"The Pegasus Dream Tour" is a sports role-playing game created by JP Games ©IPC

Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tyre and rubber company and a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner, has announced its sponsorship support for the first official video game of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

As the first partner of "The Pegasus Dream Tour", Bridgestone is said to be committed to helping the IPC engage new and younger audiences to increase awareness and popularity of Paralympic sports.

"The Pegasus Dream Tour" is a sports role-playing game (RPG) created by JP Games, a new studio founded by one of the world’s most successful RPG game directors, Hajime Tabata.

The game, set to launch worldwide in Spring 2020, will place players in a virtual Paralympic Games that takes place inside a fantasy metropolis known as Pegasus City.

It will be accessible on various platforms, including smartphones.

"Bridgestone believes in the power of the Paralympic Movement to create a more inclusive world through sport and inspire people of all abilities to chase their dreams," Mitsuhira Shimazaki, vice-president and officer for G Brand Strategy and OPSCA (Olympics, Paralympics, Sports, Cycle and Active Healthy Lifestyle) at Bridgestone Corporation, said.

"We are excited to work with the IPC and JP Games on this ground-breaking video game to introduce a new generation to the unique excitement of the Paralympic Games and celebrate the truly remarkable feats of Paralympic athletes."

The game will place players in a virtual Paralympic Games ©Paralympic Games/Twitter
The game will place players in a virtual Paralympic Games ©Paralympic Games/Twitter

In April, the IPC announced its intention to release "The Pegasus Dream Tour" for next year's Paralympics in Tokyo.

"Tokyo 2020 is on course to be the best Paralympics to date with billions of people around the world set to engage in the Games," Craig Spence, the IPC's chief marketing and communications officer, said.

"We are absolutely delighted that our Worldwide Paralympic Partner Bridgestone will support 'The Pegasus Dream Tour' opening up the Paralympics to millions of gamers around the world.

"By engaging this new, younger audience, we believe we can make the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics an even bigger success."

Tabata added: "We are proud to announce our in-game collaboration with Bridgestone, who are both world-leaders with their innovative technologies and true supporters of the Paralympics.

"We firmly believe that technology has the power to change the future for the better, and we would therefore like to contribute to the growth of the Paralympic Movement by communicating the excitement of the Paralympics together with Bridgestone."

As first partner, Bridgestone will have unique activation within the game and support the IPC and JP Games in their launch efforts.