A discontinued series of NASCAR video games produced by Eutechnyx has owned the NASCAR license from 2011 to the end of 2014. The first installment, NASCAR The Game: 2011, is the first NASCAR game to be released since the NASCAR 09 license was relinquished by EA Sports in 2008.
As compared to complete simulators such as NASCAR Racing 2003 Season and iRacing, NASCAR The Game was designed to cater to the casual video game player. However, compared to their console counterparts, the series is a step up in realism, with Eutechnyx calling the games the most realistic experience available on the consoles.
But why is this video game series so popular? Let's get to know NASCAR!
History
The development of NASCAR The Game: 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii was announced by Activision and Eutechnyx in September 2010. A multi-year deal was signed by developer Eutechnyx to be the new licensee for NASCAR games, with Activision serving as the publisher.
On November 6, 2012, the second title in the series, NASCAR The Game: Inside Line, was launched. Eutechnyx introduced NASCAR The Game: 2013 (an improved version of NTG: Inside Line) for Microsoft Windows in July 2013, the first NASCAR licensed PC game since 2005.
After Eutechnyx had revealed plans to self-publish future NASCAR titles, Deep Silver announced in October 2013 that it had picked up the series' publishing rights.
NASCAR'14 was released on February 18, 2014, under Deep Silver. Dusenberry Martin Racing (formally known as DMi Games) acquired Eutechnyx's NASCAR license in January 2015, launching NASCAR'15 as an upgrade to NASCAR'14.
Game Modes
NASCAR The Game features several racing modes, including Fast Race (or Single Race or Race Now), Single-Season, Track Testing, and Split-Screen Offline.
NTG's career mode is essentially a more in-depth version of the season mode in its original release, in which the player controls one of the featured NASCAR drivers throughout a season. This entails limited leadership positions, such as unlocking sponsorship throughout the process.
A new, more in-depth career mode, similar to that of NASCAR Thunder 2004, was introduced at the start of NASCAR The Game: Inside Line. The player assumes the role of a Sprint Cup Series rookie driver, overseeing a single-car team start-up (though it is implied that there is a principal team owner).
To assess driving abilities, the player is put in a two-lap test session (typically at Indianapolis Motor Speedway or Auto Club Speedway) with the game recommending assist levels for the mode going forward.
Drivers
Early NASCAR video games had an explanation for only having 24 drivers on the track at one time due to technology.
More than 30 Cup drivers were still included in these games, as people like accurate portrayals of the series, including almost all, if not every, full-time driver for that season.
As time passed and games could place up to 43 drivers on the track at once, you saw real drivers close to that total, but they never included all the drivers who raced all season long.
There are actually no more than 43 vehicles running the entire schedule, but over the years, several omissions might improve the game if corrected. It's all right to have more than 43 genuine drivers in the game.
Tips
To achieve victory, becoming familiar with the controls of the racing game is essential. The consoles have identical but slightly different controllers on the market.
Furthermore, there are no established guidelines about what button or trigger execute what action (for example, gas, brake, boost, steer, and other moves).
Every gamer is distinct. Some have small hands, while others have big hands. The directional pad is favored by some, while others prefer the analog button.
Most tend to ditch traditional controls and use a racing wheel.
Brakes
Brakes are designed to make you slow down. Brakes help you achieve higher velocities across curves and corners when appropriately used.
A regular brake and an e-brake are used in most racing games.
When taking mild corners, use the standard brakes, no brakes when taking light curves, and use the e-brake when you go too fast without smacking into anything to complete the turn.
Using the e-brake leads to drifting during a rough turn and slows you down.
Conclusion
The NASCAR The Game installments, like their predecessors, feature part-time drivers as field fillers, Xfinity Series, and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (formerly Camping World) drivers. It is a good game even for beginners in the video game world.
The omission of individual teams is due to specific teams' licensing deadlines or lack of interest. NASCAR The Game: Inside Line is the only game to feature 43 Sprint Cup Series licensed entries upon release in the series. Ready to download the game now?
