From Arcade Racing to Racing Simulators
FROM ARCADE TO RACING SIMULATOR
Words Marco Mancino / Photo Sega
Behind every cars enthusiast there is a very specific moment, a light coming out of the dark igniting that indescribable love for an action –driving – that for many other may seem meaningless and predictable. It is not a question of starting from point A and reaching point B, because for those like us, even the simplest transfer from home to work is a moment in which we find ourselves in close contact with the primordial need to tighten a steering wheel and follow the road below. It is very likely that it all started during our childhood and it does not matter if the calendar has to go back several years or decades, because despite how long it has passed, the memory of that precise moment continues to be clearly engraved in our mind. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a good old toy model, a cartoon, a movie or a video game. That umbilical cord cannot be severed and has unknowingly influenced our entire petrolhead journey to date.
Exactly 30 years ago – it was 1991 – Sega brought the adrenaline and fun of video games rooms to the comfort and intimacy of home. “Outrun” was released, a game as simple as capable of creating addiction, so much so that it became in all respects the first and authentic car-themed arcade game. We are light years away from the panorama to which the contemporary generation is used, launched at full throttle in a 2D world that has allowed us to open the gates of one of the most prolific businesses ever, that of videogames. Three decades have passed and with the improvement of technology, the titles have been able to evolve from a graphic and involvement point of view, even going so far as to arouse interest in numerous car manufacturers, which in recent years have even unveiled some concept cars exploiting the fame of certain games. From the frenetic world of “Need for Speed” (of which they also made a movie) we moved on to the realism of “Grand Prix 2” (by MicroProse), one of the first driving simulators, another world that over the years has covered an increasingly crucial role. And again “Grand Theft Auto”, an authentic playful phenomenon that has broadened the automotive horizons even to users who are anything but interested in the subject, but also the various “Test Drive” and the endless array of rally championship platforms.
Where arcades have become vintage material for the nostalgic, new car videogames have raised the bar and expanded their world to online platforms (“Gran Turismo” and “Forza Motorsport” above all), giving the opportunity to create challenges and then authentic championships also competing with people sitting in front of a screen on the opposite side of the planet. This would not have gone unnoticed and once again automotive brands have put their hands on it, bringing young virtual talents closer to the real world and consecrate driving simulators as the apprentice 2.0 that would soon become a fundamental part of every team in the major categories ( impossible not to mention “rFactor” and “Assetto Corsa”). By refining driving positions initially composed only of a steering wheel and pedals, the latest generation simulators also integrate a seat mounted on a structure capable of generating the movements that the car under test performs during the action. This aspect is not only a way to play with sensations similar to those of the real world, but an exceptional test bench that allows you to test the parameters of the cars, on any track and in any condition. All this translates into exceptional cost and time savings, where you even lose the perception of being seated in the middle of a teenager bedroom. I still remember when we were amazed by joypads equipped with DualShock.
Video games, which initially became a pop phenomenon that allowed young people to familiarize themselves with the supercars of their dreams, soon matured filling the role of communication and development platforms, an indispensable aspect for a company that aspires to cover a predominant position in the contemporary automotive landscape. As far as pure fun is concerned, no simulator worth several thousand Euros will ever be able to replace my time spent playing with “Colin McRae Rally”, “Screamer” or at the first chapters of GTA. It’s a personal matter, I know, based on what triggered the passion for cars in me. I still remember as it was yesterday, the moment when at the neighborhood videogames store, instead of renting the “Mortal Kombat” cartridge, I decided to take home “Lotus Turbo Challenge”. That day I found love.