Virtual Horse Racing Games
It wasn't that long ago that "virtual horse racing" amounted to tiny blips crawling across a TV screen, hooked up to a home video game-system. Back in the 80's, our family had IntelliVision. Their virtual horse racing game featured a nine-race program of 4 horse races, and each colored horse retained its own unique abilities from race to race. Your only options as a player were win bets and some crude jockey controls. The graphics weren't very good, and every race was run on an interminable straightaway, but they used Just enough pixels that you Could tell those moving things on the screen were supposed to be horses.
As home computers became commonplace in the 90'S, many virtual-based horse racing games came onto the market. Their graphics were much improved over their game-system predecessors, and the games often provided far more opportunities to simulate a realistic experience. Not Only could the player wager and ride, but also buy, sell, train, and manage a stable of horses over a predetermined racing season. Still, these games were mostly solitaire- it was up to the player to create their own reality.
As the internet has exploded, real-time interaction has become not just common, but an expected, essential element of the online experience. Whether in a personal, professional or commercial context, the Internet provides any number and manner of ways to interact with others as if you're in the same room. Online games are no exception. Ranging from poker to Webkins to Warcraft, an ever growing number of people are finding enjoyment in the virtual gaming world.
For the horse racing betting enthusiast, there are a wide range of opportunities in the virtual horse racing environment. Of course, there are many websites that offer wagering on live racing, although these days it's difficult to find a site that is able to replicate the complete experience of the racetrack or simulcast outlet. For contractual reasons, sites that offer A/V feeds and other exclusive real-time coverage for certain tracks will not take bets on other tracks that are affiliated with a different site. And sites that have the means to offer wagering on a full slate of tracks cannot offer A/V.
Expanding on the computer-based games of the 90's, several sites offer downloadable games for the PC that offer many of the same features to recreate a full-circle racing experience, such as riding, training, breeding, and auctioning. Additionally, you can create a "fantasy" stable of great horses of today and yesterday, and race them against each other under any conditions.
In keeping with the huge expanse of sports betting options now available online, many sites offer "horse racing" as an option in conjunction with their online casino games. These races take on a much more basic format—harkening back almost to Intellivision but with a new, exciting twist: you can wager real money on them. Select your horse, or a combination, at the odds offered by the game. You start the race yourself, and within seconds, see if you win. Some may question whether these random-style online races are the best bets to make, but if you like instant action with the chance to cash a winning bet, they might be for you.
But if you want the best virtual experience available on the internet, you'll need to visit a site that offers the full range of all of these features—virtual horses, sharp graphics, auctions, stable management, training, and racing all with real money, if you're game. Visit one of these sites, enter a valid e-mail address and some basic information, and you'll receive a login ID. When you are ready to begin your stable, you'll be able to select the design of your stable's virtual silks from a variety of pattern and color choices. You then may create a horse to run in special races for newcomers, in order to gain some familiarity with the various features of the site. When you're willing to stake some of your dispensable income, you can fund your account in order to join the com¬petition with the other virtual racing managers on the site.
Once you're ready to purchase a horse for your stable, you may have the option to obtain one at auction, or in some cases you may buy an active runner from a claiming event. Then, you can begin to plan your virtual horse's campaign. Sites generally have real-time seasons lasting several months, and unlike the solitaire horse racing games of the past, you have to plan literally days and weeks in advance, to determine the best targets for your horses and the proper training regimen to get there in optimal shape. You're planning against the same seasonal race schedule as the thousands of other players on the site.
Virtual training includes many of the same challenges and options of preparing a real-life thoroughbred. Train with slower drills and trial races to build foundation and stamina, or sharpen up your charges with short, quick drills before an important race to give them a razor-sharp edge. You'll be given a literal gauge to determine how close each runner is to his peak, and just as in real life, every virtual horse is unique. Through observation and experience, you'll be able to determine the best approach for each individual horse.
Viewing the races themselves is very impressive. Just as the movements of players in Madden football have become very realistic, so has virtual horse racing accurately captured the gait, in-race strategy, and timing of the real thing. The action is presented with a 3D appearance, with a variety of angles to select that generally beats anything that a live, televised racing production could offer. In fact, live racing is beginning to incorporate concepts and tools from the virtual horse racing world, such as GPS/tracking technology used to describe a horse's position throughout a live race, which can then be displayed on TV as a virtual representation of the live action.
Just as in real life, you can't help but feel the rush of excitement when your virtual horse is poised to win, and now, you can receive tangible rewards for your virtual horses' successes. As they earn more money and move up the class ladder, your virtual horses can point for championship races every season, and in some cases the winnings can extend into thousands of dollars.
Virtual horse racing continues to grow in popularity. Players enjoy the variety of options it provides, and the chance to engage in all of the facets of racing from the comfort of their home.
GIVE VIRTUAL HORSE RACING A TRY!
