Game gimmick in Japan takes sales skyward

TOKYO--Aquasystem Inc. announced plans to sell its new PC flight simulator in-flight on Japanese domestic carrier Skymark Airlines. Aquasystem develops PC, Xbox and PS2 games, with a focus on airplane flight simulators.

The game, called "A Flight with Skymark," allows players to take control of a Skymark-badged 767 to fly on any of the airline's routes. The software goes on sale on November 11 for 2,980 yen ($26) and will be featured in in-flight videos and the airline's magazine, as well as being available for purchase during the flight.

This looks like a good deal for Aquasystem, as the company gains access to a novel sales channel offering a captive audience and no competition. The benefits for Skymark are less obvious, but, presumably, the company hopes to gain publicity and may build some customer loyalty among PC gamers who purchase the software and become Skymark pilots--at least on their own computers.

Still, this effort may not be enough to bring Skymark into the black. Since its inception in 1996, the discount airline has yet to make a profit, and in September it was forced to issue additional shares to pay off debt and avoid being de-listed from the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market.