use it in the official library,” said Milestone senior product manager Andrea Giolito. “It’s a very special one to celebrate Sebastien Loeb’s career.
“We also have permission to use Abu Dhabi’s logo on the side of the tracks.
“Every single sponsor has been easier to work with since we are working closely with Sebastien Loeb himself.”
Giolito was unable to confirm whether the Abu Dhabi course would feature in the game or as part of downloadable content (DLC) to be released later.
“It’s not been announced yet, but there will be 64 tracks around the world in the game, and more in DLC.
“If we have time to close, it [Abu Dhabi] will be in the game; if not it will be in the first DLC.”
Giolito said he had been surprised by the prominence of rallying as a sport in the Middle East.
“In Europe, in France there’s Sebastien Loeb — nine times consecutive champion — and there are two or three other countries where rallying is very popular.
“I didn’t realise in the Middle East there was such a passion for rallying. It’s something I discovered this last year. It gives us great expectations for this game in the region.”
Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo will be distributed locally by Geekay Distribution. It is due to be released in 2016.
