We have been talking to a number of sources from studios that specialize in racing video game titles and despite the recent closures of Black Rock and Bizarre Creations, we don’t think this spells the end for racing video games.

It has been thought that innovation was the key, but we have seen titles such as Split/Second and Blur fail; despite the fact both these titles were highly innovative and contained a number of new things that they brought to a racing title, neither one of them could find an audience for their game. Those that we have spoken with insist that they are not sure what to make of this at all.

Recently, the Criterion reboot of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit sold much better than perhaps was expected; and it seems that consumer interest is high in Need for Speed: The Run, which was shown at E3 and powered by the Frostbite 2.0 engine. It also features the ability to get out of the car and engage in action sequences.

Codemasters has also been successful with their release of F1 and Dirt 2, and more recently with Dirt 3. While sales might not be as exceptional as Codemasters might like, they are seeing positive sales of their racing titles.

So, it is clear to us that innovation is only part of the key. The real trick is making something that the consumer wants. Maybe instead of people preaching the end of racing titles, what they might want to say is that less and more traditional choices might be the safer bet. We expect established franchises that have a following to continue to sell, but there just does not seem to be room for those that are yet to be established.