Editing Out Run (section)

==Development==
During the mid-1980s, Sega experienced success in the arcades with games developed by [[Yu Suzuki]]. ''[[Hang-On]]'' was a good seller and ''[[Enduro Racer]]'' had been successful enough for Sega to consider a second production run. Both are motorcycle racing games, and ''Out Run'' was Suzuki's chance to develop a car racing game. His original concept was to base the game on the American film ''[[The Cannonball Run]]'',<ref name=":1" /> of which he was a fan.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|title=The Sega Arcade Revolution: A History in 62 Games|last=Horowitz|first=Ken|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2018|isbn=9781476631967|pages=112–114}}</ref><ref name="Robinson">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-22-out-ran-meeting-yu-suzuki|title=Out Ran: Meeting Yu Suzuki, Sega's original outsider|last=Robinson|first=Martin|date=22 March 2015|website=[[Eurogamer]]|publisher=Gamer Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220185846/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-22-out-ran-meeting-yu-suzuki|archive-date=20 December 2015|url-status=live|access-date=24 December 2015}}</ref> He disliked racing games where cars exploded on impact, and wanted gamers to enjoy the experience of driving and to feel "superior".<ref name=":0" />

Suzuki initially conceived the game's setting across the United States, and he requested to scout various locations there. According to Suzuki's boss, Youji Ishii, Sega president [[Hayao Nakayama]] believed the US was too unsafe, and suggested Europe as a safer option. Additionally, Suzuki concluded that the US was too "large and empty" for the game's design. He scouted Europe<ref name=":0" /> for two weeks in a [[BMW 520]] for ideas.<ref name="Robinson" /> This tour included [[Frankfurt]], [[Monaco]], Rome,<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Robinson" /> the [[Swiss Alps]], the [[French Riviera]], [[Florence]],<ref name=":1" /> and [[Milan]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite magazine|last=Davies|first=Jonti|date=September 2008|title=The Making Of: OutRun|magazine=Retro Gamer|publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]]|issue=54|pages=26–33|issn=1742-3155}}</ref> While in Monaco, Suzuki was inspired to use the [[Ferrari Testarossa]] as the playable car in the game, so when he returned to Japan he arranged for his team to find and photograph one.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Robinson" /> They took many photos of the car from every side and recorded the sound of the engine.<ref name=":6"/>

A small team of four programmers, a sound creator, and five graphic designers developed ''Out Run''. Suzuki had to use only personnel that were available and not assigned to other projects at the time. As a result, Suzuki did most of the programming and planning himself, spending extra hours at the studio to complete development of the game within ten months.<ref name=":0" /> He believed that the most difficult part of developing the game was to make it as fun as possible, which he achieved by emphasizing the design elements of wide roads, buildings, and a radio with soundtrack selection.<ref name=":1" />

[[Image:Out_Run.jpg|thumb|The sit-down deluxe [[motion simulator]] cabinet version of ''Out Run'']]

Four [[Arcade cabinet|cabinet]] designs were released, all of which are equipped with a [[steering wheel]], a [[stick shift]], and [[acceleration]] and [[brake]] pedals. Two of the cabinet designs are upright, the larger of which has [[Haptic technology|force feedback]] in the steering wheel. The other two models are sit-down [[motion simulator]] cabinets that resemble the in-game car and use a drive motor to move the main cabinet—turning and shaking according to the onscreen action. Both models feature stereo speakers mounted behind the driver's head.<ref name="crash" /><ref name="arcadeheroes">{{cite news |title=Sega's Wonderful Simulation Games Over The Years |url=https://arcadeheroes.com/2013/06/06/segas-wonderful-simulation-games-over-the-years/ |access-date=22 April 2021 |work=Arcade Heroes |date=6 June 2013}}</ref> The [[arcade system board]] made specifically for the game is the [[Sega OutRun]], based on the [[Sega System 16]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/outrun/|title=OutRun|last=Grazza|first=Brian|date=5 October 2017|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|publisher=Kurt Kalata|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014095055/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/outrun/|archive-date=14 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Suzuki said that he was often unable to make games based on existing hardware and that Sega would have to create a new board. He said that his "designs were always 3D from the beginning. All the calculations in the system were 3D, even from ''Hang-On''. I calculated the position, scale, and zoom rate in 3D and converted it backwards to [[2D computer graphics|2D]]. So I was always thinking in 3D".<ref name="suzuki">{{Cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=2|title=The Disappearance of Yu Suzuki, Part 1|last=Mielke|first=James|date=2012|website=[[1Up.com]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113174154/http://www.1up.com/features/disappearance-suzuki-part-1?pager.offset=2|archive-date=13 November 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref> The game achieves its 3D effects using a [[2.5D|sprite-scaling]] technique called Super Scaler technology, as used one year earlier in ''Hang-On''.<ref name=":5" /> Released in September 1986,<ref name=":0" /> ''Out Run''{{'}}s fast sprite-scaling and 3D motion provide a smoother experience than other contemporary arcade games.<ref name=":5" />

Suzuki also set about simulating car features that were previously lacking in earlier driving games, so that being a skillful driver in real life would translate to being skillful in the game. They simulated features such as [[horsepower]], [[torque]], [[gear ratios]] and [[tire]] engineering close to real cars. They also added [[Artificial intelligence in video games|AI]] assistance for features that were difficult to control, such as [[Drifting (motorsport)|drifting]]. For the drifting, they added details such as, if the car's tires grip the road surface too closely, the car's handling becomes too twitchy, something that wasn't appreciated in earlier driving games.<ref name=":6"/>

=== Soundtrack ===
''Out Run''{{'}}s original score was composed by [[Hiroshi Kawaguchi (composer)|Hiroshi Kawaguchi]], who had previously composed soundtracks for other games designed by Suzuki, including ''Hang-On''. The soundtrack is similar in style to [[Latin music (genre)|Latin]] and [[Caribbean music]]. Three selectable tracks are featured: "Passing Breeze", "Splash Wave", and "Magical Sound Shower". An additional track, "Last Wave", plays at the final score screen.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":5" /> Some of the game's audio samples were corrupted due to one of the master ROM chips failing, and the glitch was not noticed until Sega was preparing a soundtrack box-set for the game's 20th anniversary. The correct files were recovered from an [[8-inch floppy disk]], and subsequent re-releases of the game use the fixed data.<ref>{{cite web |title=SEGA 3D Classics – 3D Out Run – Part 3 |url=http://blogs.sega.com/2015/03/09/sega-3d-classics-3d-out-run-part-3/ |website=SEGA Blog |access-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312131429/http://blogs.sega.com/2015/03/09/sega-3d-classics-3d-out-run-part-3/ |archive-date=12 March 2015 |date=9 March 2015}}</ref> [[Cassette tapes]] of the arcade soundtrack were distributed in the United Kingdom during December 1987, both with the home computer conversions and with ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Blast your ears! Free OutRun/720° Soundtrack |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |date=15 December 1987 |issue=75 (January 1988) |page=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-075}}</ref> The Mega Drive port has the music tracks from the arcade, along with one exclusive new track titled "Step On Beat" composed by Masayoshi Ishi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Step On Beat |url=https://vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Step_On_Beat |website=Video Game Music Preservation Foundation Wiki |publisher=Video Game Music Preservation Foundation |access-date=25 December 2023}}</ref>

=== Ports and re-releases ===
''Out Run'' was released for the [[Master System]] in 1987, and the [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] in 1991. ''Out Run'' was [[Porting|ported]] to the [[Amstrad CPC]], [[Commodore 64]] and [[ZX Spectrum]] home computers for the European market.<ref name="87cvg" /> A [[Video game conversion|conversion]] of ''Out Run'' was under development by Hertz for the [[X68000]] but according to former Hertz employee Tsunetomo Sugawara, it was never released due to company management cancelling its development.<ref name="I:ts">{{cite web |author=CRV |date=13 February 2009 |title=Interview:Tsunetomo Sugawara |url=http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Interview:Tsunetomo_Sugawara |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724020915/http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Interview:Tsunetomo_Sugawara |archive-date=24 July 2019 |access-date=23 July 2019 |work=Game Developer Research Institute}}</ref><ref name="Mor">{{cite web |last=W. Wöbcke |first=Graham |date=23 March 2017 |title=Outrun — The 1986 Arcade Game |url=https://medium.com/@gwobcke/outrun-a-1986-arcade-game-by-am2-sega-a2485a709cf7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724020913/https://medium.com/@gwobcke/outrun-a-1986-arcade-game-by-am2-sega-a2485a709cf7 |archive-date=24 July 2019 |access-date=23 July 2019 |work=[[Medium (website)|Medium]] |publisher=A Medium Corporation}}</ref> A [[32X]] version was also reportedly under development by Sega, but was never released.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kuboki |first=Kei |date=March 1995 |title=Special K's Japan Now – Special K's last-minute info |magazine=[[GameFan]] |publisher=DieHard Gamers Club |page=114 |volume=3 |issue=3 |issn=1092-7212}}</ref>

Ports of the arcade game were released for [[Game Boy Advance]] via ''[[Sega Arcade Gallery]]'', for [[Nintendo 3DS]] via the [[Nintendo 3D Classics|3D Classics]] series on 12 March 2015, and for [[Nintendo Switch]] as part of the ''[[Sega Ages]]'' line on 9 January 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Craig |date=23 May 2003 |title=''Sega Arcade Gallery'' |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/05/23/sega-arcade-gallery |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Town |first=Jonathan |date=11 March 2015 |title=Review: ''3D Out Run'' (3DS eShop) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/3d_out_run |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Scullion |first=Chris |date=11 January 2019 |title=Review: SEGA AGES ''Out Run'' – A Fantastic Update Of One Of Arcade Gaming's True Greats |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/sega_ages_out_run |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>