Cars may not currently be at the forefront of the video game zeigeist, but sitting behind a virtual wheel is nearly as old of an activity as gaming itself starting with the release of Gran Trak 10 in arcades by Atari in 1974, only two years after Pong. Now that nearly 46 years of cars in games have are behind us, carwow, a British car sales website, has released a list of specific cars’ frequency of appearance throughout video game history.
Broken down by car manufacturer, carwow has determined that Ford is the company whose automobiles are most represented digitally. Then in second and third place are cars produced by Chevrolet and Toyota respectively. Worth noting is that a car doesn’t have to say “Ford” on it to be counted toward carwow’s data. Since licensing is tricky, most games make due with a close representation of a particular model of car that to those in the know is unmistakably a Ford or a Chevy.
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That said, the car model that appears in more games than any other is not one produced by any of the top three manufacturers, but rather the Volkswagen Beetle, with appearances recorded in 337 games. The Beetle’s silhouette is instantly recognizable even to those without extensive car knowledge, making it an easy way for developers to add automobile variety with its inclusion. Plus, partly due to its famous look, the car is iconic. The Beetle has been in continuous production for more than 70 years and has earned nicknames as varied as there are places in the world you can find one.
Then in second place is the Camaro—specifically the Chevrolet Camaro Mk1, whose look is synonymous with classic cars. It’s appeared in a total of 198 games. Coming in at third place with 177 games using its likeness is the Ford Crown Victoria. While not necessarily a popular consumer model, the Crown Victoria’s look is associated with the standard law enforcement vehicle, most likely earning it such a high placement.
The full list includes 50 entries for each category and individual games in which each model appears. It’s available on carwow’s blog.
Source: Stuff.co.nz
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