Virtua Racing
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''Virtua Racing'', or ''V.R.'' for short, is a
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
racing video game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
developed by
Sega AM2 previously known as is a video game development team within the Japanese multinational video game developer Sega. Yu Suzuki, who had previously developed arcade games for Sega including ''Hang-On'' and ''Out Run'', was the first manager of th ...
and released for arcades in 1992. ''Virtua Racing'' was initially a proof-of-concept application for exercising a new
3D graphics 3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for the ...
platform under development, the "
Model 1 Model 1 may refer to: * Austin Model 1, a semi-empirical method for the quantum calculation of molecular electronic structure in computational chemistry * Boeing Model 1, a United States single-engine biplane seaplane aircraft * Breese-Dallas Model ...
". The results were so encouraging that ''Virtua Racing'' was fully developed into a standalone arcade title. The original arcade game has three levels, 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. ''VR'' introduced the "V.R. View System" by allowing the player to choose one of four views to play the game. This feature was then used in most other Sega arcade racing games (and is mentioned as a feature in the attract mode of games such as ''
Daytona USA is an arcade racing video game developed by Sega AM2 in 1993 and released by Sega in 1994. Players race stock cars on one of three courses. The first game released on the Sega Model 2 three-dimensional arcade system board, a prototype debuted ...
''). ''Virtua Racing'' was among the highest-grossing arcade games of 1992 and 1993 in Japan and North America, and it 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 The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan a ...
/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 The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction (plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location (nadir). The zenith is the "highest" ...
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 parted or thrown out and are an uncommon sight today. 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 and £12,000 or .


''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 The R360 is a motion simulator arcade cabinet produced by Sega. It was first released in Japan in 1990, and internationally a year later. Being short for "Rotate 360", the R360 is noteworthy for its ability to spin 360 degrees in any direction o ...
cabinet, this was the first time that a mass-production arcade game cost $2 per play. In 1992, the cabinet cost £20,000 or to purchase.


''Virtua Formula''

''Virtua Formula'' was released in 1993. It was unveiled at the opening of Sega's second arcade amusement park
Joypolis is a chain of indoor amusement parks created by Sega and run by CA Sega Joypolis. Beginning on July 20, 1994 with the original location sited in Yokohama, Japan, Joypolis centers have since opened in several cities in Japan and later China. Th ...
, where a whole room with 32 machines was dedicated to the game. ''Virtua Formula'' was effectively a "super DX" version of ''V.R.'' and the player sat in a full-motion hydraulically actuated Formula One car 'replica' in front of a 50-inch screen. Most of these units were converted into Sega's second-generation Indy car simulator, ''
Indy 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianap ...
'', and are commonly found at larger Sega Gameworks locations in the U.S. 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 in 1994.


Development

''Virtua Racing'' was developed alongside the
Sega Model 1 Sega is a video game developer, publisher, and hardware development company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with multiple offices around the world. The company's involvement in the arcade game industry began as a Japan-based distributor of coi ...
arcade system, originally called the "CG Board" system prior to completion. The game was directed by
Yu Suzuki is a Japanese game designer, producer, programmer, and engineer, who headed Sega's AM2 team for 18 years. Considered one of the first auteurs of video games, he has been responsible for a number of Sega's arcade hits, including three-dimensional ...
and designed by
Toshihiro Nagoshi is a Japanese video game producer, director and designer. He was the chief creative officer for Sega until 2021 when he became creative director. He went on to be the general director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, and later became a member of the ...
. The origins of ''Virtua Racing'', along with the Model 1, date back to the development of the
Mega Drive/Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
console prior to its launch in 1988. The console was a major leap forward for home video game systems, allowing them to come closer to arcade quality. For Sega's arcade games to remain profitable, they needed to maintain a wide gap between arcade and home video games. At a meeting held during the console's development, Sega decided to begin development on an arcade system capable of producing 3D polygon graphics. This led to the development of the Sega Model 1, along with ''Virtua Racing'', by the early 1990s. They had arcade competitors (
Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
and
Atari Games Atari Games Corporation, known as Midway Games West Inc. after 1999, was an American producer of Arcade game, arcade Video game, games. It was formed in 1985 when the coin-operated Arcade game, arcade game division of Atari, Inc. was transfered ...
) who predated Sega in the use of 3D polygon graphics, displaying up to 2,000 polygons per frame, so Sega increased their Model 1 system's capabilities significantly beyond that to 6,500 polygons per frame. In 1989,
Sega of America is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...
's Tom Petit mentioned that Sega was "hiring 400 new engineers to research and develop new technology" and that they "have innovative, revolutionary graphics display systems to come" which would make even ''
Super Monaco GP is a Formula One racing simulation video game released by Sega, originally as a Sega X Board arcade game in 1989, followed by ports for multiple video game consoles and home computers in the early 1990s. It is the sequel to the 1979 arcade ga ...
'' (their latest arcade racer at the time) "seem like the yesterday of technology." The Sega Model 1 system was developed internally at Sega between 1990 and 1991. In 1991, Petit stated that, "next year, you will see a new trend of technology that will be instrumental in providing new vitality for our industry" and that it could "have as much impact on the business as" ''
Hang-On is an arcade racing game released by Sega in 1985 and later ported to the Master System. In the game, the player controls a motorcycle against time and other computer-controlled bikes. It was one of the first arcade games to use 16-bit graphi ...
'' "did to influence our last growth market" back in 1985.


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
cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname), a ...
design incorporating the
Sega Virtua Processor The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
(SVP) on an extra chip was created to enable a version on the Genesis/Mega Drive. This chip was extremely expensive to manufacture, leading Sega to price the Genesis version of ''Virtua Racing'' unusually high:
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
100 in the United States and £70 in the United Kingdom. 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. It also outperformed Nintendo's rival
SuperFX The Super FX is a coprocessor on the Graphics Support Unit (GSU) added to select Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game cartridges, primarily to facilitate advanced 2D and 3D graphics. The Super FX chip was designed by Argonaut Ga ...
chip for the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
. The game was incompatible with
Majesco Entertainment Majesco Entertainment Company (formerly Majesco Sales Inc.) is an American video game publisher and distributor based in Hazlet, New Jersey. The company was founded as Majesco Sales in Edison, New Jersey in 1986, and was a privately held company ...
's re-released Genesis 3 from 1998, and would not work on any Genesis equipped with a
Sega 32X The 32X is an add-on for the Sega Genesis video game console. Codenamed "Project Mars", it was designed to expand the power of the Genesis and serve as a transitional console into the 32-bit era until the release of the Sega Saturn. The 32X us ...
.


32X

The
Sega 32X The 32X is an add-on for the Sega Genesis video game console. Codenamed "Project Mars", it was designed to expand the power of the Genesis and serve as a transitional console into the 32-bit era until the release of the Sega Saturn. The 32X us ...
version, also known as ''Virtua Racing Deluxe'', was released in 1994, developed by
Sega AM2 previously known as is a video game development team within the Japanese multinational video game developer Sega. Yu Suzuki, who had previously developed arcade games for Sega including ''Hang-On'' and ''Out Run'', was the first manager of th ...
, and published by
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
under the
Sega Sports or Sega Sports R&D is a defunct development division of the Japanese video game company Sega. It was previously known as Smilebit, one of nine semi-autonomous studios which Sega established in 2000. Smilebit was previously known as R&D6 or AM6 w ...
label. It performed much more closely to the original arcade and included two extra cars ("Stock" and "Prototype") as well as two new tracks ("Highland" and "Sand Park").


Sega Saturn

The
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...
version, previously known by the working title ''Virtua Racing Saturn'', was released in 1995 and developed and published by
Time Warner Interactive Time Warner Interactive (Group) (TWI) was a studio within Time Warner and a predecessor of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It was formed in 1993 after Time Warner bought a controlling interest in Atari Games, and was active until 1996 w ...
. As the developers lacked the original
source code In computing, source code, or simply code, is any collection of code, with or without comments, written using a human-readable programming language, usually as plain text. The source code of a program is specially designed to facilitate the wo ...
, they had to create this version based on observation of the arcade game. The Saturn release has the game soundtrack as standard Red Book audio, which can be listened to in any CD player. The Saturn version also includes seven new courses and four new cars, as well as a secret "F-200 Super Car" unlockable via a cheat code, or by placing first in every race with every car. Unlike other versions, it features Grand Prix mode, where players drive a series of cars and the tracks to earn points.


PlayStation 2

A remake, called ''Virtua Racing: FlatOut'', was released for the PlayStation 2 under the
Sega Ages is a series of video game Porting, ports, Video game remake, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and Home video game console, home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. Th ...
2500 label. It was released in Japan in 2004 and in North America and Europe in 2005 as part of the ''
Sega Classics Collection is a series of video game ports, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. The series was launched on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Ent ...
'' titled simply ''Virtua Racing''. It includes three new courses and four new cars.


Nintendo Switch

As part of the
Sega Ages is a series of video game Porting, ports, Video game remake, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and Home video game console, home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. Th ...
series, a port of ''Virtua Racing'' for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
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 Frame rate (expressed in or FPS) is the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images (frames) are captured or displayed. The term applies equally to film and video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Frame rate may also be ca ...
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.


Reception


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. In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed it on their October 15, 1992, issue as the most successful upright/cockpit
arcade cabinet An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or a coin-op cabinet or coin-op machine, is the housing within which an arcade game's electronic hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the Japanese Amusement Ma ...
of the month. In the United States, it debuted at the top of the ''RePlay'' arcade earnings chart for deluxe cabinets in October 1992. It remained at the top for the rest of 1992, and much of the following year from February 1993 to July 1993, until it was dethroned by
Sega AM1 is a development department within Japanese video game developer Sega that also previously existed as Wow Entertainment and AM1 spent most of its early existence under the leadership of Rikiya Nakagawa and developed a number of arcade games f ...
's ''Stadium Cross'' (with ''Virtua Racing'' at number two) in August 1993. ''Virtua Racing'' remained at number-two in October 1993, below ''
Suzuka 8 Hours The is a motorcycle endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan each year. The race runs for eight hours consecutively and entrants are composed of two or more riders who alternate during pitstops. History The race began in 1978 as a ...
''. ''Virtua Racing'' was America's third top-grossing arcade game during Summer 1993. The game was also a major commercial success in Europe. ''Virtua Racing'' was one of the top ten highest-grossing arcade games of 1992 in Japan and the United States. The following year, it was the highest-grossing dedicated arcade game of 1993 in Japan, and one of America's top five highest-grossing arcade games of 1993. The arcade game was well-received by critics upon release. ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
'' called it a "racing masterpiece" and said its "lifelike racing sensations are extremely impressive and exciting". They called it "one of the most realistic racing games ever" and concluded that it leaves "all other racing games eating its technological dust". ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...
'' reviewed ''Virtua Formula'' in early 1994, stating that it is "one of the most exciting" arcade driving games and praising the "hydraulic control" of the cabinet. They concluded that, while its graphics are not as "drop-dead stunning" as the more recent ''
Ridge Racer is a racing game, racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, ''Ridge Racer (1993 video game), Ridge Racer'' (1993), was originally rel ...
'', ''Virtua Racing'' still has a greater "heart-pumping sense of speed". Brazilian magazine ''
Ação Games ''Ação Games'' was a Brazilian magazine specialized in video games that circulated from 1991 to 2002. History Released as a special edition of the sports magazine ''A Semana em Ação'', which replaced '' Placar'' at Editora Abril in August ...
'' gave the game 4/4 on all four categories, and called it the most complex racing game on Earth. At Japan's 1992 ''Gamest'' Awards, it was nominated for Best Action, Best Direction, and Best Graphics, but lost to '' Street Fighter II′: Champion Edition'', ''
Art of Fighting is a fighting video game trilogy that were released for the Neo Geo platform in the early 1990s. It was the second fighting game franchise created by SNK, following the ''Fatal Fury'' series and is set in the same fictional universe as a pr ...
'', and ''
Xexex , released as ''Orius'' in North America, is a 1991 side-scrolling shoot 'em up arcade game by Konami. It draws on Irem's ''R-Type'' and Konami's other shoot 'em up ''Gradius'', while adding the tentacle mechanics of Irem's other shoot 'em up ''XM ...
'', respectively.''
Gamest was a Japanese video game magazine that specialized in covering arcade games. Published by Shinseisha, it first began in May 1986 and originally published bi-monthly, later changed to be a monthly-issued magazine in the late 1980s. The magazine al ...
'', The Best Game 2: Gamest Mook, Vol. 112, pages 6–26
At North America's 1993 AMOA Awards, held by the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA), ''Virtua Racing'' won the award for Most Innovative New Technology.


Ports

''
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' named the Genesis/Mega Drive version the best Genesis game shown at the 1994
Consumer Electronics Show CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...
, commenting: "While obviously a great deal of graphic clarity, detail, and color was lost, the game play is stunningly faithful to the coin-op. ... this is the best version f ''Virtua Racing''you'll see until Sega's mystery 32-bit home system leaves orbit". In their later review, they complimented the game on its inclusion of all the elements of the arcade version aside from the support for up to eight players, and remarked that though the graphics are not as good as the arcade version, they feature faster-moving polygons than any other cartridge game. They criticized the audio and low longevity but nonetheless concluded "VR is the best 16-bit racer yet". The four reviewers of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' scored it 31 out of 40 (average 7.75 out of 10). Like ''GamePro'', they criticized the audio but held that the game, though not as good as the arcade version, was the best racer yet seen on cartridge-based systems. ''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' magazine scored the Mega Drive version of the game 33 out of 40, calling it a "groundbreaking" port; later in September 1994, their Reader Cross Review gave it an 8 out of 10.読者 クロスレビュー: V.R.(バーチャレーシング). Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.299. Pg.38. September 9, 1994. ''
Diehard GameFan ''GameFan'' (originally known as ''Diehard GameFan'') was a publication started by Tim Lindquist, Greg Off, George Weising. and Dave Halverson in September 1992 that provided coverage of domestic and import video games. It was notable for its e ...
'' stated that "the speed, graphic intensity and addictive gameplay that made the arcade game a major hit are all included in this awe inspiring release".''
Diehard GameFan ''GameFan'' (originally known as ''Diehard GameFan'') was a publication started by Tim Lindquist, Greg Off, George Weising. and Dave Halverson in September 1992 that provided coverage of domestic and import video games. It was notable for its e ...
'', volume 2, issue 7 (June 1994), page 24
''
Mega Mega or MEGA may refer to: Science * mega-, a metric prefix denoting 106 * Mega (number), a certain very large integer in Steinhaus–Moser notation * "mega-" a prefix meaning "large" that is used in taxonomy * Gravity assist, for ''Moon-Eart ...
'' placed the game at number 4 in their Top Mega Drive Games of All Time. ''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. '' 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". 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. ''GamePro'' similarly remarked: "This version not only looks better than both the Genesis and 32X versions, it also has a ton more options". They remarked that the graphics are not as good as ''
Daytona USA is an arcade racing video game developed by Sega AM2 in 1993 and released by Sega in 1994. Players race stock cars on one of three courses. The first game released on the Sega Model 2 three-dimensional arcade system board, a prototype debuted ...
'', but that the game has better music and is more fun to play. A reviewer for '' Next Generation'' felt that ''Virtua Racing'' was antiquated by this time, particularly with the imminent release of ''
Sega Rally Championship ''SEGA Rally Championship'' is a 1994 racing video game developed by Sega AM3 and published by Sega. Originally released for arcades using the Sega Model 2 board, it was converted to the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Windows in 1997. The unique sellin ...
'' on the Saturn. However, he acknowledged that the game had enough historical impact to draw its share of loyalists, and said the Saturn version "is not only arcade-perfect, it also contains crucial features not present in the original". Rich Leadbetter of ''
Sega Saturn Magazine ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' was a monthly UK magazine covering the Sega Saturn, a home video game console. It held the official Saturn magazine license for the UK, and some issues included a demo CD created by Sega, ''Sega Flash'', which included ...
'' praised the additional tracks and cars as giving the game more depth than an arcade racer, but countered that what most gamers wanted was a straight conversion of the coin-op ''Virtua Racing'', not a home-oriented remake. He concluded that the Saturn version is good on its own terms, but completely overshadowed by the Saturn conversion of ''Sega Rally Championship'', which was to be released just a few weeks after. ''Maximum'' made the same comments but were more vehement in their criticism of the fact that the Saturn version is not a straight conversion of the arcade game.


Legacy

In 1994, it appeared at 4th place on ''
Mega Mega or MEGA may refer to: Science * mega-, a metric prefix denoting 106 * Mega (number), a certain very large integer in Steinhaus–Moser notation * "mega-" a prefix meaning "large" that is used in taxonomy * Gravity assist, for ''Moon-Eart ...
''s list of Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.''Mega'', issue 26 (November 1994), page 74 In 1995,
Flux Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications to physics. For transport ph ...
magazine rated the arcade version 36th in its "Top 100 Video Games." 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".Top 100 Games of All Time
'' Next Generation'', September 1996, pages 66 and 68
In 1996,
GamesMaster ''GamesMaster'' is a British television programme which originally aired on Channel 4 from 1992 to 1998. In 2021, it returned for a new series on YouTube and E4. It was the first UK television programme dedicated to video games. Dominik Diam ...
ranked the arcade version 32nd on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."


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 3D polygon graphics before them,
Sega of America is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...
's Tom Petit and Ken Anderson said in December 1992 that Sega approached 3D polygons in their own way with ''Virtua Racing'', which had much more advanced technology, was more successful than earlier attempts, and pushed Sega to the forefront of 3D polygon technology. Petit and Anderson noted the game was drawing large casual audiences, stating "it's bringing new people into locations" who "never played before" or "ordinarily wouldn't enter an amusement environment" but "word of mouth, the new technology and so on are bringing in new players" both young and old, male and female. Though its use of 3D polygon graphics was predated by arcade rivals
Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
(''
Winning Run is a first-person arcade racing simulation game developed and published by Namco in late December 1988 in Japan, before releasing internationally the following year. The player pilots a Formula One racer, with the objective being to complete eac ...
'' in 1988) and
Atari Games Atari Games Corporation, known as Midway Games West Inc. after 1999, was an American producer of Arcade game, arcade Video game, games. It was formed in 1985 when the coin-operated Arcade game, arcade game division of Atari, Inc. was transfered ...
(''
Hard Drivin' ''Hard Drivin'' is a driving simulation video game developed by Atari Games in 1989. It invites players to test drive a sports car on courses that emphasize stunts and speed. The game features one of the first 3D polygon driving environments v ...
'' 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 character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
s, 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. In 2015, it appeared at 3rd place on
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's list of The Top 10 Most Influential Racing Games Ever, behind ''
Pole Position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...
'' and '' Gran Turismo''. According to Luke Reilly, while ''Winning Run'' was the first racing game with 3D polygons, ''Virtua Racing''s "bleeding-edge 3D models, complex backdrops, and blistering framerate were unlike anything we’d ever seen". He added that it "allowed us to toggle between four different views, including chase cam and first-person view" which is "hard to imagine a modern racing game without" and said it "showed the masses what the future of racing games was going to look like". In 2019, a ''
Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
'' article by Ken Horowitz called it "one of the most influential coin-ops" of all time.


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 is an arcade racing video game developed by Sega AM2 in 1993 and released by Sega in 1994. Players race stock cars on one of three courses. The first game released on the Sega Model 2 three-dimensional arcade system board, a prototype debuted ...
''. 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. 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.
Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...
, for example, paid Sega royalties for using the feature in
Atari Jaguar The Atari Jaguar is a home video game console developed by Atari Corporation and released in North America in November 1993. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it competed with the 16-bit Sega Genesis, the Super NES and the ...
games. Sega also successfully took legal action against
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
, among other companies, for using the feature in their games. In the late 1990s, Nintendo and
Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
decided to work together to challenge Sega's patent in Japanese courts. They found that the 3D camera change button feature of ''Virtua Racing'' was used in an earlier title, ''Star Wars: Attack on the Death Star'', a ''Star Wars'' video game developed by Japanese company M.N.M Software (later called Mindware) for the
Sharp X68000 The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan. The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wit ...
computer and released exclusively for the Japanese market in 1991. That game's development was led by Mikito Ichikawa, who attended court to testify. Sega's patent was eventually revoked as a result of Ichikawa's testimony, but Ichikawa himself never received any compensation from Nintendo or other companies. However, Ichikawa revealed that the ''Star Wars'' game wasn't the first either, but the first game to use the feature was ''Magical Shot'', a
billiards Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as . There are three major subdivisions of ...
game also developed by M.N.M Software for the X68000 and released exclusively for the Japanese market in 1991.


References

{{Authority control 1992 video games Arcade video games Head-to-head arcade video games Racing video games Sega 32X games Sega-AM2 games Sega arcade games Sega Games franchises Sega Genesis games Sega Saturn games Time Warner Interactive games Video games designed by Yu Suzuki Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi