Virtua Racing
Virtua Racing | |
---|---|
Release | 1992
|
Sega Model 1 |
Virtua Racing or V.R. for short, is a
The original arcade game has three circuits, designated into difficulties. Beginner is Big Forest, intermediate is Bay Bridge and expert is Acropolis. Each level has its own special feature, for example the amusement park in "Big Forest", or the "Bay Bridge" itself, or the tight hairpin of "Acropolis". When selecting a car, the player can choose different transmission types.
Virtua Racing was among the highest-grossing arcade games of 1992 in Japan and North America, 1993 in Europe, Australia and worldwide, and it successfully received the award for Most Innovative New Technology from the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA). Virtua Racing is regarded as one of the most influential video games of all time, for laying the foundations for subsequent 3D racing games and for popularizing 3D polygon graphics among a wider audience. It was later ported to home consoles, starting with the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1994.
Arcade cabinet versions
Twin
V.R. was released in a "twin" cabinet – the standard and most common version, which is effectively 2 complete machines built into a single cabinet. The Twin cabinets for the U.S. were manufactured by contract at Grand Products, Inc. in Illinois for Sega and were built using Wells-Gardner 25" monitors, nearly all of which had Zenith picture tubes with a manufacturing defect that caused them to fail after a few years of use. As a result of this, many V.R. machines were broken down for parts or thrown out and are an uncommon sight today.[citation needed] The Twin cabinet that was sold in the rest of the world was built by Sega in Japan and used 29" Nanao monitors.
Also available was an upright (UR), which was a single-player cabinet using the same force-feedback steering as the twin. The cabinet cost between about $18,000 (equivalent to $39,000 in 2023)[3] and £12,000 or $21,000 (equivalent to $46,000 in 2023).[4]
DX
There was also a Deluxe version, known as the V.R. DX cabinet type, which is also a single-player machine and has a 16:9 aspect-ratio Hantarex monitor (the first use of a widescreen aspect ratio monitor in an arcade game), and 6 airbags (3 on each side) built into the seat that will inflate and "nudge" the player when cornering, and one more airbag on the player's back that inflates under braking. The seat is also adjustable via "forward" and "back" buttons using air pressure. V.R. DX's force-feedback steering also uses two pneumatic cylinders to rotate the steering wheel, which differ from the electric motor-and-clutch system that the upright and twin versions use (which have no inbuilt air system), so the steering feel is quite different.
The Deluxe version was manufactured in Sega's Japanese factories for worldwide markets, while the Twin version in the US was manufactured domestically by Grand Products. The Deluxe version was priced at $2 per play and the Twin version at $0.75 per play. While Sega had previously charged higher for the R360 cabinet, this was the first time that a mass-production arcade game cost $2 per play.[5] In 1992, the cabinet cost £20,000 or $35,000 (equivalent to $76,000 in 2023) to purchase.[6]
Virtua Formula
Virtua Formula was released in 1993. It was unveiled at the opening of Sega's second arcade amusement park
All versions of Virtua Racing are linkable up to 8-players; meaning 4 twin units or 8 DX, UR, or Virtua Formula cabinets can be linked together using fiber-optic cables. In addition to this, there was an optional display known as the Live Monitor that would sit atop the twin cabinets and replay action shots of what was occurring with actual players in a "virtual sportscast" by a virtual commentator, "Virt McPolygon". A four-player Virtua Formula cabinet setup cost around £250,000 or $383,000 (equivalent to $790,000 in 2023) in 1994.[7]
Development
Virtua Racing was developed alongside the
The origins of Virtua Racing, along with the Model 1, date back to the development of the
In 1989,
Home console versions
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Due to the complexity of the Model 1 board, a home console version seemed unlikely, until 1994 when a
The game renders 9,000 polygons per second with the SVP chip, significantly higher than what the standard Genesis/Mega Drive hardware is capable of.
32X
The
Sega Saturn
The
PlayStation 2
A remake, called Virtua Racing: FlatOut, was released for the PlayStation 2 under the
Nintendo Switch
As part of the Sega Ages series, a port of Virtua Racing for the Nintendo Switch was released digitally in Japan on April 24, 2019, and elsewhere on June 27. Developed by M2, it is a port of the original arcade version with the frame rate increased to 60fps and presented in the 16:9 aspect ratio. Also new to this port is the ability to play online with up to 2 players and offline with up to 8 players on a single system. The game also features online leaderboards with downloadable replays for the top 50 players on each track, an additional easier steering option and a Grand Prix mode that increases the number of laps to 20. Virt McPolygon also cameos in the game upon replaying a Grand Prix race.[16]
Reception
Publication | Score |
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Ultimate Future Games | (32X) 89%[35] |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
Gamest Awards (1992) | 2nd Best Graphics, 8th Best Action, 10th Best Direction[36] |
AMOA Awards (1993) | Most Innovative New Technology[37] |
GamePro (1994) | Best Genesis Game (CES)[38] |
GameFan Megawards (1994) | Best Driving/Racing Game (Genesis)[39] |
VideoGames (1994) | 2nd Best 32X Game[40] |
GameFan (1994) | Game of the Month[24] |
Mega (1994) | 4th Top Mega Drive Game of All Time[41] |
Next Generation (1996) | 11th Top Game of All Time[42] |
IGN (2015) | 3rd Most Influential Racing Game Ever[43] |
Arcade
The arcade game was a major worldwide commercial success upon release, surpassing Sega's expectations and with high demand exceeding production output. The Deluxe and Twin cabinets were both selling very well, with the expensive Deluxe version selling about a fifth as many units as the less expensive Twin version during 1992.[5] In Japan, Game Machine listed it on their October 15, 1992, issue as the most successful upright/cockpit arcade cabinet of the month.[44] In the United States, it debuted at the top of the RePlay arcade earnings chart for deluxe cabinets in October 1992.[45] It remained at the top for the rest of 1992,[46][47] and much of the following year from February 1993[48][49][50] to July 1993,[51][52][53] until it was dethroned by Sega AM1's Stadium Cross (with Virtua Racing at number two) in August 1993.[54] Virtua Racing remained at number-two in October 1993, below Suzuka 8 Hours.[55] Virtua Racing was America's third top-grossing arcade game during Summer 1993.[56] The game was also a major commercial success in Europe.[5]
Virtua Racing was one of the top ten highest-grossing arcade games of 1992 in Japan[57] and the United States.[58] The following year, it was the highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1993 in Japan,[59] and one of America's top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1993.[60][61]
The arcade game was well received by critics upon release.
At Japan's 1992
Ports
GamePro gave the 32X version a highly positive review, stating that it successfully addressed the Genesis version's longevity problem with its new cars and new tracks. They also praised the improved graphics, details, and controls, and the retention of on-the-fly view switching even in two-player split-screen mode.[65] Next Generation reviewed the 32X version of the game, Virtua Racing Deluxe, and stated that "VR Deluxe is a near-perfect conversion of a game that's still fun to play".[28]
The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Saturn version scores of 8 and 7 out of 10, with the first reviewer praising the added content and overall improvement over the previous home ports, and the second reviewer saying that the game is enjoyable but doesn't fully use the graphical capabilities of the Saturn.
Legacy
In 1994, it appeared at 4th place on Mega's list of Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.[41] In 1995, Flux magazine rated the arcade version 36th in its "Top 100 Video Games."[67] In 1996, the arcade, 32X, and Saturn versions (but not the Genesis version) appeared at 11th place on Next Generation's list of Top 100 Games of All Time. They noted that their ranking it higher than any other racing game on the list (including Sega Rally Championship and Daytona USA) was deliberate, since Virtua Racing "drives better".[42] In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the arcade version 32nd on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."[68] In 1998, Saturn Power listed the game 92nd in it’s Top 100 Sega Saturn Games.[69] the felt that Virtua Racing is "not as arcade perfect as it should’ve been."[70]
Impact
In January 1993, RePlay magazine reported that "Sega credits Virtua Racing with a huge impact on the rest of the coin-op market" and "believes its new hi-tech driver has single-handedly lifted the simulator niche" into "a growth market." While acknowledging they had arcade competitors who had introduced
Though its use of 3D polygon graphics was predated by arcade rivals Namco (Winning Run in 1988) and Atari Games (Hard Drivin' in 1989), Virtua Racing had vastly improved visuals in terms of polygon count, frame rate, and overall scene complexity, and displayed multiple camera angles and 3D human non-player characters, which all contributed to a greater sense of immersion. Virtua Racing is regarded as one of the most influential video games of all time, for laying the foundations for subsequent 3D racing games and for popularizing 3D polygonal graphics among a wider audience.[71][72]
In 2015, it appeared at 3rd place on
Patent dispute
In 1992, Sega applied for a Japanese patent involving an innovative feature they developed for Virtua Racing: changing the 3D camera viewpoint with the press of a button. Sega also used the feature in later games such as Daytona USA. It took five years for the patent to process before the patent was successfully granted to Sega in 1997. By that time, camera change buttons had become a common feature in 3D video games. This would mean Sega could earn royalties from 3D video games that used a camera change button feature.[73]
Due to being a common feature used in many 3D video games, Sega received royalties from other companies using the feature in their games, both in Japan and internationally.
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