Can a videogame help convince someone to become an Uber driver? The company seems to think so, as it’s just released Uber Drive, a Google Maps-based game that puts you in the role of a driver — or “partner” as Uber likes to say. You’re tasked with picking up customers (Uber encourages you to focus on zones with surge pricing) and choosing the most efficient route to their destination.
You do that by tapping on the map as your car drives along; each successful drop off rewards you with cash that can be used to unlock new sections of San Francisco or upgrade to UberBLACK / UberSUV vehicles. Uber Drive offers up some basic facts about San Francisco landmarks as you chauffeur your riders around, and the company seems to think it can help real-life drivers “hone their navigation skills.”