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A '''racing video game''' is a genre of [[video game]]s, either in the first- or [[virtual camera system|third-person perspective]], in which the player partakes in a [[racing|racing competition]] with any type of land, air, or sea [[vehicle]]s. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings. In general, they can be distributed along a spectrum anywhere between hardcore [[simulation video game|simulations]], and simpler [[arcade game|arcade]] racing games.
A '''racing video game''' is a genre of [[video game]]s, either in the [[First person (video games)|first-person]] or [[virtual camera system|third-person perspective]], in which the player partakes in a [[racing|racing competition]] with any type of land, air, or sea [[vehicle]]s. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings. In general, they can be distributed along a spectrum anywhere between hardcore [[simulation video game|simulations]], and simpler [[arcade game|arcade]] racing games.


== History ==
== History ==
===1970s===
The [[arcade game]] ''[[Gran Trak 10]]'', released by [[Atari]] in 1974, is generally considered the progenitor of the genre. ''Gran Trak 10'' presents an overhead view of the track in low resolution [[white on black]] graphics, on which the player races against the clock to accumulate points. While challenging, it is not competition racing.
The [[arcade game]] ''[[List of Taito games|Astro Race]]'', released by [[Taito]] in 1973, was an early racing game, where players controlled spaceships that race against opposing ships, while avoiding comets and meteors. The game allowed [[Multiplayer|two-player]] competitive gameplay and was presented in [[black and white]] graphics.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=6949|name=Astro Race}}</ref> The following year, Taito released ''[[List of Taito games|Speed Race]]'', a single-player car racing game with an overhead view and black-and-white graphics.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9709|name=Speed Race}}</ref> The arcade game ''[[Gran Trak 10]]'', released by [[Atari]] in 1974, is also considered a progenitor of the racing genre. ''Gran Trak 10'' presents an overhead view of the track in low resolution [[white on black]] graphics, on which the player races against the clock to accumulate points. While challenging, it is not competition racing.
''[[Night Racer]]'', released by [[Micronetics]]<ref>http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=731</ref> in 1977 and ''[[Night Driver]]'' released by [[Atari]] in 1976 extended the genre into three dimensions by presenting a series of posts by the edge of the road. There was no view of the road or the player's car and the graphics are still low resolution white on black. Like ''Gran Trak 10'', gameplay was a race against the clock.
⚫
''[[Monaco GP (arcade game)|Monaco GP]]'' (released by [[Sega]] in 1979<ref name="system16">[http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=683&page=1#3112 System16 Hardware: DISCRETE LOGIC HARDWARE]</ref>) improved upon ''Gran Trak 10'' with a vertically scrolling view and color graphics.
''[[Turbo (video game)|Turbo]]'' (1981) by [[Sega]] was the first racing game to feature a third-person perspective, rear view format.


[[Image:Pole0000.png|thumbnail|''[[Pole Position (video game)|Pole Position]]'' (1982)]]
[[Image:Fonz 1976 sega arcade.PNG|150px|thumb|''[[Fonz (arcade)|Fonz]]'' (1976)]]


In 1976, [[Sega]] released ''[[Fonz (arcade)|Fonz]]'', based on the [[sitcom]] ''[[Happy Days]]''. It was an early [[motorbike]] racing game, the aim of which was to steer the vehicle across the street, while avoiding any on-coming motorcycles or driving off the road.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=12812|name=Fonz}}</ref> That same year, Taito released ''[[List of Taito games|Crashing Race]]'', a two-player competitive car racing game where each player must try to crash as many computer-controlled cars as possible to score points, and the player with the most points wins.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7422|name=Crashing Race}}</ref> ''Night Racer'', released by Micronetics<ref>http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=731</ref> in 1977 and ''[[Night Driver]]'' released by [[Atari]] in 1976 extended the genre into three dimensions by presenting a series of posts by the edge of the road. There was no view of the road or the player's car and the graphics are still low resolution white on black. Like ''Gran Trak 10'', gameplay was a race against the clock.
⚫
True "racing" as it is now generally accepted was started by the [[Namco]] game ''[[Pole Position]]'' in 1982. This time the player has AI cars to race against, and a time limit pushes the player to go faster. ''Pole Position'' is also the first game to be based on a real racing circuit. The game introduced color graphics at a much higher resolution than earlier titles and pioneered the now common rear-view racer format used in nearly all racing games since then.


⚫
''[[List of Taito games|Road Champion]]'', released by Taito in 1978, was an overhead-view timed car racing game where players try to race ahead of the opposing cars and cross the finish line first to become the winner.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9334|name=Road Champion}}</ref> ''[[Monaco GP (arcade game)|Monaco GP]]'', released by [[Sega]] in 1979,<ref name="system16">[http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=683&page=1#3112 System16 Hardware: DISCRETE LOGIC HARDWARE]</ref> improved upon previous overhead-view racing games with a vertically [[scrolling]] view and color graphics.
⚫
Racing games in general tend to drift toward the arcade side of reality, mainly due to hardware limitations, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It is, however, untrue to say that there were no games considered simulations in their time. In 1984, [[Geoff Crammond]], who later developed the ''Grandprix'' series (Known collectively as GPX to its fanbase), produced what is considered the first attempt at a racing simulator, [[REVS (computer game)|REVS]], for the BBC Microcomputer. The game offered an unofficial, (and hence with no official team or driver names associated with the series) recreation of British Formula 3. The hardware capabilities limited the depth of the simulation and restricted it (Initially) to one track but it was far above any other games at the time in terms of detail.


===1980s===
⚫
In 1986, Sega produced ''[[Out Run]]'', one of the most graphically impressive games of its time. It used two Motorola 68000 CPUs for its 2D sprite-based driving engine, and it became an instant classic that spawned many sequels. It was notable for giving the player the choice of which route to take through the game and the choice of soundtrack to listen to while driving.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8938}}</ref> In 1987, Namco produced ''[[Final Lap]]'', the first arcade game that allowed multiple machines to be linked, allowing for multiplayer races. In the same year, Atari produced ''[[RoadBlasters]]'', a driving game that also involved a bit of shooting. In 1988, Atari introduced ''[[Hard Drivin']]'', the first arcade driving game that included force feedback as well as 3D polygonal graphics. This is the first game where the wheel actually fights the player during aggressive turns. It also featured a crash replay camera view.
In 1980, Namco's driving game ''[[Rally-X]]'' was the first game to feature [[Video game music|background music]],<ref>[http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-2 Gaming's Most Important Evolutions (Page 2)], [[GamesRadar]]</ref> as well as the first game to allow [[scrolling]] in multiple directions, both vertical and [[Side-scrolling video game|horizontal]], and it was possible to pull the screen quickly in either direction.<ref>[http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-3 Gaming's Most Important Evolutions (Page 3)], [[GamesRadar]]</ref> It also featured an early example of a [[Mini-map|radar]], to show the [[Rallying|rally]] car's location on the map.<ref>{{KLOV game|9259|Rally-X}}</ref> ''[[Turbo (video game)|Turbo]]'', released by [[Sega]] in 1981, was the first racing game to feature a [[Third person (video games)|third-person perspective]], rear view format.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10216|name=Turbo}}</ref> ''[[Alpine Ski]]'', released by Taito in 1981, was an early [[Winter sport|winter]] [[sports game]], a vertical-scrolling racing game that involved maneuvering a [[Skiing|skier]] through a [[downhill]] ski course, a [[Slalom skiing|slalom]] racing course, and a [[ski jumping]] competition.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=6871|name=Alpine Ski}}</ref> ''[[Bump 'n' Jump]]'', released by [[Data East]] in 1982, was a vertical-scrolling driving game where the player's car jumps or bumps enemy cars for points, while bonuses were awarded for completing levels without hitting any cars.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7234|name=Bump 'n' Jump}}</ref>


[[Image:Pole0000.png|thumbnail|left|''[[Pole Position (video game)|Pole Position]]'' (1982)]]

⚫
True "racing" as it is now generally accepted was started by the [[Namco]] game ''[[Pole Position]]'' in 1982. This time the player has [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] cars to race against, and a time limit pushes the player to go faster. ''Pole Position'' is also the first game to be based on a real racing circuit. The game introduced color graphics at a much higher resolution than earlier titles and pioneered the now common rear-view racer format used in nearly all racing games since then.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9063|name=Pole Position}}</ref> ''[[Pole Position II]]'' was released the following year, and featured improvements like giving the player the choice of different race courses as well as more colourful landscapes lined with advertising bill-boards.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9064|name=Pole Position II}}</ref>

''[[List of Taito games|Change Lanes]]'', released by Taito in 1983, was a third-person racer where the player's car had fuel that reduces while driving, thus the driver must pick-up fuel cells to get a refuel at each checkpoint, while crashing into cars or obstacles would slow down the car and further reduce its fuel. If the fuel runs out, the game would end.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7314|name=Change Lanes}}</ref> That same year, [[Kaneko]] produced ''Roller Aces'', an early [[roller skating]] racer played from a third-person perspective,<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7314|name=Fighting Roller}}</ref> while [[Irem]] released ''[[MotoRace USA]]'', an early partially third-person [[#Motorcycle racing games|motorbike racer]],<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10185|name=Traverse USA}}</ref> where the player travels across the US and refuels at various cities along the way, while avoiding crashes that can cause a substantial loss of fuel, causing the game to end if the fuel is depleted.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8758|name=MotoRace USA}}</ref>

In 1984, several early racing [[laserdisc video game]]s were released, including Sega's ''GP World''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7874|name=GP World}}</ref> and Taito's ''Laser Grand Prix''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8383|name=Laser Grand Prix}}</ref> which featured live-action footage, [[Aruze|Universal]]'s ''Top Gear'' featuring 3D animated race car driving,<ref>{{KLOV game|id=Top Gear|name=GP World}}</ref> and Taito's ''[[List of Taito games|Cosmos Circuit]]'', featuring animated futuristic racing.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7410|name=Cosmos Circuit}}</ref> Taito also released ''[[List of Taito games|Kick Start]]'', a fully third-person motorbike racing game,<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8301|name=Kick Start}}</ref> and ''[[List of Taito games|Buggy Challenge]]'', an early [[dirt track racing]] game featuring a [[Dune buggy|buggy]].<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7230|name=Buggy Challenge}}</ref> Other early dirt racing games from that year were [[dirt bike]] games: [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Excitebike]]''<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7725|name=Excitebike}}</ref> and [[SNK]]'s [[motocross]] game ''[[List of SNK games#1984|Jumping Cross]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|id=12730|name=Jumping Cross}}</ref> both played from a [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling view]]. SNK also released ''[[List of SNK games|Gladiator 1984]]'', an early [[horse racing]] game,<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7951|name=Gladiator 1984}}</ref> and ''[[List of SNK games|Mad Crasher]]'', an early [[#Futuristic racing games|futuristic racing game]], where the player drives a futuristic motorbike along diagonal-scrolling futuristic roads suspended in mid-air, while leaping across gaps, shooting other cars, and getting bonuses and power-ups.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8483|name=Mad Crasher}}</ref> Another racing game that involved [[Shooter game|shooting]] that year was ''[[Seicross]]'', where the player rides a motorcycle-like craft, bumps other riders, collects power modules and shoots blue coins.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9481|name=Seicross}}</ref> Other notable arcade releases that year include [[Konami]]'s ''[[Road Fighter]]'', a vertical-scrolling racer where the aim is to drive fast, pass cars and avoid accidents for maximum points, while reaching check points before running out of fuel;<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9335|name=Road Fighter}}</ref> and ''[[TX-1]]'', produced by [[Tatsumi]] and published by Atari, featuring a unique three-screen arcade display for the front, left and right perspectives.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10004|name=TX-1}}</ref>

⚫
Racing games in general tend to drift toward the arcade side of reality, mainly due to hardware limitations, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It is, however, untrue to say that there were no games considered simulations in their time. In 1984, [[Geoff Crammond]], who later developed the ''Grandprix'' series (Known collectively as GPX to its fanbase), produced what is considered the first attempt at a racing simulator, ''[[REVS (computer game)|REVS]]'', for the BBC Microcomputer. The game offered an unofficial (and hence with no official team or driver names associated with the series) recreation of British Formula 3. The hardware capabilities limited the depth of the simulation and restricted it (initially) to one track but it was far above any other games at the time in terms of detail.

[[Image:FinalLap.png|thumb|250px|right|''[[Final Lap]]'' (1987)]]

⚫
In 1985, Sega released ''[[Hang-On]]'', a popular early [[Grand Prix]] style rear-view motorbike racer,<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8068|name=Hang On}}</ref> considered the first full-body-experience video game.<ref name="gamecentercx">[[Retro Game Master|GameCenter CX]] - 2nd Season, Episode 13</ref> That same year, [[Jaleco]] released ''[[City Connection]]'', a [[Platform game|platform]]-racer where cops chase the player around different cities in the US, UK, France, Japan and India.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7452|name=Cruisin}}</ref> In 1986, Sega produced ''[[Out Run]]'', one of the most graphically impressive games of its time. It used two Motorola 68000 CPUs for its 2D sprite-based driving engine, and it became an instant classic that spawned many sequels. It was notable for giving the player the choice of which route to take through the game and the choice of soundtrack to listen to while driving.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=8938}}</ref> In 1987, Namco produced ''[[Final Lap]]'', the first arcade game that allowed multiple machines to be linked, allowing for [[multiplayer]] races. In the same year, Atari produced ''[[RoadBlasters]]'', a driving game that also involved a bit of shooting.

In 1988, [[CBS Sony]] released ''[[List of Family Computer games#P|Paris-Dakar Rally Special]]'', an imaginative racing game with [[Platform game|platformer]] and [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] elements, featuring [[Dakar Rally]] cars that could fire bullets, the driver able to exit the car and go exploring to lower a bridge or bypass other obstacles, underwater driving sections, and at times having avoid a fleet of tanks and fighter jets.<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php?print=1 Paris-Dakar Rally Special], [[Gamasutra]]</ref> That same year, Atari introduced ''[[Hard Drivin']]'', the first arcade driving game that included force feedback as well as 3D polygonal graphics. This is the first game where the wheel actually fights the player during aggressive turns. It also featured a crash replay camera view.

===1990s===
In 1990, the now defunct [[Papyrus Design Group]] produced their first attempt at a racing Simulator, the critically acclaimed ''[[Indianapolis 500: The Simulation]]''. Accurately replicating the 1989 Indianapolis 500 grid, it offered advanced 3D graphics for its time, setup options, car failures and handling. The damage modelling, while not accurate by today's standards, was capable of producing some spectacular and entertaining [[Multiple-vehicle collision|pile-ups]]. It was later almost forgotten with the success of Crammond's [[Formula One Grand Prix (Geoff Crammond)|Formula One Grand Prix]], though the 1992 game's graphics were, in some ways, superior to Formula One's.
In 1990, the now defunct [[Papyrus Design Group]] produced their first attempt at a racing Simulator, the critically acclaimed ''[[Indianapolis 500: The Simulation]]''. Accurately replicating the 1989 Indianapolis 500 grid, it offered advanced 3D graphics for its time, setup options, car failures and handling. The damage modelling, while not accurate by today's standards, was capable of producing some spectacular and entertaining [[Multiple-vehicle collision|pile-ups]]. It was later almost forgotten with the success of Crammond's [[Formula One Grand Prix (Geoff Crammond)|Formula One Grand Prix]], though the 1992 game's graphics were, in some ways, superior to Formula One's.


''Formula One Grand Prix'' became the new champion of sim racing. It boasted unparalleled detail and a full recreation of the drivers, cars and circuits of the 1991 Formula One World Championship. However, the U.S. version (known as ''World Circuit'') was not granted an official license by the FIA, so teams and drivers were renamed (though all could be changed back to their real names using the Driver/Team selection menu): [[Ayrton Senna]] became "Carlos Sanchez", for example.
''Formula One Grand Prix'' became the new champion of sim racing. It boasted unparalleled detail and a full recreation of the drivers, cars and circuits of the 1991 Formula One World Championship. However, the U.S. version (known as ''World Circuit'') was not granted an official license by the FIA, so teams and drivers were renamed (though all could be changed back to their real names using the Driver/Team selection menu): [[Ayrton Senna]] became "Carlos Sanchez", for example.


[[Image:Virtua Racing.png|thumb|left|''[[Virtua Racing]]'' (1992)]]
⚫
On the other end of the spectrum, Sega produced [[Virtua Racing]]. While not the first game with 3D graphics (see REVS), it was able to combine the best features of games at the time, along with multiplayer machine linking and clean 3D graphics to produce a game that was above and beyond the arcade market standard of its time. Also, [[Nintendo]] broke new ground by introducing the [[Mario Kart]] series on the SNES with [[Super Mario Kart]]. Using the familiar characters from the [[Mario]] franchise, the game not only departed from the realism paradigm by using small karts for the players to drive, but also featured bright, colourful environments and allowed the players to pick up power-ups to improve performance or hamper other racers. This franchise also spawned multiple sequels.

⚫
On the other end of the spectrum, Sega produced ''[[Virtua Racing]]'' in 1992. While not the first game with 3D graphics (see REVS), it was able to combine the best features of games at the time, along with multiplayer machine linking and clean 3D graphics to produce a game that was above and beyond the arcade market standard of its time. Also, [[Nintendo]] broke new ground by introducing the [[Mario Kart]] series on the SNES with [[Super Mario Kart]]. Using the familiar characters from the [[Mario]] franchise, the game not only departed from the realism paradigm by using small karts for the players to drive, but also featured bright, colourful environments and allowed the players to pick up power-ups to improve performance or hamper other racers. This franchise also spawned multiple sequels.

⚫
In 1993, Namco struck back with ''[[Ridge Racer (video game)|Ridge Racer]]'', and thus began the polygonal war of driving games. In the same year [[Electronic Arts]] produced [[The Need for Speed]], which would later spawn the world's most popular racing game series and the fifth most popular [[video game]] series overall. Sega struck back in 1994 with ''[[Daytona USA (arcade game)|Daytona USA]]'', while Midway introduced Crusin' USA. Atari didn't join the 3D craze until 1997, when it introduced [[San Francisco Rush]]. In 1996, Konami introduced [[GTI Club]] which allowed free roaming of the environment - something of a revolution that had only been done in 3D before in [[Hard Drivin']].

[[Image:Gran Turismo Screenshot.jpg|thumb|''[[Gran Turismo (video game)|Gran Turismo]]'' (1997)]]


In 1997, ''[[Gran Turismo (video game)|Gran Turismo]]'' was released for the [[PlayStation]], after being in production for five years since 1992.<ref>http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/14/gran-turismos-creator-takes-a-fifth-stab-at-a-perfect-racing-game/</ref> It was considered the most realistic racing simulation game in its time, combined with playability, enabling players of all skill levels to play. It is considered the most influential console racing game of all time, featuring the most realistic driving simulation seen on a console up until that time, offering a wealth of meticulous tuning options, and introducing an [[Nonlinear gameplay|open-ended]] [[Be-a-pro mode|career mode]] where players had to undertake [[driving test]]s to acquire [[Driver's license|driving licenses]], earn their way into races and choose their own career path.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/features/6148640/index.html The Greatest Games of All Time: ''Gran Turismo''], [[GameSpot]]</ref> The [[Gran Turismo (series)|''Gran Turismo'' series]] has since become the most popular [[sim racing]] franchise of all time, selling over 61.41 million units worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gtplanet.net/5-5-million-copies-of-gt5-sold-series-tops-60-million/ |title=http://www.gtplanet.net/5-5-million-copies-of-gt5-sold-series-tops-60-million/ |accessdate=2010-12-10 |date=2010-12-10 |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment}}</ref>
⚫
In 1993, Namco struck back with ''[[Ridge Racer (video game)|Ridge Racer]]'', and thus began the polygonal war of driving games. In the same year [[Electronic Arts]] produced [[The Need for Speed]], which would later spawn the world's most popular racing game series and the fifth most popular [[video game]] series overall. Sega struck back in 1994 with ''[[Daytona USA (arcade game)|Daytona USA]]'', while Midway introduced Crusin' USA. Atari didn't join the 3D craze until 1997, when it introduced [[San Francisco Rush]]. In 1996, Konami introduced [[GTI Club]] which allowed free roaming of the environment - something of a revolution that had only been done in 3D before in [[Hard Drivin']]. In 1997, ''[[Gran Turismo (video game)|Gran Turismo]]'' was released for the [[PlayStation]]. It was considered the most realistic racing simulation game in its time, combined with playability, enabling players of all skill levels to play. The ''[[Gran Turismo (series)|Gran Turismo]]'' series has since become one of the most popular racing franchises ever, with the series selling over 56 million copies worldwide.


By 1997, the typical PC was capable of matching an arcade machine in terms of graphical quality, mainly due to the introduction of first generation 3D accelerators such as 3DFX Voodoo. The faster CPUs were capable of simulating increasingly realistic physics, car control, and graphics. [[Colin McRae Rally]] was introduced in 1998 to the PC world, and was a successful semi-simulation of the world of rally driving (previously only available in Sega's less serious [[Sega Rally Championship]]). [[Motorhead (video game)|Motorhead]], a PC game, was later adapted back to arcade.
By 1997, the typical PC was capable of matching an arcade machine in terms of graphical quality, mainly due to the introduction of first generation 3D accelerators such as 3DFX Voodoo. The faster CPUs were capable of simulating increasingly realistic physics, car control, and graphics. [[Colin McRae Rally]] was introduced in 1998 to the PC world, and was a successful semi-simulation of the world of rally driving (previously only available in Sega's less serious [[Sega Rally Championship]]). [[Motorhead (video game)|Motorhead]], a PC game, was later adapted back to arcade.


1999 marked a change of games into more "free form" worlds. [[Midtown Madness]] for the PC allows the player to explore a simplified version of the city of Chicago using a variety of vehicles and any path that they desire. In the arcade world, Sega introduced [[Crazy Taxi]], where you are a taxi driver that needed to get the client to the destination in the shortest amount of time. A similar game also from Sega is [[Emergency Ambulance Driver]], with almost the same gameplay (pick up patient, drop off at hospital, as fast as possible). Games are becoming more and more realistic visually. Some arcade games are now featuring 3 screens to provide a surround view.
1999 marked a change of games into more "free form" worlds. [[Midtown Madness]] for the PC allows the player to explore a simplified version of the city of Chicago using a variety of vehicles and any path that they desire. In the arcade world, Sega introduced [[Crazy Taxi]], where you are a taxi driver that needed to get the client to the destination in the shortest amount of time. A similar game also from Sega is ''Emergency Ambulance Driver'', with almost the same gameplay (pick up patient, drop off at hospital, as fast as possible). Games are becoming more and more realistic visually. Some arcade games are now featuring 3 screens to provide a surround view.


===2000s===
In 2000, Angel Studios (now Rockstar San Diego) introduced the first free-roaming, or the former "free form", racing game on video game consoles and handheld game consoles with [[Midnight Club: Street Racing]] which released on the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Game Boy Advance]]. The game allowed the player to drive anywhere around virtual recreations of London and New York. Instead of using enclosed tracks for races, the game uses various checkpoints on the free roam map as the pathway of the race, giving the player the option to take various shortcuts or any other route to the checkpoints of the race.
In 2000, Angel Studios (now Rockstar San Diego) introduced the first free-roaming, or the former "free form", racing game on video game consoles and handheld game consoles with [[Midnight Club: Street Racing]] which released on the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Game Boy Advance]]. The game allowed the player to drive anywhere around virtual recreations of London and New York. Instead of using enclosed tracks for races, the game uses various checkpoints on the free roam map as the pathway of the race, giving the player the option to take various shortcuts or any other route to the checkpoints of the race.


Revision as of 15:14, 9 January 2011

"Racing game" redirects here. For the type of board game, see race game.

A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings. In general, they can be distributed along a spectrum anywhere between hardcore simulations, and simpler arcade racing games.

History

1970s

The arcade game Astro Race, released by Taito in 1973, was an early racing game, where players controlled spaceships that race against opposing ships, while avoiding comets and meteors. The game allowed two-player competitive gameplay and was presented in black and white graphics.[1] The following year, Taito released Speed Race, a single-player car racing game with an overhead view and black-and-white graphics.[2] The arcade game Gran Trak 10, released by Atari in 1974, is also considered a progenitor of the racing genre. Gran Trak 10 presents an overhead view of the track in low resolution white on black graphics, on which the player races against the clock to accumulate points. While challenging, it is not competition racing.

Fonz (1976)

In 1976, Sega released Fonz, based on the sitcom Happy Days. It was an early motorbike racing game, the aim of which was to steer the vehicle across the street, while avoiding any on-coming motorcycles or driving off the road.[3] That same year, Taito released Crashing Race, a two-player competitive car racing game where each player must try to crash as many computer-controlled cars as possible to score points, and the player with the most points wins.[4] Night Racer, released by Micronetics[5] in 1977 and Night Driver released by Atari in 1976 extended the genre into three dimensions by presenting a series of posts by the edge of the road. There was no view of the road or the player's car and the graphics are still low resolution white on black. Like Gran Trak 10, gameplay was a race against the clock.

Road Champion, released by Taito in 1978, was an overhead-view timed car racing game where players try to race ahead of the opposing cars and cross the finish line first to become the winner.[6] Monaco GP, released by Sega in 1979,[7] improved upon previous overhead-view racing games with a vertically scrolling view and color graphics.

1980s

In 1980, Namco's driving game Rally-X was the first game to feature background music,[8] as well as the first game to allow scrolling in multiple directions, both vertical and horizontal, and it was possible to pull the screen quickly in either direction.[9] It also featured an early example of a radar, to show the rally car's location on the map.[10] Turbo, released by Sega in 1981, was the first racing game to feature a third-person perspective, rear view format.[11] Alpine Ski, released by Taito in 1981, was an early winter sports game, a vertical-scrolling racing game that involved maneuvering a skier through a downhill ski course, a slalom racing course, and a ski jumping competition.[12] Bump 'n' Jump, released by Data East in 1982, was a vertical-scrolling driving game where the player's car jumps or bumps enemy cars for points, while bonuses were awarded for completing levels without hitting any cars.[13]

Pole Position (1982)

True "racing" as it is now generally accepted was started by the Namco game Pole Position in 1982. This time the player has AI cars to race against, and a time limit pushes the player to go faster. Pole Position is also the first game to be based on a real racing circuit. The game introduced color graphics at a much higher resolution than earlier titles and pioneered the now common rear-view racer format used in nearly all racing games since then.[14] Pole Position II was released the following year, and featured improvements like giving the player the choice of different race courses as well as more colourful landscapes lined with advertising bill-boards.[15]

Change Lanes, released by Taito in 1983, was a third-person racer where the player's car had fuel that reduces while driving, thus the driver must pick-up fuel cells to get a refuel at each checkpoint, while crashing into cars or obstacles would slow down the car and further reduce its fuel. If the fuel runs out, the game would end.[16] That same year, Kaneko produced Roller Aces, an early roller skating racer played from a third-person perspective,[17] while Irem released MotoRace USA, an early partially third-person motorbike racer,[18] where the player travels across the US and refuels at various cities along the way, while avoiding crashes that can cause a substantial loss of fuel, causing the game to end if the fuel is depleted.[19]

In 1984, several early racing laserdisc video games were released, including Sega's GP World[20] and Taito's Laser Grand Prix[21] which featured live-action footage, Universal's Top Gear featuring 3D animated race car driving,[22] and Taito's Cosmos Circuit, featuring animated futuristic racing.[23] Taito also released Kick Start, a fully third-person motorbike racing game,[24] and Buggy Challenge, an early dirt track racing game featuring a buggy.[25] Other early dirt racing games from that year were dirt bike games: Nintendo's Excitebike[26] and SNK's motocross game Jumping Cross,[27] both played from a side-scrolling view. SNK also released Gladiator 1984, an early horse racing game,[28] and Mad Crasher, an early futuristic racing game, where the player drives a futuristic motorbike along diagonal-scrolling futuristic roads suspended in mid-air, while leaping across gaps, shooting other cars, and getting bonuses and power-ups.[29] Another racing game that involved shooting that year was Seicross, where the player rides a motorcycle-like craft, bumps other riders, collects power modules and shoots blue coins.[30] Other notable arcade releases that year include Konami's Road Fighter, a vertical-scrolling racer where the aim is to drive fast, pass cars and avoid accidents for maximum points, while reaching check points before running out of fuel;[31] and TX-1, produced by Tatsumi and published by Atari, featuring a unique three-screen arcade display for the front, left and right perspectives.[32]

Racing games in general tend to drift toward the arcade side of reality, mainly due to hardware limitations, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It is, however, untrue to say that there were no games considered simulations in their time. In 1984, Geoff Crammond, who later developed the Grandprix series (Known collectively as GPX to its fanbase), produced what is considered the first attempt at a racing simulator, REVS, for the BBC Microcomputer. The game offered an unofficial (and hence with no official team or driver names associated with the series) recreation of British Formula 3. The hardware capabilities limited the depth of the simulation and restricted it (initially) to one track but it was far above any other games at the time in terms of detail.

Final Lap (1987)

In 1985, Sega released Hang-On, a popular early Grand Prix style rear-view motorbike racer,[33] considered the first full-body-experience video game.[34] That same year, Jaleco released City Connection, a platform-racer where cops chase the player around different cities in the US, UK, France, Japan and India.[35] In 1986, Sega produced Out Run, one of the most graphically impressive games of its time. It used two Motorola 68000 CPUs for its 2D sprite-based driving engine, and it became an instant classic that spawned many sequels. It was notable for giving the player the choice of which route to take through the game and the choice of soundtrack to listen to while driving.[36] In 1987, Namco produced Final Lap, the first arcade game that allowed multiple machines to be linked, allowing for multiplayer races. In the same year, Atari produced RoadBlasters, a driving game that also involved a bit of shooting.

In 1988, CBS Sony released Paris-Dakar Rally Special, an imaginative racing game with platformer and action-adventure elements, featuring Dakar Rally cars that could fire bullets, the driver able to exit the car and go exploring to lower a bridge or bypass other obstacles, underwater driving sections, and at times having avoid a fleet of tanks and fighter jets.[37] That same year, Atari introduced Hard Drivin', the first arcade driving game that included force feedback as well as 3D polygonal graphics. This is the first game where the wheel actually fights the player during aggressive turns. It also featured a crash replay camera view.

1990s

In 1990, the now defunct Papyrus Design Group produced their first attempt at a racing Simulator, the critically acclaimed Indianapolis 500: The Simulation. Accurately replicating the 1989 Indianapolis 500 grid, it offered advanced 3D graphics for its time, setup options, car failures and handling. The damage modelling, while not accurate by today's standards, was capable of producing some spectacular and entertaining pile-ups. It was later almost forgotten with the success of Crammond's Formula One Grand Prix, though the 1992 game's graphics were, in some ways, superior to Formula One's.

Formula One Grand Prix became the new champion of sim racing. It boasted unparalleled detail and a full recreation of the drivers, cars and circuits of the 1991 Formula One World Championship. However, the U.S. version (known as World Circuit) was not granted an official license by the FIA, so teams and drivers were renamed (though all could be changed back to their real names using the Driver/Team selection menu): Ayrton Senna became "Carlos Sanchez", for example.

Virtua Racing (1992)

On the other end of the spectrum, Sega produced Virtua Racing in 1992. While not the first game with 3D graphics (see REVS), it was able to combine the best features of games at the time, along with multiplayer machine linking and clean 3D graphics to produce a game that was above and beyond the arcade market standard of its time. Also, Nintendo broke new ground by introducing the Mario Kart series on the SNES with Super Mario Kart. Using the familiar characters from the Mario franchise, the game not only departed from the realism paradigm by using small karts for the players to drive, but also featured bright, colourful environments and allowed the players to pick up power-ups to improve performance or hamper other racers. This franchise also spawned multiple sequels.

In 1993, Namco struck back with Ridge Racer, and thus began the polygonal war of driving games. In the same year Electronic Arts produced The Need for Speed, which would later spawn the world's most popular racing game series and the fifth most popular video game series overall. Sega struck back in 1994 with Daytona USA, while Midway introduced Crusin' USA. Atari didn't join the 3D craze until 1997, when it introduced San Francisco Rush. In 1996, Konami introduced GTI Club which allowed free roaming of the environment - something of a revolution that had only been done in 3D before in Hard Drivin'.

Gran Turismo (1997)

In 1997, Gran Turismo was released for the PlayStation, after being in production for five years since 1992.[38] It was considered the most realistic racing simulation game in its time, combined with playability, enabling players of all skill levels to play. It is considered the most influential console racing game of all time, featuring the most realistic driving simulation seen on a console up until that time, offering a wealth of meticulous tuning options, and introducing an open-ended career mode where players had to undertake driving tests to acquire driving licenses, earn their way into races and choose their own career path.[39] The Gran Turismo series has since become the most popular sim racing franchise of all time, selling over 61.41 million units worldwide.[40]

By 1997, the typical PC was capable of matching an arcade machine in terms of graphical quality, mainly due to the introduction of first generation 3D accelerators such as 3DFX Voodoo. The faster CPUs were capable of simulating increasingly realistic physics, car control, and graphics. Colin McRae Rally was introduced in 1998 to the PC world, and was a successful semi-simulation of the world of rally driving (previously only available in Sega's less serious Sega Rally Championship). Motorhead, a PC game, was later adapted back to arcade.

1999 marked a change of games into more "free form" worlds. Midtown Madness for the PC allows the player to explore a simplified version of the city of Chicago using a variety of vehicles and any path that they desire. In the arcade world, Sega introduced Crazy Taxi, where you are a taxi driver that needed to get the client to the destination in the shortest amount of time. A similar game also from Sega is Emergency Ambulance Driver, with almost the same gameplay (pick up patient, drop off at hospital, as fast as possible). Games are becoming more and more realistic visually. Some arcade games are now featuring 3 screens to provide a surround view.

2000s

In 2000, Angel Studios (now Rockstar San Diego) introduced the first free-roaming, or the former "free form", racing game on video game consoles and handheld game consoles with Midnight Club: Street Racing which released on the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. The game allowed the player to drive anywhere around virtual recreations of London and New York. Instead of using enclosed tracks for races, the game uses various checkpoints on the free roam map as the pathway of the race, giving the player the option to take various shortcuts or any other route to the checkpoints of the race.

In 2003, Rockstar San Diego's Midnight Club II was the first racing game to feature both playable cars and playable motorcycles.

There is a wide gamut of driving games ranging from simple action-arcade racers like Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (for Nintendo GameCube) and Nick Toon Racers to ultra-realistic simulators like Grand Prix Legends, iRacing, Virtual Grand Prix 3, Live for Speed, NetKar Pro, rFactor and X Motor Racing -- and everything in between.

General genres

Racing simulators

Main article: Sim racing

Simulation style racing games strive to convincingly replicate the handling of an automobile. They often license real cars or racing leagues, but will sometimes use fantasy cars built to resemble real ones if unable to acquire an official license for them. Vehicular behavior physics are a key factor in the experience. The rigors of being a professional race driver are usually also included (such as having to deal with a car's tire condition and fuel level). Proper cornering technique and precision racing maneuvers (such as drafting) are given priority in the simulation racing games.

Although these racing simulators are specifically built for people with a high grade of driving skill, it is not uncommon to find aids that can be enabled from the game menu. The most common aids are traction control (TC), anti-lock brakes, steering assistance, damage resistance, clutch assistance and automatic gear changes. Also driving views, other than the interior driver view, are arcade. This softens the learning curve for the difficult handling characteristics of most racing cars.

The Formula One World Championship has a fan base all over the world and is one of the racing series with the most simulation adaptations.

Some of these racing simulators are customizable, as game fans have decoded the tracks, cars and executable files. Large internet communities have grown around the simulators regarded as the most realistic and many websites host internet championships.

Currently the Racing Sim rFactor has the largest driver base because of its capability of modding. X Motor Racing also has the huge capability of modding and tweaking, including vehicle dynamics and tires. NetKar Pro and X Motor Racing are less popular because of their maximum complexity, but offer better physics simulation.

Arcade racers

Arcade style racing games put fun and a fast-paced experience above all else, as cars usually compete through odd ways. A key feature of arcade racers that specifically distinguishes them from simulation racers is their far more liberal physics. Whereas in real racing (and subsequently, the simulation equivalents) the driver must reduce their speed to take most turns, arcade racing games generally encourage the player to try to take turns as fast as possible (most arcade racers include a "powerslide" maneuver to allow the player to keep up their speed by drifting through a turn rather than slowly entering it). Collisions with other racers, track obstacles, or traffic vehicles is usually much more exaggerated than simulation racers as well. For the most part, arcade racers simply remove the precision required from the simulation experience and focus strictly on the racing element itself. They often license real cars and leagues, but are equally open to more exotic settings and vehicles. Races take place on highways, windy roads, or in cities; they can be multiple-lap circuits or point-to-point, with one or multiple paths (sometimes with checkpoints), or other types of competition, like demolition derby, jumping, or testing driving skills. Popular arcade racers are the Daytona USA series, the Rush, the Ridge Racer series, the Cruis'n Series, the Midnight Club series, and the classic Out Run.

During the mid-late 2000s there was a trend of new street racing; imitating the import scene, one can tune sport compacts and sports cars and race them on the streets. The most widely known ones are the Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition and the Midnight Club series, Need for Speed series, and the Juiced series.

Some arcade racing games increase the competition between racers by adding weapons that can be used against opponents to slow them down or otherwise impede their progress so they can be passed. This is a staple feature in "kart racing" games, such as the Mario Kart series, but this kind of gameplay also appears in standard, car-based racing games as well. Weapons can range from projectile attacks to traps as well as non-combative items like speed boosts. Weapon-based racing games include games such as Full Auto, Rumble Racing, and Blur.

List of racing game sub-genres

On-road

In a car racing game, the primary gameplay mode is driving the car. However, they sometimes offer a secondary mode for tuning up the car.[41] There are various principles in winning car racing games, some of which apply to real life situations while most are unique to the game itself.

Simulation-style racing games

Racing games that are more focused on realism.

Semi-simulation-style racing games

These games are neither simulators nor arcade racers; they stand in the middle of the spectrum.

Arcade-style racing games

Racing games that are not focused on realism.

Street racing games

Sports games

Event racing

Game related to sports events.

Exaggerated sports racing

Game related to exaggerated sports.

Monster truck racing games

To date, Monster Truck Madness is the only monster truck racing game that adds some simulation aspects, such as drag racing. The rest of the games are based either on car crush racing or vehicular combat.

Truck racing games

Motorcycle racing games

Kart racing games

Kart racers, popularized by (and often credited to) the Mario Kart series, are a style of racing game that introduces the ability to pick up items during the race, and use them to boost one's performance in a race, or to attack other players and hamper their progress. Like arcade racers, kart racers feature simple racing physics and imaginative environments to race in. The terminology itself was taken from Go-Kart racing.

Water racing games

Racing that takes place on the ocean, in the sea and on other water-based arenas.

Jetski racing games

Speedboat racing games

Off-road racing games

Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles (including cars, trucks, motorcycles and buggies) compete in races through off-road environments.

Futuristic racing games

With science fiction settings, these games take an abstract view to racing and may feature abstract vehicles such as hoverbikes and race in alien environments. Without having to follow physical laws, the races and vehicles can move with tremendous speeds.

Racing role playing games

Racing games that incorporate the elements of a RPG, such as character attributes and levels.

Mission-based racing games

Racing games feature the players' goal to not race around the tracks by going on a number of laps, but to pick up passengers to take them to somewhere they want to go or to carry things to somewhere.

Arcade racing games timeline

Vehicular combat games

Main article: Vehicular combat game

In these games, gameplay is mostly focused on the combat aspect of driving games, having vehicles equipped with weapons used to attack opponents (or the vehicle itself is a weapon).

See also

References

  1. ^ Astro Race at the Killer List of Videogames
  2. ^ Speed Race at the Killer List of Videogames
  3. ^ Fonz at the Killer List of Videogames
  4. ^ Crashing Race at the Killer List of Videogames
  5. ^ http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=731
  6. ^ Road Champion at the Killer List of Videogames
  7. ^ System16 Hardware: DISCRETE LOGIC HARDWARE
  8. ^ Gaming's Most Important Evolutions (Page 2), GamesRadar
  9. ^ Gaming's Most Important Evolutions (Page 3), GamesRadar
  10. ^ Rally-X at the Killer List of Videogames
  11. ^ Turbo at the Killer List of Videogames
  12. ^ Alpine Ski at the Killer List of Videogames
  13. ^ Bump 'n' Jump at the Killer List of Videogames
  14. ^ Pole Position at the Killer List of Videogames
  15. ^ Pole Position II at the Killer List of Videogames
  16. ^ Change Lanes at the Killer List of Videogames
  17. ^ Fighting Roller at the Killer List of Videogames
  18. ^ Traverse USA at the Killer List of Videogames
  19. ^ MotoRace USA at the Killer List of Videogames
  20. ^ GP World at the Killer List of Videogames
  21. ^ Laser Grand Prix at the Killer List of Videogames
  22. ^ Gear GP World at the Killer List of Videogames
  23. ^ Cosmos Circuit at the Killer List of Videogames
  24. ^ Kick Start at the Killer List of Videogames
  25. ^ Buggy Challenge at the Killer List of Videogames
  26. ^ Excitebike at the Killer List of Videogames
  27. ^ Jumping Cross at the Killer List of Videogames
  28. ^ Gladiator 1984 at the Killer List of Videogames
  29. ^ Mad Crasher at the Killer List of Videogames
  30. ^ Seicross at the Killer List of Videogames
  31. ^ Road Fighter at the Killer List of Videogames
  32. ^ TX-1 at the Killer List of Videogames
  33. ^ Hang On at the Killer List of Videogames
  34. ^ GameCenter CX - 2nd Season, Episode 13
  35. ^ Cruisin at the Killer List of Videogames
  36. ^ Racing game at the Killer List of Videogames
  37. ^ Paris-Dakar Rally Special, Gamasutra
  38. ^ http://venturebeat.com/2010/01/14/gran-turismos-creator-takes-a-fifth-stab-at-a-perfect-racing-game/
  39. ^ The Greatest Games of All Time: Gran Turismo, GameSpot
  40. ^ "http://www.gtplanet.net/5-5-million-copies-of-gt5-sold-series-tops-60-million/". Sony Computer Entertainment. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2010-12-10. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  41. ^ Rollings, Andrew (2006). Fundamentals of Game Design. Prentice Hall. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ Turbo Arcade Game, Turbo Video Game, Sega Turbo Arcade Game, Sega Turbo - ilovethe80s.com
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