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{{Short description|Video game genre}}
{{about|the video game genre|the type of board game|Race game|electro-mechanical racing games|Electro-mechanical game#Racing games}}
'''Racing games''' are a [[video game genre]] in which the player participates in a [[motor racing|racing competition]]. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic [[sim racing|racing simulations]] and more fantastical arcade-style racing games. [[Kart racing game]]s emerged in the 1990s as a popular sub-genre of the latter. Racing games may also fall under the category of [[sports video game]]s.

==Sub-genres==

===Arcade-style racing===
[[File:Sega Rally.jpg|thumb|''[[Sega Rally]]'' arcade racing games at the [[Veljekset Keskinen]] department store in [[Tuuri]], Finland in 2017]]

Usually, [[Arcade game|arcade]]-style racing games put fun and a fast-paced experience above all else, as cars usually compete in unique ways. A key feature of arcade-style 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 significantly to take most turns, arcade-style racing games generally encourage the player to "powerslide" the car to allow the player to keep up their speed by [[Drifting (motorsport)|drifting]] through a turn. [[Collision]]s with other racers, track [[road debris|obstacles]], or traffic vehicles is usually much more exaggerated than simulation racers as well. For the most part, arcade-style racers simply remove the precision and rigor 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 sprints, with one or multiple paths sometimes with checkpoints, or other types of competition, like [[demolition derby]], jumping, or testing driving skills. Popular arcade-style racing franchises include ''[[Battle Gear]]'', ''[[Out Run]]'', ''[[Ridge Racer (series)|Ridge Racer]]'', ''[[Daytona USA (arcade game)|Daytona USA]]'', ''[[Need for Speed]]'', ''[[Sega Rally]]'', ''[[Cruis'n (series)|Cruis'n]]'', ''[[Burnout (series)|Burnout]]'', ''[[Rush (videogame series)|Rush]]'', ''[[Midnight Club]]'', ''[[Project Gotham Racing]]'', ''[[TrackMania]]'', ''[[MotorStorm (series)|MotorStorm]]'' and ''[[Forza Horizon (series)|Forza Horizon]]''.

Conversely, many arcade racing games in [[amusement arcade]]s frequently use hydraulic [[motion simulator]] [[arcade cabinet]]s that simulate the look and feel of driving or riding a vehicle. For example, a motorbike that the player sits on and moves around to control the on-screen action, or a car-like cabinet (with seats, steering wheel, pedals and gear stick) that moves around in sync with the on-screen action. This has been especially common for arcade racing games from [[Sega]] since the 1980s.<ref name="arcadeheroes"/><ref name="Horowitz"/> However, this can typically only be found in arcade racing games for amusement arcades, rather than arcade-style racing games for home systems.

During the mid-late 2000s there was a trend of new [[street racing]]; imitating the [[import scene]], one can [[car tuning|tune]] [[sport compact|sports compact]]s and [[sports car]]s and race them on the streets. The most widely known ones are the ''[[Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition]]'' and the ''[[Midnight Club]]'' series, certain entries in the ''[[Need for Speed]]'' and ''[[Test Drive]]'' series, ''[[Initial D Arcade Stage|Initial D]]'' series, the ''[[Juiced (series)|Juiced]]'' series and ''[[FlatOut 2]]''. Some arcade-style 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 game]]s such as the ''[[Mario Kart]]'' series, but this kind of game mechanic 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]]'', ''[[Grip: Combat Racing]]'', ''[[Re-Volt]]'' and ''[[Blur (video game)|Blur]]''. There are also [[Vehicular combat game]]s that employ racing games elements: for example, racing has been featured as a game mode in popular vehicular combat franchises such as ''[[Twisted Metal]]'', ''[[Destruction Derby]]'' and ''[[Carmageddon]]''.

===Simulation racing===
{{main|Sim racing}}
[[File:Interaction-Magazine-1998-Holiday.jpg|thumb|[[Sierra Entertainment|Sierra On-Line]] was a leading publisher of 1990s simulation racing games, including titles like ''[[NASCAR Racing 1999 Edition]]'' and ''[[Grand Prix Legends]]''.]]
Simulation style racing games strive to convincingly replicate the handling of a real [[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 [[trail braking]]) are given priority in 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 system|traction control]] (TC), [[anti-lock brakes]] (ABS), steering assistance, damage resistance, clutch assistance, and automatic gear changes.

Sound plays a crucial role in player feedback in racing games, with the engine and tire sounds communicating what is physically happening to the car. The three main elements of car audio are [[intake]], exhaust, and internal engine sounds. Recorded samples of those elements are implemented in-game by methods such as [[granular synthesis]], loop-based modelling, or physical modeling. Tire sounds modulate loop samples or pitch based on [[slip angle]] and deformation to let the player know the limit of grip. The best sounding games effectively integrate the sound model with the vehicle and tire simulation models.<ref>{{Cite podcast |url=http://www.gameaudiopodcast.com/?p=399 |title=#18 – Racing Games |website=Game Audio Podcast |host=Anton Woldhek and Damian Kastbauer |date=May 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531170356/http://www.gameaudiopodcast.com/?p=399 |archive-date=2012-05-31 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kastbauer |first=Damian |date=May 2012 |title=Vroom Vroom: A Study of Sound in Racing Games |url=https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_May_2012.pdf#page=54 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Game Developer (magazine)|Game Developer]] |volume=19 |issue=5 |page=54 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811025321/https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_May_2012.pdf |archive-date=2021-08-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nichols |first=David |date=May 1, 2012 |title=Racing Games: A Sound Study |url=http://www.tracktimeaudio.com/?p=322 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305170505/http://www.tracktimeaudio.com/?p=322 |archive-date=2019-03-05 |website=Track Time Audio}}</ref>

Some of these racing simulators are customizable, as game fans have decoded the tracks, cars, and executable files. Internet communities have grown around the simulators regarded as the most realistic and many websites host internet championships. Some of these racing simulators consist of ''[[Forza (series)|Forza Motorsport]]'', ''[[Gran Turismo (series)|Gran Turismo]]'', ''[[GTR2]]'', ''[[Assetto Corsa]]'', ''[[iRacing]]'', ''[[Project CARS]]'', ''[[Automobilista 2]]'' and many more.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.autoguide.com/top-5-racing-simulator-games|title=Top 5 Best Racing Simulator Games|first1=Sam |last1=McEachern |date=December 9, 2018 |website=Auto Guide}}</ref>

===Kart racing===
{{main|Kart racing game}}
[[File:SuperTuxKart_in-race_(2018).png|thumb|''[[SuperTuxKart]]'', an example of a kart racing video game]]

Kart racing games have simplified driving mechanics while adding obstacles, unusual track designs and various action elements.<ref name="AI">{{cite book|last1=Schwab|first1=Brian|date= 2009|title=AI Game Engine Programming|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UbMLAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA192 |publisher=Cengage Learning|page= 192|isbn=978-1-58450-628-7|access-date=2014-11-27}}</ref> Kart racers are also known to cast characters known from various [[platform game]]s or [[animated cartoon|cartoon television series]] as the drivers of "wacky" vehicles.<ref name="Archi">{{cite book|last1=Gregory|first1=Jason|date= 2009-06-09|title=Game Engine Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=az_Oi9mSSiIC&pg=PA19 |publisher=CRC Press|page= 19|isbn=978-1-4398-7918-4|access-date=2014-11-27}}</ref> Kart racing games are a more [[Arcade racing|arcade-like]] experience than other racing games and usually offer modes in which [[player characters]] can shoot projectiles at one another or collect [[power-up]]s.<ref name="Archi" /><ref>{{cite web| title=The Kart Racing Genre| url=http://www.gamelitist.com/2012/06/the-kart-racing-genre/| author=Adedeji, Shola| date=2012-06-14| publisher=Gamelitist| access-date=2014-12-02| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211113252/http://www.gamelitist.com/2012/06/the-kart-racing-genre/| archive-date=2014-12-11}}</ref> Typically, in such games, vehicles move more alike [[go-kart]]s, lacking anything along the lines of a [[gear stick]] and [[clutch pedal]].<ref name="AI" /><ref name="Level Up!">{{cite book|last1=Rogers|first1=Scott|date= 2014-04-11|title=Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2LNaAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA502 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons|page= 502|isbn=978-1-118-87721-0|access-date=2014-11-27}}</ref>

While [[car combat]] elements date back to earlier titles such as [[Taito]]'s ''[[List of Taito games|Crashing Race]]'' in 1976, the kart racing subgenre was popularized by [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' in 1992 for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES), which spawned the ''[[Mario Kart]]'' series. The game was slower than other racing games of the time due to hardware limitations, prompting the developers to use a go-kart theme for the game. Since then, over 50 kart racing games have been released, featuring characters ranging from [[Nicktoons]] to ''[[South Park]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ryan|first1=Jeff|date= 2011-08-04|title=Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1k-6ksl3uLsC&pg=PT102 |publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-101-51763-5|access-date=2014-11-27}}</ref>

===Futuristic racing===
Futuristic racing games are a type of racing game where players use [[science fiction]] vehicles, such as [[List of fictional cars|sci-fi cars]] or other [[List of fictional vehicles|sci-fi vehicles]], to race against the clock or other vehicles.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Weiss |first1=Brett |title=Classic Home Video Games, 1989-1990: A Complete Guide to Sega Genesis, Neo Geo and TurboGrafx-16 Games |date=21 September 2016 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-6794-2 |page=315 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lGRjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA315}}</ref> A number of futuristic racing games may also feature [[Vehicular combat game|vehicular combat]] elements.

In the arcades, futuristic racing games date back to the 1980s. The [[laserdisc games]] ''[[Star Rider]]'' (1983) and ''[[List of Taito games|Cosmos Circuit]]'' (1984) featured animated racing, using animated laserdisc video for the backgrounds.<ref name="gorzelany">{{cite journal|last1=Gorzelany|first1=Jim|title=Going Full Cycle|journal=Video Games|date=April 1984|volume=2|issue=7|pages=24–29|url=https://archive.org/stream/Video_Games_Volume_2_Number_07_1984-04_Pumpkin_Press_US#page/n24/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{KLOV game|id=7410|name=Cosmos Circuit}}</ref> [[Alpha Denshi]]'s ''Splendor Blast'' (1985) combined ''[[Pole Position]]'' style racing with ''[[Zaxxon]]'' style sci-fi vehicles, space settings and [[shoot 'em up]] elements.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Mike |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=[[Computer Gamer]] |date=June 1985 |issue=3 |publisher=[[Argus Press]] |pages=18–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_03_1985-06_Argus_Press_GB/page/n17/mode/2up}}</ref> ''[[STUN Runner]]'' (1989) by [[Atari Games]] featured [[3D computer graphics|3D polygon graphics]] and allowed players to blast other vehicles.<ref>{{cite web |title=STUN Runner |url=https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/stun-runner-2/ |website=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=20 December 2013 |publisher=[[Future Publishing Limited]] |access-date=15 May 2021}}</ref>

On home consoles, futuristic racing games were defined by [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[F-Zero (video game)|F-Zero]]'' (1990) for the SNES, which spawned the ''[[F-Zero]]'' series. The [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] game ''[[Wipeout (video game)|Wipeout]]'' (1995) by [[Psygnosis]] featured 3D polygon graphics and spawned the ''[[Wipeout (video game series)|Wipeout]]'' series. The ''F-Zero'' series subsequently made the transition to 3D polygon graphics with ''[[F-Zero X]]'' (1998) for the [[Nintendo 64]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=McGuire |first1=Morgan |last2=Jenkins |first2=Odest Chadwicke |title=Creating Games: Mechanics, Content, and Technology |date=23 December 2008 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-56881-305-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swvSgicJM5IC&pg=PA493}}</ref>

==History==
===1941–1976: Electro-mechanical driving games===
{{See|Electro-mechanical game|History of arcade games}}

The basis for racing video games were arcade driving [[electro-mechanical game]]s (EM games). The earliest mechanical racing [[arcade game]] dates back to 1900, when the [[London]]-based Automatic Sports Company manufactured a mechanical [[yacht racing]] game, ''Yacht Racer''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |page=6}}</ref> Mechanical car driving games later originated from British [[amusement arcades]] in the 1930s.<ref name="Smith">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982 |date=19 November 2019 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-0-429-75261-2 |pages=119–20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT119}}</ref> In the United States, [[International Mutoscope Reel Company]] adapted these British arcade driving games into the electro-mechanical game ''Drive Mobile'' (1941), which had an upright [[arcade cabinet]] similar to what arcade video games would later use.<ref name="Lendino">{{cite book |last1=Lendino |first1=Jamie |title=Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games |date=27 September 2020 |publisher=Steel Gear Press |pages=18–9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA18}}</ref> A [[steering wheel]] was used to control a [[model car]] over a road painted on a metal [[Drum (container)|drum]], with the goal being to keep the car centered as the road shifts left and right. Kasco introduced this type of driving game to Japan as ''Mini Drive'' in 1958.<ref name="Smith"/> Capitol Projector's 1954 machine ''[[Auto Test]]'' was a [[driving test]] simulation that used [[film reel]] to project pre-recorded driving [[video]] footage, awarding the player points for making correct decisions as the footage is played. These early EM driving games consisted of only the player vehicle on the road, with no rival cars to race against.<ref name="Williams"/>

EM driving games later evolved in Japan, with Kasco's 1968 racing game ''Indy 500'',<ref name="Smith"/><ref name="Kasco">{{cite web |title=Kasco no Jidai ~ Moto Kansai Seisakusho Staff Interview ~ |script-title=ja:(キャスコの時代 ～元・関西製作所スタッフインタビュー～) |trans-title=Kasco and the Electro-Mechanical Golden Age: Former Kansai Seisakusho Staff Interview |url=http://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_creators_kasco1.html |website=Classic Videogame Station Odyssey |year=2001 |language=ja |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030622095823/http://www.ne.jp/asahi/cvs/odyssey/hyperlink/setframe_creators_kasco1.html |archive-date=2003-06-22 |access-date=16 April 2021 }} Translation available at [http://shmuplations.com/kasco/ ''Shmuplations''].</ref> which was licensed by [[Chicago Coin]] for release in North America as ''Speedway'' in 1969.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kasco Indy 500 coin operated mechanical arcade driving game |url=http://www.pinrepair.com/arcade/k500.htm |website=Pinball Repair |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> It had a circular racetrack with rival cars painted on individual rotating discs illuminated by a lamp,<ref name="Smith"/> which produced colorful graphics<ref name="Smith"/> projected using mirrors to give a [[pseudo-3D]] [[First person (video games)|first-person]] perspective on a screen,<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=20–5, 63–5}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Did You Know... Game & Pop Culture Fun Facts & Trivia |magazine=Live Magazine |date=April–May 2017 |publisher=[[Gametraders]] |pages=26–7 |url=https://issuu.com/gametraders/docs/april_may_magazine_9b4ff4b0a426f3/26}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ramsay |first1=Morgan |title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |date=2012-06-08 |publisher=[[Apress]] |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4302-3352-7 |page=24 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lESCCXkdy3YC&pg=PA24}}</ref> resembling a windscreen view.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arcade Game Flyers: Indy 500, Kansai Seiki International (AU) |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=arcadedb&id=88 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> The gameplay involved players driving down a circular road while dodging cars to avoid crashing,<ref name="Williams"/> and it resembled a prototypical arcade racing video game, with an upright cabinet, yellow marquee, three-digit scoring, coin box, steering wheel and accelerator pedal.<ref name="Lendino"/> ''Indy 500'' sold over 2,000 arcade cabinets in Japan,<ref name="Smith"/> while ''Speedway'' sold over 10,000 cabinets in North America,<ref name="Kasco"/> becoming one of the biggest arcade hits of the 1960s.<ref name="Smith"/> [[Taito]]'s similar 1970 rear-projection driving game ''Super Road 7'' involved driving a car down an endlessly scrolling road while having to dodge cars, which formed the basis for Taito's 1974 racing video game ''[[Speed Race]]''.<ref name="Smith194"/>

One of the last successful electro-mechanical arcade games was ''[[F-1 (arcade game)|F-1]]'', a racing game developed and released by [[Namco]] in 1976, and distributed in North America by [[Atari]] the same year.<ref>{{KLOV game|7743|F-1}}</ref> The gameplay is viewed from the perspective of the driver's viewpoint, which is displayed on the screen using a projector system.<ref name="Interview">{{cite web |title=バンダイナムコ知新「第2回 カーレースゲームの変遷 前編」大杉章氏、岡本進一郎氏、岡本達郎氏インタビュー |url=https://www.bandainamcoent.co.jp/asobimotto/page/carracinggames1.html |website=[[Bandai Namco Entertainment]] |access-date=13 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514132224/https://www.bandainamcoent.co.jp/asobimotto/page/carracinggames1.html |archive-date=14 May 2019 |date=25 April 2019 |lang=ja |url-status=live}}</ref> It was Japan's highest-grossing arcade game for two years in a row, in 1976 and 1977.<ref name="GM159">{{cite magazine|title=調査対象5年間のベスト1|trans-title=Best 1 of the 5 years surveyed|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=159|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=15 February 1981|page=1|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19810215p.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201000303/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19810215p.pdf|archive-date=1 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> ''F-1'' is believed to have been influenced by ''Indy 500'',<ref name="Iwatani">{{cite book|last=Iwatani |first=Toru |title=Introduction to Pac-Man's Game Science |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |date=September 2005 |page=33}}</ref> and would in turn be influential on Namco's racing video games in the 1980s.<ref name="Interview"/> Another notable EM game from the 1970s was ''The Driver'', a racing-[[action game]] released by Kasco (Kansai Seiki Seisakusho Co.) that used [[16 mm film]] to project [[Full motion video based game|full motion video]] on screen, though its gameplay had limited interaction, requiring the player to match their [[Racing wheel|steering wheel]], accelerator and brakes with movements shown on screen, much like the [[Quick time event|sequences]] in later [[Laserdisc Games|LaserDisc games]].<ref>{{KLOV game|10569|The Driver}}</ref>

===1970: Mainframe racing game===
The [[BBC]] television program [[Tomorrow's World]] broadcast a [[mainframe computer]] racing game played between TV presenter [[Raymond Baxter]] and British two-time [[Formula One]] world champion [[Graham Hill]] on their 1970 Christmas special, broadcast on Christmas Eve, 1970.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tomorrow's World |url=https://missingepisodes.proboards.com/thread/12459/tomorrows-world |website=www.missing-episodes.com}}</ref> The game was written by [[IBM]]-employee, Ray Bradshaw, using [[CALL/360:BASIC|CALL/360]] and required two data centre operators to input the instructions.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Unknown |title=Ex-champion rallies, loses on points |url=https://archive.org/details/tomorrows-world-racing-game |work=Data Processing News |publisher=IBM |date=1970}}</ref>

===1972–1988: Top-down 2D racing video games===
[[File:Turbo GT circuit04.gif|thumb|left|''Turbo GT'' (1986) by ERE Informatique, an example of a top-down racing game]]
[[Atari, Inc.|Atari]] founder [[Nolan Bushnell]] had the idea for a driving video game in the early 1970s. When he was a college student, he worked at an arcade where he became familiar with EM driving games, watching customers play and helping to maintain the machinery, while learning how it worked and developing his understanding of how the game business operates.<ref name="NGen23">{{cite magazine|title=The Great Videogame Swindle?|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=23 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=November 1996|pages=211–229 (213)|url=https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration23Nov1996P2/page/n72}}</ref> When he founded Atari, Bushnell had originally planned to develop a driving video game, influenced by ''Speedway'', but they ended up developing ''[[Pong]]'' (1972) instead.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bushnell |first1=Nolan |author1-link=Nolan Bushnell |last2=Weaver |first2=Christopher |title=Nolan Bushnell: Transcript of an interview conducted by Christopher Weaver |url=https://www.si.edu/media/NMAH/NMAH-AC1498_Transcript_NolanBushnell.pdf#page=37 |access-date=20 May 2021 |work=[[Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation]] |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |date=17 November 2017 |pages=33, 45 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423175316/https://www.si.edu/media/NMAH/NMAH-AC1498_Transcript_NolanBushnell.pdf |archive-date=23 April 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The earliest rudimentary racing video game to be released dates back to 1972, with the release of the first [[video game console]], the [[Magnavox Odyssey]]. It included a game called ''Wipeout'', where the player moves a dot around a race track that is outlined by an overlay placed on the television screen. It required the use of physical items to play, including a [[race game]] board, screen overlay, car tokens and pit stop cards.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Weiss |first1=Brett |title=Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide |date=20 December 2011 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-0-7864-8755-4 |page=253 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BzxTtml8Jq4C&pg=PA253}}</ref> In 1973, Atari released ''[[Space Race (video game)|Space Race]]'', an [[arcade video game]] where players control spaceships that race against opposing ships, while avoiding comets and meteors. It is a competitive [[Multiplayer|two-player game]] with black and white graphics and controlled with a two-way joystick.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=9681|name=Space Race}}</ref> The following year, Atari released the first driving video game in the arcades, ''[[Gran Trak 10]]'', which presents an overhead single-screen view of the track in low resolution white-on-black graphics.<ref name="USG">{{cite news |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-first-overhead-viewed-racer-was-a-classic |title=The Grandfather of Racing Games |work=[[Eurogamer|USGamer]] |publisher=Gamer Network |date=2015-07-24 |access-date=2017-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305012051/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-first-overhead-viewed-racer-was-a-classic |archive-date=2016-03-05 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IGNracing">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/27/a-visual-history-of-racing-games|title=The History of Racing Games|first=Seth|last=Macy|date=2015-03-27|work=[[IGN]] |access-date=2017-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818130442/http://uk-microsites.ign.com/the-history-of-racing-games/ |archive-date=2016-08-18 |url-status=live }}</ref> It inspired the [[Kee Games]] clone ''Formula K'', which sold 5,000 [[arcade cabinet]]s.<ref name="Baer">{{cite book |last1=Baer |first1=Ralph H. |author1-link=Ralph H. Baer |title=Videogames: In the Beginning |date=2005 |publisher=Rolenta Press |isbn=978-0-9643848-1-1 |pages=10–3 |url=https://archive.org/details/VideogamesInTheBeginningRalphH.Baer/page/n31/mode/2up}}</ref>

In late 1974, [[Taito]] released ''[[Speed Race]]'' designed by [[Tomohiro Nishikado]] (of ''[[Space Invaders]]'' fame), in which the player drives down a straight track dodging other cars.<ref name="Kohler-16">Chris Kohler (2005), ''Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life'', p. 16, [[BradyGames]], {{ISBN|978-0-7440-0424-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=May 6, 2009|title=Interview: 'Space Invaders' creator Tomohiro Nishikado|work=[[USA Today]]|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2009/05/66479041/1|access-date=2011-03-22}}</ref> The game used [[vertical scrolling]],<ref name="Barton">{{cite book |last1=Barton |first1=Matt |title=Vintage Games 2.0: An Insider Look at the Most Influential Games of All Time |date=8 May 2019 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-000-00092-4 |page=73 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fU-fDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA73}}</ref> inspired by two older [[electro-mechanical game]]s: Kasco's ''Mini Drive'' and Taito's ''Super Road 7''.<ref name="Smith194">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Alexander |title=They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry, Vol. I: 1971-1982 |date=19 November 2019 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-0-429-75261-2 |page=194 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cxy_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT194}}</ref> ''Speed Race'' was re-branded as ''Wheels'' by [[Midway Games]] for release in North America and was influential on later racing games.<ref name="Barton-197">Bill Loguidice & Matt Barton (2009), ''Vintage games: an insider look at the history of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the most influential games of all time'', p. 197, [[Focal Press]], {{ISBN|978-0-240-81146-8}}</ref> Midway also released another version, ''Racer'', with a sit-down cabinet.<ref name="Wolf">{{cite book |last1=Wolf |first1=Mark J. P. |title=The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to Playstation and Beyond |date=2008 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=978-0-313-33868-7 |page=37 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&pg=PA37}}</ref> ''Speed Race'' became a hit in Japan,<ref name="Smith194"/> while ''Wheels'' and ''Wheels II'' sold 10,000 cabinets in the United States.<ref name="Baer"/> Its use of vertical scrolling was adopted by Atari's ''[[Hi-way]]'' (1975), which introduced a sit-down cabinet similar to older electro-mechanical games.<ref name="Barton"/>

In 1977, [[Atari]] released ''[[Super Bug (video game)|Super Bug]]'', a racing game historically significant as "the first game to feature a scrolling playfield" in multiple directions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Super Bug – Overview |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11223 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114222637/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11223 |archive-date=14 November 2014 |website=AllGame |access-date=12 October 2018 |date=14 November 2014}}</ref> Sega's ''[[Monaco GP (video game)|Monaco GP]]'' (1979) was one of the most successful traditional 2D racing games, becoming the most popular arcade driving game in the US [[1981 in video games|in 1981]], and among the highest-grossing games that year,<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=January 9, 1982|title=Industry News: New Equipment, Formula 1 Race|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|page=40|url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox43unse_31/page/40}}</ref> while making a record number of appearances on the ''RePlay'' arcade charts through 1987.<ref name=":110">{{Cite book|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|title=The Sega Arcade Revolution, A History in 62 Games|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2018|isbn=978-1-4766-3196-7|pages=27–29|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xT1jDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27|ref=refHorowitz2018}}</ref> In 1980, [[Namco]]'s overhead-view driving game ''[[Rally-X]]'' was one of the first games to have [[Video game music|background music]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Gaming's most important evolutions |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-2 |website=GamesRadar |page=2 |date=October 8, 2010 |access-date=October 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615221800/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-2 |archive-date=June 15, 2011}}</ref> and allowed [[scrolling]] in multiple directions, both vertical and [[Side-scrolling video game|horizontal]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gaming's most important evolutions |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-3 |date=October 8, 2010 |website=GamesRadar |page=3  |access-date=April 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110615221817/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-3 |archive-date=2011-06-15}}</ref> It also uses a [[Mini-map|radar]], to show the [[Rallying|rally]] car's location on the map.<ref>{{KLOV game|9259|Rally-X}}</ref>

===1976–1992: Pseudo-3D racing video games===
[[File:Fonz 1976 sega arcade.PNG|150px|thumb|''[[Fonz (video game)|Fonz]]'' (1976) upright arcade cabinet]]

In February 1976, [[Sega]] released the arcade game ''[[Fonz (video game)|Road Race]]'',<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite book |chapter=1973-76 |title=Sega Arcade History |date=2002 |series=[[Famitsu DC]] |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |pages=30–2 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/segaarcadehistoryfamitsudc/page/n31/mode/2up |lang=ja}}</ref> which was re-worked into a [[motorbike]] variant ''Moto-Cross'',<ref name=Moto-Cross>{{KLOV game|12812|Moto-Cross}}</ref> also known as ''Man T.T.'' (released August 1976).<ref name="Famitsu"/> It was then re-branded as ''[[Fonz (video game)|Fonz]]'' in the US, as a tie-in for the popular [[sitcom]] ''[[Happy Days]]''.<ref name=Fonz>{{KLOV game|id=7836|name=Fonz}}</ref> The game featured a three-dimensional perspective view,<ref>{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Fonz, Sega |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=1715 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |publisher=[[Killer List of Videogames]] |access-date=November 15, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> as well as [[haptic technology|haptic feedback]], which caused the [[motorcycle handlebar]]s to vibrate during a collision with another vehicle.<ref>Mark J. P. Wolf (2008), ''The video game explosion: a history from PONG to Playstation and beyond'', p. 39, [[ABC-CLIO]], {{ISBN|978-0-313-33868-7}}</ref> In Spring 1976,<ref name="PM1976">{{cite magazine |title=Sexton Star of MOA Seminar: Video |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=December 1976 |volume=2 |issue=14 |pages=20-26 (23-6) |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-2-number-14-december-1976-600DPI/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%202%2C%20Number%2014%20-%20December%201976/page/n20}}</ref> the arcade game ''[[Nürburgring 1]]'' presented a [[First person (video games)|first-person]] view.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://jalopnik.com/5906386/meet-the-doctor-engineer-who-basically-invented-the-modern-racing-game|title=Meet The Doctor-Engineer Who Basically Invented The Modern Racing Game|last=Torchinsky|first=Jason|work=Jalopnik|access-date=2017-07-29|language=en-US}}</ref> Considered the first "scandalous" arcade game,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Plunkett |first1=Luke |title=Death Race, the World's First Scandalous Video Game |url=https://kotaku.com/5889166/death-race-the-first-scandalous-video-game |website=Kotaku |publisher=Gizmodo Media Group |access-date=19 October 2018 |date=28 February 2012}}</ref> [[Exidy]]'s ''[[Death Race (1976 video game)|Death Race]]'' (1976) was widely criticized in the media for its violent content, which only served to substantially increase its popularity.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris |title=How Protests Against Games Cause Them To Sell More Copies |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/10/how-protests-ag/ |magazine=WIRED |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=19 October 2018 |date=30 October 2007}}</ref> Sega released a two-player version of ''Man T.T.'' called ''Twin Course T.T.'' in January 1977.<ref name="Famitsu1977">{{cite book |chapter=1977-78 |title=Sega Arcade History |date=2002 |series=[[Famitsu DC]] |publisher=[[Enterbrain]] |pages=33–6 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/segaarcadehistoryfamitsudc/page/n34 |lang=ja}}</ref><ref>{{KLOV game|12829|Twin Course T.T.}}</ref> 1979 saw the release of [[Vectorbeam]]'s ''[[Speed Freak]]'', a [[three-dimensional space|three-dimensional]] [[vector graphics|vector]] racing game, which [[Killer List of Videogames]] calls "very impressive and ahead of their time".<ref>{{KLOV game|9707|Speed Freak}}</ref> ''[[Turbo (video game)|Turbo]]'', released by [[Sega]] in 1981, was the first racing game to use [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]] [[2.5D#Scaling along the Z axis|scaling]] with full-color graphics.<ref name="SEGA">{{cite web|last=Fahs |first=Travis |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/21/ign-presents-the-history-of-sega|title=IGN Presents the History of SEGA|website=IGN |date=2009-04-21 |access-date=2020-06-07}}</ref>

''[[Pole Position]]'', developed by Namco and released by Atari in North America, was released in 1982. It is considered "arguably the most important racing game ever made."<ref name="Loguidice">{{citation|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|first1=Bill|last1=Loguidice|first2=Matt|last2=Barton|publisher=[[Focal Press]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-240-81146-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_bFdsP9L7oC|pages=195–6|ref=vintage_log}}</ref> It was an evolution of Namco's earlier racing [[electro-mechanical game]]s, notably ''[[F-1 (arcade game)|F-1]]'' (1976), whose designer Sho Osugi worked on ''Pole Position''.<ref name="Interview"/> ''Pole Position'' was the first video game to be based on a real racing circuit, and the first with a qualifying lap, where the player needs to complete a [[time trial]] before they can compete in [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]] races. While not the first third-person racing video game (it was predated by Sega's ''Turbo''), ''Pole Position'' established the conventions of the genre and its success inspired numerous imitators.<ref name="Loguidice"/> According to ''[[Electronic Games]]'', for "the first time in the amusement parlors, a first-person racing game gives a higher reward for passing cars and finishing among the leaders rather than just for keeping all four wheels on the road".<ref>{{cite journal|title=Coin-Op Game of the Year|journal=[[Electronic Games]]|date=January 1984|volume=2| issue=23|url=https://archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1984-01/Electronic_Games_Issue_23_Vol_02_11_1984_Jan#page/n75/mode/2up|access-date=11 February 2012|page=77}}</ref> According to [[IGN]], it also "introduced checkpoints," and its success, as "the [[List of highest-grossing arcade games|highest-grossing]] arcade [[1983 in video games|game of 1983]] in North America, cemented the genre in place for decades to come and inspired a horde of other racing games".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://ign.com/articles/2015/04/03/the-top-10-most-influential-racing-games-ever?page=2 |title=The Top 10 Most Influential Racing Games Ever – IGN – Page 2 |website=IGN.com |date=2015-04-03 |access-date=2016-05-13}}</ref> It sold over 21,000 arcade cabinets in the US by 1983,<ref name="atari_memo2">{{cite web|last=Fujihara|first=Mary|title=Inter Office Memo|url=http://www.atarigames.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49:atari-sales-estimates-for-other-manufactures-2&catid=5:atari-inter-office-memos&Itemid=5|publisher=[[Atari]]|access-date=18 March 2012|date=1983-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705035754/http://www.atarigames.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49:atari-sales-estimates-for-other-manufactures-2&catid=5:atari-inter-office-memos&Itemid=5|archive-date=2015-07-05}}</ref> and again became the highest-grossing [[1984 in video games|arcade game of 1984]] in the US.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Michael Jackson Sweeps AMOA Awards; 'Pole Position' Wins In Games Division |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=November 10, 1984 |pages=31, 33 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-11-10.pdf#page=31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815220650/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-11-10.pdf |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Taito's ''Laser Grand Prix'', introduced in July 1983, was the first racing [[laserdisc game]], using pre-recorded live-action footage.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Overseas Readers Column: Taito Unveils LD Video Driving Game "Laser Grand Prix"|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=219|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 September 1983|page=30|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19830901p.pdf#page=16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131232027/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19830901p.pdf|archive-date=31 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{KLOV game|id=8383|name=Laser Grand Prix}}</ref> In 1984, several other racing laserdisc games followed, including Sega's ''GP World'' with live-action footage<ref>{{KLOV game|id=7874|name=GP World}}</ref> and [[Aruze|Universal]]'s ''Top Gear'' featuring 3D animated race car driving.<ref>{{KLOV game|id=10151|name=Top Gear}}</ref> The same year, [[Irem]]'s ''[[The Battle-Road]]'' was a [[Vehicular combat game|vehicle combat]] racing game with branching paths and up to 32 possible routes.<ref>{{KLOV game|7055|Battle-Road, The}}</ref> [[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 on a home system, ''[[REVS (computer game)|REVS]]'', released 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 offered a semi-realistic driving experience with more detail than most other racing games at the time.<ref name="gamespot1">{{cite web|title=The History of Papyrus Racing – Page 2|url= https://www.gamespot.com/articles/history-of-papyrus-racing-games/1100-6103365/|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=2020-06-07}}</ref>

Since the mid-1980s, it became a trend for arcade racing games to use hydraulic [[motion simulator]] [[arcade cabinet]]s.<ref name="arcadeheroes">{{cite news |title=Sega's Wonderful Simulation Games Over The Years |url=https://arcadeheroes.com/2013/06/06/segas-wonderful-simulation-games-over-the-years/ |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=Arcade Heroes |date=6 June 2013}}</ref><ref name="Horowitz">{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=The Sega Arcade Revolution: A History in 62 Games |date=6 July 2018 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-3196-7 |pages=96–9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qZhDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA96}}</ref> The trend was sparked by [[Sega]]'s "taikan" games, with "taikan" meaning "body sensation" in Japanese.<ref name="Horowitz"/> The "taikan" trend began when [[Yu Suzuki]]'s team at Sega (later known as [[Sega AM2]]) developed ''[[Hang-On]]'' (1985), a [[racing video game]] where the player sits on and moves a [[motorbike]] replica to control the in-game actions.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki: Part 1 |url=http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602020545/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=1 |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=[[1Up.com]] |date=2010 |page=2 |archive-date=2016-06-02}}</ref> ''Hang-On'' was a Grand Prix style motorbike racer.<ref name=Hang-On>{{KLOV game|id=8068|name=Hang On}}</ref> It used [[Haptic technology|force feedback]] technology and was also one of the first arcade games to use [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit graphics]] and Sega's "[[Sega Super Scaler|Super Scaler]]" technology that allowed [[2.5D|pseudo-3D]] [[Sprite (computer graphics)#Move to 3D|sprite-scaling]] at high [[frame rate]]s.<ref name="SEGA"/> ''Hang-On'' became the highest-grossing [[1986 in video games|arcade game of 1986]] in the United States,<ref>{{cite news |title=Top 20 of 1986 |work=Top Score |date=July–August 1987 |publisher=Amusement Players Association |page=3 |url=http://www.videoparadise-sanjose.com/ts-3.htm}}</ref> and one of the year's highest-grossing arcade games in Japan<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 上半期 |trans-title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: First Half '86 |magazine=Game Machine |issue=288 |publisher=Amusement Press |date=15 July 1986 |page=28 |lang=ja |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf#page=15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131230825/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860715p.pdf |archive-date=31 January 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: '86 下半期 |trans-title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25: Second Half '86 |magazine=Game Machine |issue=300 |publisher=Amusement Press |date=15 January 1987 |page=16 |lang=ja |url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870115p.pdf#page=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102030942/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19870115p.pdf |archive-date=2 November 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> and London.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=1986 Top Ten Coin-Ops |magazine=[[Sinclair User]] |date=18 January 1987 |issue=59 (February 1987) |page=96 |url=https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-059/page/n94/mode/1up}}</ref>

Suzuki's team at Sega followed it with hydraulic motion simulator cockpit cabinets for later racing games, notably ''[[Out Run]]'' (1986).<ref name="arcadeheroes"/> It was one of the most graphically impressive games of its time, known for its pseudo-3D sprite-based driving engine, and it became an instant classic that spawned many sequels. It was also notable for giving the player the [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]] 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> represented as radio stations. The game has up to five endings depending on the route taken, and each one was an ending sequence rather than a simple "Congratulations" as was common in game endings at the time.<ref>{{cite web|first=Brian|last=Gazza|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/outrun/|title=Outrun|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=2018-10-11}}</ref> It became Sega's best-selling arcade cabinet of the 1980s,<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|last=Thorpe|first=Nick|date=June 2016|title=The History of OutRun|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|publisher=[[Future Publishing]]|issue=156|pages=20–29|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> with over 30,000 arcade cabinets sold worldwide.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=August 1994|title=OutRun|magazine=[[Mean Machines Sega]]|publisher=EMAP|issue=22|page=92|issn=0967-9014}}</ref> The same year, Durell released ''[[Turbo Esprit]]'', which had an official Lotus license, and working car indicator lights.

In 1987, [[Square (video game company)|Square]] released ''[[Rad Racer]]'', one of the first [[Stereoscopic video game|stereoscopic 3D]] games.<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Faylor|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/52788/james-cameron-true-3d-gaming |title=James Cameron: True 3D Gaming Is the Future, Already in Upcoming Avatar Game |website=Shacknews.com |date= May 21, 2008|access-date=2016-05-13}}</ref> In the same year, Atari produced ''[[RoadBlasters]]'', a driving game that also involved a bit of shooting.

One of the last successful pseudo-3D arcade racers was Sega's ''[[Super Monaco GP]]'' (1989), a simulation of the [[Monaco Grand Prix]].<ref name="cvg">{{cite magazine|title=C+VG Arcade Action|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=September 1989|page=85}}</ref> It was the third highest-grossing [[1989 in video games|arcade game of 1989]] in Japan,<ref name="Gamest1989">{{cite magazine |title=第３回 ゲーメスト大賞 – インカム部門ベスト10 |trans-title=3rd Gamest Awards – Income Category: Best 10 |magazine=[[Gamest]] |date=February 1990 |volume=41 |url=https://archive.org/details/gamest0041/page/79 |page=79 |lang=ja}}</ref> and again the third highest-grossing [[1990 in video games|arcade game of 1990]] in Japan.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=第４回ゲーメスト大賞 – インカム部門ベスト10 |trans-title=4th Gamest Awards – Income Category: Best 10 |magazine=[[Gamest]] |date=February 1991 |volume=54 |url=https://archive.org/details/gamest0054/page/24 |page=24 |lang=ja}}</ref> In 1992, Nintendo released ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'', but it was known that it was [[2.5D|pseudo-3D]] racing. Here it has items to affect players from racing and the referee, [[Lakitu]] will help you out to know the rules and rescue racers from falling down.<ref name="Nintendo AU">{{cite web|title=Super Mario Kart|url=http://www.nintendo.com.au/the-history-of-mario-kart-a-race-through-time|work=The history of Mario Kart: a race through time…|publisher=Nintendo Australia|access-date=June 14, 2017|year=2014|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220024132/http://www.nintendo.com.au/the-history-of-mario-kart-a-race-through-time}}</ref>

===1988–1994: Transition to 3D polygon graphics===
[[File:Daytona Twin.jpg|thumb|''[[Daytona USA]]'' (1994) twin-seat arcade cabinet]]

In 1988, Namco released ''[[Winning Run]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|10446|Winning Run}}</ref> which used [[3D computer graphics|3D polygon graphics]].<ref name="ACE">{{cite news |title=Winning Run |url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/41/398 |date=1 October 1989 |publisher=Advanced Computer Entertainment}}</ref> It became the second highest-grossing [[1989 in video games|arcade game of 1989]] in Japan.<ref name="Gamest1989"/> In 1989, Atari released ''[[Hard Drivin']]'', another arcade driving game that used 3D polygon graphics. It uses force feedback, where the wheel fights the player during aggressive turns, and a crash replay camera view.

Sega produced ''[[Virtua Racing]]'' in 1992. While not the first arcade racing game with 3D graphics (it was predated by ''[[Winning Run]]'', ''[[Hard Drivin']]'' and ''[[Stunts (video game)|Stunts]]''), it was able to combine the best features of games at the time, along with multiplayer machine linking and clean [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] to produce a game that was above and beyond the arcade market standard of its time, laying the foundations for subsequent 3D racing games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Virtua Racing—Arcade (1992) |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html |work=15 Most Influential Games of All Time |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=12 April 2012 |year=2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320230656/http://uk.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html |archive-date=20 March 2013 }}</ref> It improved on earlier 3D racing games with more complex 3D models and backdrops, higher frame rate, and switchable camera angles including chase-cam and first-person views. IGN considers it the third most influential racing game of all time.<ref name="IGN"/>

In 1993, Namco released ''[[Ridge Racer (video game)|Ridge Racer]]''. Its 3D polygon graphics stood out for the use of [[Gouraud shading]] and [[texture mapping]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Throwback Thursday: Ridge Racer|last1=McFerran|first1=Damien|url=http://www.redbull.com/us/en/games/stories/1331725605089/throwback-thursday-ridge-racer|website=Red Bull|access-date=23 September 2015|date=28 May 2015}}</ref> And thus began the [[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygon]] war of driving games. Sega later released ''[[Daytona USA (arcade game)|Daytona USA]]'', which featured 3D polygon graphics with [[texture filtering]].<ref name="SEGA"/> The following year, [[Electronic Arts]] produced ''[[The Need for Speed]]'', which would later spawn one of the world's most successful racing game series and one of the most successful video game series. In the same year, [[Midway Games|Midway]] introduced ''[[Crusin' USA]]''.

===1989–1995: Emergence of sim racing subgenre===
{{See also|Sim racing}}

The now defunct [[Papyrus Design Group]] produced their first attempt at a racing simulator in 1989, the critically acclaimed ''[[Indianapolis 500: The Simulation]]'', designed by David Kaemmer and Omar Khudari. The game is generally regarded as the first true auto racing simulation on a personal computer. Accurately replicating the 1989 Indianapolis 500 grid, it offered advanced 3D graphics for its time, setup options, car failures and handling. Unlike most other racing games at the time, ''Indianapolis 500'' attempted to simulate realistic [[Game physics|physics]] and [[telemetry]], such as its portrayal of the relationship between the four contact patches and the pavement, as well as the loss of grip when making a high-speed turn, forcing the player to adopt a proper racing line and believable throttle-to-brake interaction. It includes a garage facility to allow players to enact modifications to their vehicle, including adjustments to the tires, shocks and wings.<ref name="gamespot1"/> The damage modelling, while not accurate by today's standards, was capable of producing some spectacular and entertaining [[Multiple-vehicle collision|pile-ups]].

Crammond's ''[[Formula One Grand Prix (Geoff Crammond)|Formula One Grand Prix]]'' in 1992 became the new champion of sim racing, until the release of Papyrus' ''[[IndyCar Racing]]'' the following year.<ref>{{cite web|title=The History of Papyrus Racing – Page 3 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6103365/p-3.html |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=2011-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708183927/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6103365/p-3.html |archive-date=2012-07-08 }}</ref> ''Formula One Grand Prix'' boasted detail that was unparalleled for a computer game at the time as well as 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.

In 1995, ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]'' introduced [[Rallying|rally]] racing and featured [[Cooperative video game|cooperative gameplay]] alongside the usual competitive multiplayer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 25 Racing Games... Ever! Part 2|work=[[Retro Gamer]]|pages=5–6|date=21 September 2009|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/424/top-25-racing-games-ever-part-2?o=4#listing|access-date=2011-03-17}}</ref> ''Sega Rally'' was also the first to feature driving on different surfaces (including [[asphalt concrete|asphalt]], [[gravel]], and [[mud]]) with different [[friction]] properties and the car's handling changing accordingly, making it an important milestone in the genre.<ref>{{citation|title=[[Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, 2009]]|date=February 2009|page=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_o9k7/page/103 103]|publisher=Guinness World Records |isbn=978-1-904994-45-9}}</ref>

===1996–present: Modern racing games===
During the early-to-mid-1990s, Sega and Namco largely had a monopoly on high-end arcade racing games with realistic 3D visuals. In 1996, a number of competitors attempted to challenge their dominance in the field, including Atari Games with ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing]]'', [[Gaelco]] with ''Speed Up'', [[Jaleco]] with ''Super GT 24h'', and [[Konami]] with ''[[Winding Heat]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Driving Force: Driving Games And Simulators Hit The Arcade |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |date=December 1996 |issue=89 |page=144 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/9e/EGM_US_089.pdf#page=144 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206210650/https://retrocdn.net/images/9/9e/EGM_US_089.pdf |archive-date=6 February 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1996, [[Nintendo]] created a 3D game called ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', a sequel to ''Super Mario Kart'' and has an action so that [[Lakitu]] needs to either reverse, rev up your engines to Rocket Start, or rescue players. ''Mario Kart 64'' focused more on the items used.<ref name="Nintendo AU"/> Atari didn't join the 3D craze until 1997, when it introduced ''[[San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing|San Francisco Rush]]''.

In 1997, ''[[Gran Turismo (1997 video game)|Gran Turismo]]'' was released for the [[PlayStation]], after being in production for five years since 1992.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dean Takahashi |url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/01/14/gran-turismos-creator-takes-a-fifth-stab-at-a-perfect-racing-game/ |title=Gran Turismo's creator takes a fifth stab at a perfect racing game &#124; GamesBeat &#124; Games &#124; by Dean Takahashi |website=Venturebeat.com |date=2010-01-14 |access-date=2016-05-13}}</ref> It was considered the most realistic racing simulation game in its time,<ref name=GameSpot/> combined with playability, enabling players of all skill levels to play. It offered a wealth of meticulous tuning options and introduced an [[Nonlinear gameplay|open-ended]] [[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 name=GameSpot>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6148640/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: ''Gran Turismo'' |department=Features |website=GameSpot |access-date=February 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528151721/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6148640/index.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010 }}</ref> The [[Gran Turismo (series)|''Gran Turismo'' series]] has since become the second-most successful racing game franchise of all time, selling over 80 million units worldwide as of April 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_4529105.html|title='Gran Turismo' Franchise Sales Surpasses 80 Million – Gran Turismo Sport|website=gran-turismo.com}}</ref>

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 the less serious ''Sega Rally Championship''. ''[[Motorhead (video game)|Motorhead]]'', a PC game, was later adapted back to arcade. In the same year, Sega releases ''[[Daytona USA 2]]'' (Battle On The Edge and Power Edition), which is one of the first racing games to feature realistic [[Collision|crashes]] and [[graphics]].

The year 1999 introduced ''[[Crash Team Racing]]'', a kart racing game featuring the characters from Crash Bandicoot. It was praised for its controls and courses. Crash Bandicoot and its racing series has continued, with the most recent game being ''[[Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled]]'' (June 2019). The year 1999 also 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 (video game)|Crazy Taxi]]'', a [[Open world|sandbox]] racing game where you are a taxi driver that needed to get the client to the destination in the shortest amount of time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 25 Racing Games... Ever! Part 1|work=[[Retro Gamer]]|date=16 September 2009|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/423/top-25-racing-games-ever-part-1?o=1|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160523152201/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/423/top-25-racing-games-ever-part-1?o=1|archive-date=23 May 2016|access-date=2011-03-17}}</ref> A similar game also from Sega is ''[[Emergency Call Ambulance]]'', 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.

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 2001 [[Namco]] released ''[[Wangan Midnight]]'' to the arcade and later released an upgrade called Wangan Midnight R. Wangan Midnight R was also ported to the [[PlayStation 2]] by Genki as just Wangan Midnight.

In 2003, Rockstar San Diego's ''[[Midnight Club II]]'' was the first racing game to feature both playable cars and playable motorcycles. Namco released a sort of sequel to ''Wangan Midnight R'' called ''Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune''.

There is a wide gamut of driving games ranging from simple action-arcade racers like ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' (for [[Nintendo Switch]]) and ''Nicktoon Racers'' to ultra-realistic simulators like ''[[Grand Prix Legends]]'', [[iRacing]], ''Virtual Grand Prix 3'', ''[[Live for Speed]]'', ''[[NetKar Pro]]'', ''[[Assetto Corsa]]'', ''[[GT Legends]]'', ''[[GTR2]]'', ''[[rFactor]]'', ''[[X Motor Racing]]'', ''CarX Street'', and iPad 3D racer ''Exhilarace''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_4529105.html|title='Gran Turismo' Franchise Sales Surpasses 80 Million – Gran Turismo® Sport|website=gran-turismo.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Formula One video games]]
* [[List of racing video games]]
* [[Vehicle simulation game]]
* [[List of vehicular combat games]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Video game genre}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Racing video game}}
[[Category:Racing video games| ]]
[[Category:Video game genres]]