''Death Race'' is an
arcade driving video game developed and released by
Exidy in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, first shipping to arcade distributors in April 1976.
The game was a modification of Exidy's 1975 game ''
Destruction Derby'' in which players crashed into cars to accrue points. In ''Death Race'', the objective became to run into "gremlins" to gain score. The game could be played with one or two players controlling different cars. The original working title for the game which appeared on some early advertisements was ''Death Race 98''.
The game attracted a great deal of
controversy
Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin '' controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an op ...
over the content of the game which was centered around killing humanoid figures. In July 1976, newspapers and civic organizations began to attack the game for facilitating violence in virtual form.
Gameplay
In the game, one or two players control an on-screen car with a steering wheel and an acceleration pedal. The object is to run down "gremlins" who are fleeing the vehicle. As the player hits them, they scream or squeal and are replaced on-screen by tombstones. This increases the challenge of the game as the screen clutters up and the player has to avoid the tombstones.
The cabinet is black-with-white graphics of a muscle car racing through a cemetery with a vulture in a tree looking on. The marquee and monitor bezel are colored. A limited number had white sides with the artwork in black, instead of the reverse. It was in an upright standard racing-style cabinet.
History
In 1975, Exidy licensed its game ''
Destruction Derby'' to arcade game company
Chicago Coin
Chicago Coin was one of the early major manufacturers of pinball tables founded in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in 1932 by Samuel H. Gensburg and Samuel Wolberg to operate in the coin-operated amusement industry. In 1977, ...
to manufacture. However, the following year Chicago Coin entered financial difficulties which would eventually lead to the dissolution of the company, and as Exidy had sold exclusive manufacturing rights they could no longer profit from ''Destruction Derby''.
Needing an interim product to introduce to distributors, they decided to modify the ''Destruction Derby'' game so that it would be saleable by their organization. Newly-arrived engineer
Howell Ivy from
Ramtek made several modifications to ''Destruction Derby'' in order to create this new product.
He added curbs to the left and right of the screen that the enemies could hide behind, but players would be stalled if they attempted to cross over. On the top and bottom of the screen, players could wrap around to the opposite side in a manner similar to Atari's
''Space Race'' (1973).
The enemy opponents were changed to animated figures which walked around the screen instead of vehicles. These 'gremlins' would wander the playspace until one of the players collided with them, at which point they would let out a 'screech' and leave behind a cross representing a tombstone. Though a number of sources have reported that the game was a licensed adaptation of the 1975 film ''
Death Race 2000'', Exidy has denied that this was the case.
The name "Death Race" was chosen as a reflection of the undead monsters depicted in the cabinet art and marketing, both devised by artist Michael Cooper-Hart.
Exidy only intended ''Death Race'' as an interim product until their subsequent game ''Car Polo'' (1977) was completed. Viewed from an aerial perspective, the gremlins look very similar to humans and this got the attention of national news programs such as ''
60 Minutes
''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
''. In July 1976,
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
reporter Wendy Walker reached out to Exidy based on her viewing of the game at a
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
arcade. Concerned about the game's violent content and its potential effect on those playing it, she wrote a widely disseminated article which pointed out the game's content unfavorably.
Following this article, many news organizations through 1976 and 1977 reported on ''Death Race'', including national newspapers like ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''.
Many at Exidy attribute a large jump in sales for the company to this increase in national profile for ''Death Race'', even though most of the coverage was negative. By the end of 1977 the game no longer graced headlines.
Reception
In the United States, it was the eighth highest-grossing
arcade game of 1976 according to ''RePlay'' magazine.
It was later the seventh highest-grossing
arcade game of 1977, according to ''
Play Meter'' magazine.
Legacy
Funspot has a working arcade machine in an all-yellow cabinet. An original arcade version of ''Death Race'' is present in the
Musée Mécanique in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.
The
Galloping Ghost Arcade in
Brookfield, Illinois
Brookfield (formerly Grossdale) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located west of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,476. The city is home to the Brookfield Zoo.
History
...
, received an original black cabinet as a donation.
In 2016 Binary Star Software released a dual title cartridge called "Nox / Death Chase".
The release of "Death Chase" recreates the look, feel, and play of the 1970s ''Death Race'' on the 1980s
Vectrex vector graphics home video game system.
References
External links
*
*
The Dot Eaters entryon the history of Death Race and Exidy
The GameRoom Blog: Rare Game Room Gems — Death Race by Exidy
{{Video game controversy
1976 video games
1970s horror video games
Arcade video games
Arcade-only video games
Exidy games
North America-exclusive video games
Obscenity controversies in video games
Censored video games
Video games about death games
Video games developed in the United States
Science fiction video games
Cooperative video games
Video games set in cemeteries
Multiplayer and single-player video games