Virtual Wheels

At first, the video game universe was a simple place, filled with the most basic of adolescent fantasy, sports, fighting ghosts and aliens, and, of course, driving fast cars. Well, sort of driving cars.

The first arcade driving game, Atari "Gran Trak 10," debuted in 1974, just two years after "Pong." It was a single-player competitive racing against the clock in the driver maneuvered the icon of a race car on a single track 2-dimensional. Primitivo sure - the graphics were laughing - but they do have a real driver on the steering wheel and shifter 3 speed. Still, the driving experience was not exciting or, for that matter, about real life.


It was not until the 1990 that designers of software that incorporates credible bothered driving dynamics and real-world vehicles in their virtual creations. When it debuted on the original PlayStation console in 1997, "Gran Turismo" to establish a new benchmark for racing simulations with industry-leading graphics and features lifelike performance of their virtual vehicles - specifically , handling and acceleration. The game was an instant success.

Soon, the Xbox exclusive "Forza Motorsport" franchise began to do the same, and the series of duels back in racing games powerful tools, stealth marketing, in which players spend more time driving their drivers virtual as they did with love customizing their exteriors.

Today, game developers are competing to make compliance with the wish of the car to the top of realism. And while the games still can not capture the feeling of barreling sphincter tightening around a real circuit at breakneck speeds, making it more closely than ever. How do they do? Going old school - out of the lab and get back on track.