TMHE Releases Improvements to Popular Forklift Driving Game, 'Forklift Challenge'

Online, September 20, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Exceeding expectations, Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE)'s first mobile app for the material handling industry, 'Forklift Challenge', has received over 325,000 downloads. As a result TMHE has now made improvements to the game in the hope of providing a more enjoyable gaming experience.

When it was first released in December of 2011 its main function was to demonstrate the advantages and capabilities of the Toyota System of Active Stability (SAS). Players were introduced to the challenges of forklift safety, increasing productivity and reducing material handling costs as they raced their forklift around the track in the fastest time possible.

The game surpassed TMHE's expectations by not only serving to educate people on the benefits of the Toyota SAS, but also appealing to 'casual gamers', who usually expect more from such a game. Based on the feedback and comments from players it was clear that there was still room for improvements to the application. The game will undergo continuous improvement in the usual way, though there are a few particular aspects that will be the focus of these updates.

The first improvement will be to the functionality of the forklifts and their drivability, making them less sensitive to commands and easier to control. This will be beneficial for beginners, as will the addition of a new track, targeted at first time players and containing two SAS mini games. There will also be developments to the graphics and game flow, aiming to create an altogether more enjoyable and smooth gaming experience.

One of the most noticeable changes will be the new in-game events, intended to make the gaming experience more challenging and engaging. A giraffe crane will drop colored balls or carton boxes onto the circuit, which the player will have to avoid along with oil spills, momentarily obscuring visibility on the track.

The updated version of 'Forklift Challenge' will be available online for both the PC and Mac from September 17th 2012 and players will be able to download it onto a handheld device from both iTunes and Google Play. The game is also available to play for free online, here.