Racing simulator requires physical fitness, not doughnuts. What hope, then, for its success in the geek world?

The release of Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox 360 has taken motion-sensor gaming to unseen heights and, with over one million sold in just ten days, it’s safe to say that Microsoft has once again elevated itself to the top of the video-gaming pecking order.

However, while the Kinect is looking like a strong contender to be number one on Santa’s lists this year, it is an entirely different piece of technology that has been causing a stir within the online community.

iRacing, described by its creators as “the world’s most sophisticated commercially available racing simulation, conceived and designed with a very discriminating customer in mind - professional racers”, is the latest release in the simulator genre and is generating similar levels of interest to that of its predecessors. Conversely, instead of people condemning its realism and linking it to terrorism training facilities, iRacing coverage has instead been of a somewhat intrigued nature, with people keen to know just how realistic it is.

Never one to stray away from controversy or a challenge, BBC one’s Top Gear team picked up the debate and, after recruiting the simulator's top player - Finnish-born Greger Huttu - set about putting him to the test. The results were both fascinating and shocking, showing that it was Huttu’s physical condition rather than his tactical knowledge that would ultimately prevent him replicating his virtual success on a real-life stage.

Despite racing in a Star Mazda and throwing up inside his helmet, Huttu clocked a lap time just three seconds slower than what an experienced race driver would be expected to deliver. The Top Gear team have confirmed this, adding that “his (Huttu) braking points were spot on; he was firm and precise on the throttle and, in the fastest corner, he's entering at 100mph compared to an experienced driver's 110 - a sign of absolute confidence and natural feel for grip". Unfortunately for Huttu, the team concluded that his physical figure would prevent him from making a successful transition from computer to F1 car; either way, it’s a fascinating insight, especially considering that Huttu has never driven over 100mph in real life.

So there you have it; iRacing.com has created a piece of simulation that has already begun to dismantle the Matrix-esque bridge between gaming and reality, as shown by the results of the Top Gear team. Nevertheless, while the aftermath of these results could single-handedly change how society both receives and uses video-games, one can only hope that Activision are not reading this and getting ideas; Call of Duty is real enough already.

Kotaku

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