Prepare to Qualify (Hardback)

Since the inception of video games, the racing genre has put players in the driver’s seat of their dream cars, battling opponents at breakneck speeds on virtual roads and racetracks. Its competitive nature makes it the perfect platform for intense multiplayer matches or engrossing solo sessions.

Modern simulators are so advanced that racing drivers use them to train and improve their skills on the track. Some gamers have even turned their hobby into a career, going on to become real racing champions.

Prepare to Qualify takes you on an exhilarating journey through the ever-evolving world of racing games, from their humble roots as rudimentary arcade games to today’s technically advanced simulators with photorealistic graphics, lifelike driving physics and accurately recreated racetracks.

Fully illustrated and filled with fascinating deep dives, this book celebrates the most influential franchises that drove the racing genre forward, from the fierce rivalry between Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport to the meteoric rise of Mario Kart, revealing the personal stories of the genre’s most pioneering developers and successful esports drivers.

From the rise and fall of arcade racers to the impact of the emerging karting, rally and open-world subgenres, Prepare to Qualify provides a comprehensive history of one of gaming’s most revered and enduring genres. It also explores how indie developers are innovating the genre, how virtual reality is making driving games more immersive and how competitive esports is blurring the line between virtual and real motorsport.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride.