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Sim racing

You race cars that behave like real ones: fuel runs down, tyres lose grip and the car's setup changes how it corners. To be fast you have to brake at the limit, take the right racing line and keep control, ideally with a wheel and pedals.

Also known as: racing simulator, racing sim, driving simulator

This is a basic entry: it has the definition and the classification. Full entries add history, games and a demo.

History

  1. 1989
    OriginIndianapolis 500: The Simulation

    Sim racing is generally said to have taken off with Papyrus's Indianapolis 500: The Simulation. Earlier, Chequered Flag (1983) already had simulation ambitions on a home computer.

    Sim racing (Wikipedia)
  2. 1994

    With Papyrus's NASCAR Racing, the first true online racing begins, over dial-in servers.

    Sim racing (Wikipedia)
  3. 1997
    Gran Turismo

    Gran Turismo brings racing simulation to home consoles and becomes the basis for those that followed on console.

    Sim racing (Wikipedia)

Reference games

1989

Indianapolis 500: The Simulation

Papyrus Design Group. MS-DOS, Amiga

It simulates the Indianapolis 500 race in first person, with the car's setup affecting how it handles and grip loss in high-speed turns. It is regarded as the personal computer's first true racing simulation.

1997

Gran Turismo

Polys Entertainment. PlayStation

A driving simulator with 140 real cars. In its career mode you earn driving licences, win money in races and spend it buying and tuning cars.