Even though e-sports are called "e-sports," there is almost always a big difference between physical sports and games. However, racing games are so realistic in their pursuit of reality that they can be operated in a manner similar to that of actual cars, and some racing gamers have even gone on to become actual racers.
Here, we will explain the basics of such racing games and typical popular games.
What kind of game is a racing game?
A racing game is a game in which players compete for position and time by controlling a vehicle. The vehicles include automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, ships, airplanes, space ships, and imaginary vehicles.
The genres can be roughly divided into the following three categories
Arcade games (games that emphasize simplicity and exhilaration, but neglect realism)
Car action games (games in which players use cars and vehicles to drive in unrealistic and reckless ways)
Simulator-type games (games that aim to reproduce the behavior of real cars as much as possible)
The main vehicles used are actual motorsports such as F1 and rally racing. Other types of racing games include radio-controlled models, mini 4WDs, Choro-Qs, and other models that are used to express the originality of the game.
Racing games using models differ from those using real cars in terms of the viewpoint (since the game is remote-controlled, the viewpoint is a bird's-eye view of the entire course from a distance) and the weight of the car itself.
In addition, since the mini 4WD cannot be controlled after starting, the race itself is merely a display of the results, and the tuning of the car up to that point is the backbone of the gameplay.
Typical racing game titles
Here are some of the most popular racing games.
Formula One
Formula One is a game released in 2017 by Ubisoft.
The latest version, released in 2018, includes everything from teams, drivers, and cars to regulation changes for the 2018 season. In addition, the game uses the latest technology to precisely reproduce the surrounding environment, such as fog on the circuit, dust in the air, sky and clouds, as well as the expression and movements of the drivers, thanks to its visual representation.
In 2017, the Formula 1 Esports Series, an e-sports competition sponsored by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), was held using F1 2017, which is available for PS4 and Xbox One.
More than 63,000 players participated in the online qualifying round, showing the popularity of the event. The final match between the top 20 competitors was even more heated than the final of the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was held the following day, and attracted attention around the world.
rFactor
rFactor is a racing game genre, but it is more like a simulator.
It is a racing game developed by an American company called Image Space Incorporated, whose products, such as EA Sports F1Series and NASCAR Thunder Series, are often sold under the name of Electric Arts, a major American game company. The most realistic racing games are the ones that bring you closest to driving a real racing car.
They are characterized by the closest resemblance to driving a real racing car and the highest degree of perfection as a simulator. For the development of the game, the tracks are all laser scanned from real tracks and measured over several days to ensure that not even a single millimeter of unevenness is missed. The unevenness of the road surface is also all measured so that the same times as the real thing can be achieved.
The course is very popular in the world of e-sports, and various competitions are held for amateurs (such as the rFactor Middle Distance Super Series in Japan) as well as professionals. The atmosphere is just like competing in a real car event.
Need for Speed
Need for Speed is a game developed by Electronic Arts in the United States.
Many real-life sports cars appear in the series, and there is a wide variety of driving styles, including chases with the police on public roads and races on circuits. Electronic Arts, the developer of the series, had an exclusive contract with Porsche until 2016, so Need for Speed was the only racing game in which you could control a Porsche.
Need for Speed has a long history in e-sports, having been adopted as a competition since the 2nd Asian Indoor Games in 2007. The popularity of the game has been high since that time, and the fact that the competitions are still going on around the world today shows the quality of the game.
GRAN TURISMO
Gran Turismo was released by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1997 and has sold 76.74 million units, making it synonymous with racing games. It is one of the most popular games played by people around the world.
As an eSport, there are two FIA-approved online championship races. One is the "Nations Cup," in which players represent their home country, and the other is the "Manufacturer's Fan Cup," in which players choose their favorite car manufacturer. The winners of both racing games will be honored at an FIA ceremony alongside the winners of Formula 1 and other races. The new Supra is scheduled to be introduced in the future, so expectations are high.
Also, in Gran Turismo SPORT, if you achieve a certain level of performance, the FIA will issue an official license that has the same value as a real license. This is another major attraction of this event.