Things You Didn’t Know About Racing Games

The best racing games are a complete package, offering a sense of speed, challenge, and of course, fun. Whether it’s recreating iconic tracks or putting you behind the wheel of some truly high-tech, fine-tuned machines, everything has to come together to create a great racing experience. While some games may strive for realism, others are perfectly okay with presenting you with an arcade experience over a simulation.

Regardless of what flavor of racing game you prefer, the genre is large enough that you may not know everything about it. That’s okay though, keep reading to find out some things you may not have known about racing games.

The First Racing Game Was …

While later games like Namco’s 1982 release, Pole Position, would win the hearts (and quarters) of players, the racing genre got its start with Gran Trak 10, which was a 1974 Atari release. The gameplay was simple, race against the clock on an overhead, black-and-white course. With a gear shift, pedals, and a steering wheel for control, the cabinet aimed to immerse players in the race. Of course, this was just the start of the genre.

How Popular Racing Games Have Become

Racing games used to be a bit of a niche product, but that’s no longer the case. Playground Game’s Forza Horizon 5 has amassed over 4.5 million players across the PC, console, and cloud platforms. The studio plans on making the game even more accessible with sign-language support for cutscenes. With such a big launch and such a long tail of support, it’s clear that plenty of people, including those that wouldn’t traditionally pick up a racing game, are more than willing to give racing games a try.

With triple the number of peak concurrent players as its predecessor Forza Horizon 4, the next in the series, Forza Horizon 5 is the biggest launch for an Xbox Game Studios title to date. Other racing games are no slouches either. The wait for Gran Turismo 7 may have been long, but it led to the game being hailed as a triumphant return to the series.

How Racing Games Became A Genre

Many video games are genre-blending works, with open-world games gleefully incorporating elements of other genres, including driving and racing. We’ve seen this recently with Volition’s Saints Row (2022). Of course, there are racing missions and a standard assortment of vehicles available to drive, as is typical with the genre.

But the game goes further by paying homage to the original Fast and the Furious movie. Players are able to find a tribute to the movie in the form of a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse. It’s a neat little Easter egg for Fast and the Furious and racing fans.

However, even the most straightforward of racing games have added Easter eggs, sometimes some very strange ones. In the PlayStation 1 game, Colin McRae Rally, it’s possible to have your own close encounter with some otherworldly visitors.

The Final Lap

The idea behind most racing games is simple. At its heart, you want to provide a great, immersive driving experience. The best racing games will make the player feel as if they are behind the wheel. That’s true regardless of whether you’re behind the wheel of a classic car cruising down an American highway or racing past the stars through space in the distant future.