Racing and video games have gone hand in hand throughout history, with Atari’s 1974 release of Gran Trak 10 being one of the first major examples. It has truly felt like a symbiotic relationship from the start. But how have they affected one another throughout their life spans?
The need for realism
Gaming communities have been pursuing realistic driving games almost since the dawn of time, with the aforementioned Gran Trak 10 being the first arcade cabinet to incorporate a steering wheel to control your player.
This need has only increased with time, and with the leaps and bounds the industry has made with new technology, this vision has been realised to a greater extent. Games such as iRacing offer an immersive experience where players can race on true-to-life tracks and have cutting-edge simulation setups.
The impact that simulation has had on the racing industry
It’s no secret that Formula One drivers use simulators extensively to hone their craft before they go out on the track. These simulators are near enough a one-to-one replication of how it feels to get in an F1 car.
Unfortunately for us, this level of racing simulation isn’t readily available to the public, as the teams responsible for the drivers will have invested millions of dollars in top-of-the-line equipment, along with G-force replicating helmets. So, unless you have a spare five million lying around, this will remain a distant dream.
Modern online games and racing
Since the internet is considerably more accessible than it once was, the potential for different types of online gaming has greatly increased. The Crew, for example, was a massive multiplayer game in which the player could traverse the entirety of the USA, able to run into other racers and start a street race at a moment’s notice.
The racing aesthetic has also been massively influential for other genres of games; just take a look at the best online slots available right now – the intensity of track racing goes hand in hand with the feeling of pulling the lever of an online slot machine.
Racing advertising in video games
One of the great things about racing games with either real-life tracks or realistic maps is that there will be a lot of advertising space with standard billboards or roadside posters. These, of course, can be used for any kind of advertising, but using these spaces for advertising motor racing is ideal, as the target audience will be the ones playing these games.
Another big factor in racing adverts in video games is the car selection available for the players to use. This is brilliant, as it allows the consumers to use true-to-life cars with selections that permit experimentation, while also giving the manufacturers of the different cars an advertising opportunity, as gamers may be influenced to purchase a car they really love using in a game.
Video games pushing the boundaries of reality
The nature of video games allows us to look at real-life racing and ask the question: “That’s cool, but what if there were explosions and it was monstrously more dangerous?” and have that question answered. Games like Split Second: Velocity allow for the most absurd scenarios you could imagine within a racing game. A plane crash landing on a runway as you’re driving towards it? A tower crumbling down as you speed past, narrowly avoiding certain death? Of course, these kinds of races would be, at the very least, incredibly immoral and logistically a nightmare to carry out in a real-world setting.
The different genres of racing
It’s not all pristine tracks and spotless cars, though. Racing can take many forms, such as demolition racing, where the rules for something like Formula One simply do not apply; the goal here is to be the last one standing, in whatever gritty, barely running form that may be. This is a match made in heaven for modern gaming, with games like Wreckfest and BeamNG leading the charge with impressive collision engines, allowing for a beautiful level of destruction.
It’s not all racing
Racing is a massive part of the driving game industry, but there are other big hitters, and it would feel wrong to leave them out. For example, Euro Truck Simulator has made a big name for itself over the past decade, with an impressive level of detail on all the models, a vast map to explore, and intricate levels of simulation. This has proved to be a big hit among driving fans. There is also a community of people discussing custom truck setups, complete with fully modified dashboards, gear sticks and seats.
Conclusion
Overall, both industries have had a profound impact on each other, changing their trajectories for the better. The gaming industry has had a strong focus on realistic racing sims, and the racing industry relies on these simulators to train its racers.
I’m Laura Wilson, a passionate blogger and content creator with a deep interest in business, finance, and entrepreneurship. I’ve had the opportunity to write for several premium blogs, sharing insights & practical advice for individuals & small businesses. I’m the founder and publisher of ukbusinessmag.co.uk, where I focus on creating valuable, easy-to-understand content to help UK startups & SMEs grow.
