The Racing Genre -what makes it appealing?

At the moment my focus is looking at the Racing genre, having decided to go down this route with my App idea. But what makes the racing genre popular to the player? To aid in deciphering this question, I looked at three distinctly different racing games.

Forza Motorsport 3

Forza Motorsport 3 is likely to be considered one of the more ‘traditional’ racing games. I use the word traditional loosely, as many different racing games are popular, each with their own appeals but it is because Forza offers the conventional Goals and Rules of racing games that I use the word traditional. The player must travel around a chosen circuit several times, with each revolution equalling one Lap. When the player has completed a set amount of laps, they have finished the race. Obviously there are many possible variables such as having up to seven extra CPU controlled cars on the track, having a score dependant on time, or an alternate track direction (still depending on this, travelling the opposite direction will still result in no positive outcome). These variables will ultimately alter what the player is playing against (Player V System / Player V Player / Player V Player V System) and can alter how competitive the game is. The control system is simple and allows the player to do the following things: Accelerate, Handbrake, Reverse, Turn Left, Turn Right, Change Gear, Reverse time,  Pause or bring up a Drift score.

It could be said that there are many appeals to racing games, but the appeals of Forza over other Racing games is that:

-The graphics are crafted to be almost Photorealistic (for car enthusiasts or escapism into exotic locales that the player would otherwise not be able to visit)

-The player can ‘Rewind’ when they make a mistake in Player V System matches (this removes frustration if a player crashes near the end of a race when they have almost won)

-The player can buy their own cars from a roster of hundreds of cars (some exotic – again for car enthusiasts and escapism but also for customisation and competitive edge over an opponent)

-The player can design a decal for their car using a built in design interface that allows for a thousand ‘layers’ of designs (the ultimate form of customisation for players – if they choose to take the time, they can craft a car that is completely unique)

-The player can also sell those designs on an online marketplace (this both raises funds and awareness of their skill as a designer. Conversely players who are not proficient or do not have the time to work with the design interface can pay nominal fees to have a design on their car)

-The player can race split-screen or online with other players (adds a competitive element to the gameplay)

As you can see, there are several unique selling points to Forza, but considering how racing games have existed for over a decade, are any of the above features specifically unique to the Forza Motorsport brand?

Well impressive graphics have always been a trademark of racing games such as Gran Turismo, Project Gotham Racing and Forza Motorsport, so it cannot be attributed purely to Forza. Additionally the Rewind feature was first introduced by Grid, a year before Forza Motorsport 3’s release. Given that Forza 2 did not have this feature it is clear that it was almost directly imitated in the third game from Grid. However whereas that was the sole Unique Selling Point of Grid, the use in Forza simply seems to be much less explicit. This might be in answer to several fans grievances or just to ease in first time players.

Buying exotic cars again isn’t really a Unique Selling Point as other racing games, like again Project Gotham Racing and Test Drive Unlimited have implemented this into their core appeal directly. In Project Gotham Racing, you could walk around a series of increasingly extravagant garages and interact with the cars you buy directly. Similarly with Test Drive Unlimited, the developers built the game so that they are placing the player into the lifestyle of a rich character who could buy mansions and cars on a whim. They could go into show rooms, get in cars, have a look around and even use novelty features such as the heaters or the car radio. In these two games they allow the player the illusion of wealth. In Forza the player navigates a series of crisp but plain screens to buy their cars, customise them and initiate pre-race protocol.

One feature of which can be said to be, if not unique, the best and well done is the decal creation system. The insane level of detail that a player can place on each part of their car is beyond anything seen in any other racing game – and has been a trademark of the game series. However this aspect doesn’t really edit the game mechanics – but rather the social elements of the Racing game. The marketplace and auction house are further proof. Forza allows players to trade, sell and buy cars, decals and car skins. This is likely to be the unique element in the game, that hasn’t been seen anywhere else. But yet as earlier stated this doesn’t really change the core gameplay. Does this mean that the social and online elements are the focus of the game? Or simply that everything ‘unique’ has been done in the racing genre? Has Innovation become impossible for modern racing games?

 This moves me nicely along to the next game I looked at.

Burnout Paradise

Again, like Forza Motorsport 3, this is the latest sequel in a long running game franchise. However unlike Forza, this racing game is far from ‘Traditional’. To explain, I’ll have to briefly address the both the origins of the series, in addition to the evolution. Burnout began as a racing game that made the player have to race against the clock to reach the goal. Sounds traditional at the moment, as even if they don’t have a ‘circuit’ racing games (especially early ones) have always been about reaching point B from point A, be it a circuit or a straight cut run. However the game pitted the player against the traffic and themselves, by allowing them to move quickly against the traffic. The risk/ reward focus of the game made for addictive play and was an innovative spin on the usual player v system gameplay, as it was more like Player v System and Themselves. This was because players had to gauge just how quick they could drive without crashing into the traffic and causing a pile up. As the franchise moved forward, by the third game it had the appearances of a traditional racing game. The player would line up with up to 7 AI racers. The track was circuit based and whoever finished the circuit first won. However, the developers had not only allowed players to be able to smash into other players while playing – they encouraged it. This was the birth of the ‘Takedown’ – a gameplay element that has become a permanent fixture.                 Additionally, the mode ‘Crash’ was introduced, that allowed players to deliberately crash their cars into a crossroad, and whoever caused the most damage won. This gameplay added another element into the game – whilst still sticking to the same interface.

By Burnout revenge they had completely shifted away from Burnout’s initial premise – to avoid traffic. In Revenge, in addition to being able to ‘Take down’ opponent’s cars, the player could ram traffic out of the way. By doing these two things, the car gained Boost, which increased speed drastically. Technically, due to the high population of smaller cars and opponents, Burnout Revenge had an astonishing average game speed and can be considered the most exhilarating racing game at the time.

Interestingly in Burnout Paradise, the final instalment thus far, it removed ‘tracks’ from the game in a way. The game takes place on an Island – Paradise City. The player can move freely around the island in their cars and at crossroads initiate Races. These can either be straight point to point races, variations of it (avoid getting taken down on the way to point b) or have no set route, but a time limit and objective). Furthermore the Win/Lose structure was less strict. The player could still progress with a 3^rd place finish. Obviously though, the most points came from ‘Wins’. Some may argue that this isn’t as innovative as it first seems as Test Drive Unlimited allows for user selected routes across the island, however this isn’t necessarily the correct assumption. Burnout Paradise only gives players a Starting point and a Finish Point. How they reach it is up to them and this is where the developers have shown innovation. Slowly throughout the years, they have tested each convention to breaking point. The track attacking the player, the player having to fight their own want to go as quick as possible, the players being able to disrupt other players as a core game mechanic to the point where there’s no need for ‘track’ per say, but just points. Each time Criterion has broken one convention, they’ve collected feedback and pushed the boundaries the subsequent game. An example of this is in the removal of ‘checking traffic’ in Paradise. In Paradise, if the player hits traffic, they crash.

Looking at the unique features of the game, they are as follows:

Sandbox map with shortcuts and Jumps hidden throughout (Allows for long periods of exploration and a sense of freedom/ accomplishment when mastered)

Several different game modes, including point to point racing, ‘Road Rage’, Burning Trail, Stunt Run and Marked Man (Variation adds a fresh feel to the game after times of long play, also means players can have a ‘Favourite’ )

Players can choose from several unlicensed cars that range from trucks to F1 cars. Each Car has its own ‘strengths and weaknesses’ and ‘’Boost Type’’ (allows for different styles of play to be incorporated)

‘’Road Rules’’ - recorded time for certain roads (competition among friends over ‘’who has the best time’’)

Crash Mode – a free form mode, where the player has to smash into as many cars as possible to score the highest amount of points – can be activated at any point during play (another form of competition and variation)

Online Features:

Free Roam - up to 8 players can drive around the map at the same time, taking part in the same activities as can be done in single player (makes challenges such as ‘find all the smashes’ a cooperative affair and adds competition for the ‘’road rules’’ are still active. Furthermore, the players can perform takedowns on each other – sparking informal rivalries)

Events – the host player at any point can activate events such as cooperative challenges, free form scenarios and actual races (gives players complete control over whom and what they want to play).

As can be seen by several of these features, the developers have placed the emphasis on freedom for the player to choose what they want to do - whilst continuing the core mechanics of speed and avoiding traffic (the track ‘’attacking’’ the player). It’s here where the question; is innovation lost from racing games, is answered. The Burnout series began by approaching the core gameplay mechanics with a different viewpoint – by making the onus on the track to challenge the player – rather than the AI racers. They have since evolved, each time trying to do the same – allowing players to race against the track with AI racers that they could use the track against (knock them into oncoming traffic). The Developers have tried and tested different mechanics along the way (Revenge’s ‘’Checking Traffic’’), before removing the idea of ‘track’’ in Paradise; replacing it with Point A and Point B.

It is by doing this that Criterion has kept crafting an innovative approach Racing games and how they are approached – rather than Forza Motorsport 3’s simple re hash of other features into a tried and tested mechanic.

Burnout and Forza Motorsport are two examples of ways that gameplay can progress in the long running genre of Racing games. But what of a series that hasn’t evolved in terms of gameplay – but rather by interface used by controller. That series is Mario Kart.

Mario Kart Wii

The original Mario Kart was one of the innovations in racing games. It introduced ‘Weapons’ into the conventional circuit racer that completely changed the way the game was played. Instead of 1^st position being ‘safe’ it was constantly under barrage of different attackers and the last place player could end up winning the race via luck of what weapons picked. In fact it could be said that Mario Kart is much more about Luck than Skill. However this is not the reason I looked at Mario Kart – and in particular Mario Kart Wii.

Mario Kart Wii is the latest revival of the game franchise and in its adaptation to the Wii; it runs from using the Wii-mote as the steering device. Steering Wheel attachments have been around for a while, dating back to the PlayStation 2 era. But what interests me about the Wii version is how they’ve built the game mechanics using the Wii’s features. To turn the player must turn the Wii-mote and by tilting it they can do ‘Tricks’ and Wheelies (if on a bike). Looking at the game like this, they have used the motion sensor for navigation and superfluous actions such as tricks. The IPod’s accelerometer works very much in the same way, so makes me wonder how I could use it to similar effect.

Nevertheless, taking a step back from that angle, what makes Mario Kart appealing enough to re purchase due to a different mode of navigation?

Mario Kart has always received appraisal due to its appeal as a ‘Party Game’. This is a common term used to describe games that are suited/ built for play with multiple players in the same room. This is likely due to the balance of family friendly characters/setting and a core gameplay mechanic that means that a player can target others. This status as Party Game has drawbacks in that the Player V System features become less appealing and subsequently less played. On a personal note, I often find this to be an issue with several games in the racing genre. One that doesn’t have that problem so much is Burnout, as there is the appeal that you are playing against your own urges to push forward – that ultimately leads to disaster.

So, what have I learnt from the three games I looked at? Well, Forza Motorsport was a prime example of the modern racing game- Good graphics, Simulation Gameplay that borrows elements from other successful games but ultimately tailored for online play. Burnout forced the player into conflict with several elements at once (the Track, the AI cars and themselves) meaning that gameplay was much more exhilarating for both online and offline modes. Mario Kart attracted in players with a fun reputation, different methods of physically playing and group entertainment. Like Forza, the single player suffered from this.

Each of the games is tailored for different means, and as you can see some have vital flaws – often with single player aspects. In making an App my main audience or reason for playing will be light single player entertainment for a few minutes at a time. Of course this is just a hypothesis so I’ll need to ask and look at how long people play for. But sticking to that idea, I may have to look at my idea in relation to burnout – a game that is fun in offline play due to freedom and challenge.

Interesting note on my possible target audience.

Kyle Bamford says
okay, well its like UBER simple
essentially it is a racing game where you play a bike rider that has to ride to the end of the tunnel or ''pipe''
its all perspective done so obsticles and items will be coming out of the horizon at you
Chelsea Taylor says
awwh cool
Kyle Bamford says
to dodge you tilt the iphone/ ipod (like a wii wheel)
Chelsea Taylor says
yeah
Kyle Bamford says
but since its circular instead of moving the bike, technically what moves is the background
so its kinda like moving the background to avoid the objects rather than the bike
there'll be other elements such as 'boosting' (you shed bike parts to go faster (but those parts double up as lifes so the more u shed the less you can get hit) and there'll be a time trial system
but yeah as a basic idea, first thoughts?
Chelsea Taylor says
yeah
thats sounds pretty cool
i think it would be more aimed at guys though
so work that
yeah altogeather,
its pretty cool


This was from a conversation I was having with a friend about my app idea. As an Iphone owner, I thought her input could be interesting, but from that I learnt something unexpected. She thought it would be more aimed at a male audience. I will look into this and will either focus my attentions on that market, or try and appeal to both.