Gran Turismo is a series driving simulators developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles. Gran Turismo simulators are intended to emulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, most of which are licensed reproductions of real-world automobiles. Since the franchise's debut in 1997, over 90 million units have been sold worldwide, making it the best selling driving simulator under the PlayStation brand. The series has partnerships with Japan Race Promotion, Brembo, Michelin, Mazda, Toyota Gazoo Racing, BBS and Fanatec. The series uses data from car companies and real-life races for its car physics simulation. It is also used as a concept car simulator for many car manufacturers. In 2023, the series received a film adaptation, and it became a sport for the Olympic Esports with the backing of the FIA. In 2024 Mercedes-AMG recognized Gran Turismo 7 as a simulator for the Mercedes-AMG GT3 race car.
Need for Speed (NFS) is a racing game franchise published by Electronic Arts and currently developed by Criterion Games. The series generally centers around illegal street racing, and tasks players to complete various types of races while evading the local law enforcement in police pursuits. Need for Speed is one of EA's oldest franchises not published under their EA Sports brand.
Simulated racing or racing simulation, commonly known as simply sim racing, are the collective terms for racing game software that attempts to accurately simulate auto racing, complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage, damage, tire wear and grip, and suspension settings. To be competitive in sim racing, a driver must understand all aspects of car handling that make real-world racing so difficult, such as threshold braking, how to maintain control of a car as the tires lose traction, and how properly to enter and exit a turn without sacrificing speed. It is this level of difficulty that distinguishes sim racing from arcade racing-style driving games where real-world variables are taken out of the equation and the principal objective is to create a sense of speed as opposed to a sense of realism like the Need for Speed series.
Need for Speed: Underground 2 is a 2004 racing video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the eighth installment in the Need for Speed series and the direct sequel to Need for Speed: Underground. It was developed for Windows, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS versions were developed by Pocketeers, and a PlayStation Portable version, titled Need for Speed: Underground Rivals, was developed by Team Fusion. Another version for mobile phones was also developed by Ideaworks Game Studio. Like its predecessor, it was also commercially successful, selling around 11 million copies worldwide and breaking sales records in the United Kingdom.
Midnight Club: Street Racing is a 2000 racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Rockstar Games. The game focuses on competitive street racing and the import scene. Two distinct versions of the game were released for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance platforms, the former being a launch title for the platform. It is the first game in Midnight Club franchise, followed by Midnight Club II.
Hi-Octane is a 1995 vehicular combat and racing video game published by Electronic Arts for MS-DOS, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn. It was developed by Bullfrog Productions based upon their earlier Magic Carpet game code. The tracks are wider and more open than most racing games. Hi-Octane was not as well received as the thematically similar Wipeout by Psygnosis and was criticized for the short view distance. Bullfrog also released an expansion pack with three new tracks and new game modes.
Need for Speed: High Stakes, released as Need for Speed: Road Challenge in Europe, is a 1999 racing video game developed by EA Canada and EA Seattle and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is the fourth game in the Need for Speed series and a follow-up to Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit. The game features more realistic elements than its predecessors and introduced a damage system that allows cars to take damage when colliding with objects, affecting their appearance and performance. It also introduced a series of economy-based tournaments, awarding players with a cash prize that can be spent on repairing, purchasing, or upgrading cars for subsequent races. The game's Hot Pursuit mode, which was introduced in Hot Pursuit, was expanded with more options, allowing players to control police pursuits attempting to stop racers.
Need for Speed: Carbon is a 2006 racing video game and the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. Developed by EA Black Box, Rovio Mobile and published by Electronic Arts, it was released on October 31, 2006, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, Windows, and Mac OS X, and on November 19, 2006 as a launch title for the Wii and in 2008 for arcade cabinets. A portable version, Need for Speed: Carbon – Own the City, was released for the PlayStation Portable, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS. and Zeebo, While it featured similar gameplay to the console version, the portable versions included new or modified gameplay elements, a different setting and storyline, and a different selection of teammates. This is the final installment in the series to be released for Game Boy Advance.
Fast & Furious, also known as The Fast and the Furious, is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a television series, toys, video games, live shows, and theme park attractions. The films are distributed by Universal Pictures.
Need for Speed: Undercover is a 2008 racing video game, and is the twelfth installment in the Need for Speed series following Need for Speed: ProStreet (2007). Developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts, it was released on November 18, 2008, for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and then on a number of mobile phone platforms in 2009.
CART World Series is a 1997 racing video game developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is based on the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) open-wheel racing series.
San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is a 1996 arcade video game developed and published by Atari Games. After appearing on arcades, it was ported to home consoles under the Midway label beginning with Nintendo 64 in 1997 and then PlayStation in 1998. An updated version named San Francisco Rush The Rock: Alcatraz Edition was later released with more tracks and cars. It was a critical and commercial hit, and became the first in the Rush series, followed up by San Francisco Rush 2049 (1999), bounded by the non-arcade Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA (1998).
Asphalt is a series of racing video games mainly developed and published by Gameloft. The series typically focuses on fast-paced arcade racing set in various locales throughout the world, tasking players to complete races while evading the local law enforcement. Gameplay includes teaming up with allied racers and gang groups to assist in police pursuits and shootout races against rival groups such as crime families and terrorists.
Forza is a racing video game series for Xbox consoles and Microsoft Windows published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise has sold 16 million copies as of December 2016 and has garnered critical acclaim.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a 2005 racing video game, and the ninth installment in the Need for Speed series following Underground 2. Developed and published by Electronic Arts (EA), it was released in November 2005 for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox, and Xbox 360 alongside two distinct versions for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Another version for PlayStation Portable titled Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0, was released at the same time and featured alternative gameplay.
The Crew was a 2014 online-only racing video game co-developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections and published by Ubisoft. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, with an Xbox 360 port developed by Asobo Studio in December 2014. It featured a persistent open world environment for free-roaming across a scaled-down recreation of the contiguous United States and included both role-playing and large-scale multiplayer elements.
The Crew 2 is a 2018 online racing video game developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. It is the sequel to 2014's The Crew. It features a persistent open world environment for free-roaming across a scaled-down recreation of the contiguous United States. The game allows players to control a variety of vehicles including cars, motorcycles, boats, and airplanes.
Grid is a 2019 racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in October 2019, and for Stadia and Amazon Luna in November 2019 and October 2020 as a launch title for each system, respectively. It is the fourth title in the Grid series. A sequel, Grid Legends, was released on February 25, 2022.
Grid Legends is a 2022 racing video game developed by Codemasters and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fifth instalment in the Grid franchise. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on February 25, 2022. On January 12, 2023, the game was released for Meta Quest 2. The game will also be released for iOS and Android devices on December 17, 2024.
Need for Speed Unbound is a 2022 racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on December 2, 2022. Unbound is the twenty-fifth instalment in the Need for Speed series, and the successor to 2019's Heat. It is the first game in the series to be developed by Criterion since 2013's Rivals, and the studio's first as the main developer of the series since 2012's Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
