The importance of realism is subjective within the gaming community, and racing games are no particular exception. Racing games don’t necessarily need to have realistic graphics to be a fun experience, as there have been plenty of popular racing titles based on vastly unrealistic premises that achieved immense popularity.
Of course, fans of racing simulators would beg to differ, and therein lies a split in the racing game community. It’s all subjective, of course, and whether you’re a fan of arcade racing games, or realistic racing simulators, what matters most is whether or not you enjoy the gameplay.
In fact, it could be said that realistic racing simulators serve a niche, whereas arcade-based racing games serve a more general audience. If we consider the popularity of titles like Twisted Metal, Spooky Land (Moto X3M), and Need for Speed, it’s obvious that realistic graphics and gameplay aren’t exactly a necessity for the racing game genre.
What’s somewhat ironic is that many developers tout realistic graphics as a main selling point of their video games, but most gamers care about a compelling gameplay experience, rather than hyper-realistic graphics. Of course, realistic graphics are a nice addition, but they’re not all that matters.
Many indie game developers understand an important concept when it comes to creating exciting video games – the very simple fact that realistic graphics weren’t always a thing, and people once enjoyed games with 8-bit graphics. Once upon a time, ExciteBike was the hottest motocross racing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and it definitely wasn’t realistic graphics that made it popular. It was the addictive gameplay, and the inclusion of a “create your own racing track” feature, which was quite unique 23 years ago.
In fact, “retro graphics” has become a selling point of many indie titles. Even if indie developers don’t go full-blown retro graphics, the budget for AAA graphics simply isn’t there, so they create games based on unique gameplay. You’ll notice by playing these games that ultra-realism takes a backseat to whether or not the visuals are considered jaw-dropping quality.
That doesn’t mean that racing or car games that focus on realism are boring – not at all. There are some incredible racing simulators out there such as the Dirt Rally series, Project Cars, and Assetto Corsa, just to name a few. But as we said, these racing simulators appeal to a niche audience, and they are best played with state-of-the-art racing wheel peripherals and a very serious attitude towards the racing game genre.
Best Selling Racing Games of All Time
To further illustrate the point about how racing games that focus on original gameplay serve a wider audience than realistic racing games, let’s take a look at the best selling racing games of all time, based on units sold (list taken from VGSales):
- Mario Kart Wii – 37.14 million
- Mario Kart DS – 23.60 million
- Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe – 23.44 million
- Mario Kart 7 – 17.52 million
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted – 16 million
- Need for Speed: Underground – 15 million
- Gran Turismo 3 – 14.89 million [3]
- Gran Turismo 5 -11.95 million [3]
- Gran Turismo 4 – 11.76 million [3]
- Gran Turismo – 10.85 million [3]
- Mario Kart 64 – 9.87 million
- Gran Turismo 2 – 9.87 million [3]
- Super Mario Kart – 8.76 million
- Gran Turismo Sport – 8 million
- Need for Speed: Underground 2 – 7 million
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! – 6.88 million
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit – 5.88 million
- Gran Turismo 6 – 5.22 million [3]
- Need for Speed: Undercover – 5.2 million
- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) – 5 million
As we can see, titles in the Mario Kart series heavily dominate the list, followed by Need for Speed, which is considered an arcade racing game, and titles from the Gran Turismo series, which is a blend of arcade and realism.
So to answer the topic at hand, it would seem like an emphatic “no”, realistic graphics do not matter for racing games. The highest selling racing game franchise of all time focuses on popular Nintendo characters and battle races, so realistic graphics really only serve a niche audience. So if you’re a game developer considering creating a racing title, but don’t have the budget for AAA graphics, you can breathe a sigh of relief and focus on creating a fun racing game experience!