Does a three-hour marathon session of Burnout Revenge on the Xbox 360 give you the urge to go wreak automotive havoc on an unsuspecting public? Perhaps not, but you might be more inclined to run a red light or wantonly speed according to a new study that confirms the correlation between racing games and risky behavior behind the wheels. While surveys have been done to establish this correlation in the past, this is one of the first hardcore studies conducted to back up this theory.

Conducted by Peter Fischer at Ludwig-Maximilians University and the Allianz Center for Technology in Germany (Allianz is one of the largest insurance companies in the world), the study took a very scientific approach. Published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, it began with interviewing a number of subjects on their driving habits and how often they played video games that featured driving in a real-world setting. Next, researchers actually compared the effect of playing games like Burnout, Midnight Racer and Need for Speed on the brain. It was found that such games did increase cognitions that relate to risk taking and arousal/excitement. Finally, the study gauged whether these types of driving games actually translated into risk-taking behavior by using the widely accepted Vienna Test System. Sure enough, it was found that men (though not women) were more likely to take risks in traffic after playing these games.

The linked article from Arstechnica makes the good point that the study steered clear of driving games like Project Gotham Racing, Forza and Gran Turismo that take place on virtual tracks in controlled environments. Such games, if studied, might be found to promote increased motor skills and concentration since the goal is to get the best lap time and not run over granny in your Gremlin.

What's worrisome, however, is if the correlation between these types of driving games might eventually give the insurance industry cause to increase rates for gamers that like to indulge in a little Grand Theft Auto.

[Source: Arstechnica]

We may not be able to afford exotic cars in real life, but for decades gearheads the world over have embraced video games as a way to unleash their inner Schumacher. Jeremy Rosenberg at ForbesAutos.com (OK, Forbes isn't an obvious choice for a video game survey, but what the heck, at least some Forbes readers can actually afford to buy these cars...) has examined the historical spectrum of driving games, ranging from arcade classics to the current state of the art, and come up with an all-time Top Ten list:

1. Gran Turismo 4
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
3. OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
4. Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed
5. Spy Hunter
6. Project Gotham Racing 3
7. Sega GT 2002
8. Test Drive Unlimited
9. Pole Position
10. The Fast and the Furious

GT4, not surprisingly, hits the top of the chart for its uncompromising approach to realism in the driving simulator genre. (Of course, as with most games sponsored by automakers, that realism doesn't extend to crash damage.)

You may not agree with Forbes' choices and ranking, but with Sony's much-anticipated PlayStation 3 launching next month, the list might get you thinking about a new driving game to showcase the next-gen platform. Or maybe you'll just grab a roll of quarters and head for the arcade.

[Source: ForbesAutos.com]

If you're a video game freak and a Mustang fan, chances are you're going to pick up Ford Bold Moves: Street Racing for the PS2, XBox 360 or PC no matter what kind of reviews it gets. Manufacturer specific driving games are not a new thing, even for Ford who is now on its third version of the Ford Racing series. Still, they can often devolve into extended digital test drives when there's only one brand to race.

Perhaps Ford Bold Moves: Street Racing is a cut above the rest, as it has some interesting features beyond the obvious draw of driving 18 of the greatest Ford vehicles of all time (see complete list of available vehicles after the jump). Gameplay is structured around short challenges, competitions and league play that takes place on 24 tracks based on the streets of L.A. Why video game makers insist on having us race the streets of the most congested city in the U.S. is beyond us, but we digress. In addition to winning cash to modify your Ford of choice, the game also goes the extra step to simulate real damage. The real hook, however, is a Maximum Team Control Racing mode in which players can control a team of up to three cars at once and can switch which car they're controlling on the fly.

With a name like Ford Bold Moves, we were hoping there'd be a management mode where we could swap out CEOs, bargain with teamsters and close plants, but it looks like game developer Razorworks is saving those features for its follow up, The Way Forward: Turnaround Xtreem.

[Source: Ford]