Wipeout 3

Image:Wipeout3 screen.png and racing craft]]

Wipeout 3 is a racing game that retains the same basic elements of its predecessors. The game is set in the future, where players control futuristic anti-gravity ships owned by eight different racing corporations and pilot them on eight circuits.{{cite news|last=Paul|first=Martin|date=18 September 1999|title=Plugged In|newspaper=News Letter|page=14}} Each craft is equipped with an energy shield that absorbs damage sustained on the track; if the shield is disabled, the player's craft can be knocked out of the race. Shields are regenerated in a pit lane set apart from the main course. The less time is spent in the pit lane, the less the shield will regenerate.{{cite web|author=Psygnosis|year=2001|url=http://www.wip3out.com/english/game/gameplay/gameplay.html|title=Gameplay|website=Wipeout 3|publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment Europe|access-date=22 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213151439/http://www.wip3out.com/english/game/gameplay/gameplay.html|archive-date=13 February 2012|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}} In addition to shields, each racing craft contains airbrakes for navigating tight corners, as well as a "Hyperthrust" option. Players can activate Hyperthrust to increase their speed, but using Hyperthrust drains energy from the shields, making the craft more vulnerable.{{cite news|author=Canter, David|date=26 October 1999|title=Wipeout 3 by Psygnosis|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune|page=19}} Scattered across each raceway are weapon grids that bestow random power-ups or items. Wipeout 3 adds new weapons in addition to the five retained from previous games.{{cite news| last=Miles |first=Stuart |date=1 September 1999 |title=Not quite a Wipeout, but...|newspaper=The Times|page=8}} Players can use rockets, missiles, or mines to disable enemies, or shield themselves from harm with defensive items.

Wipeout 3 features six game modes.{{cite web|last=Muldoon|first=Moira|date=22 April 1999|url=http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/wipeout3_dd/index.html|title=Wipeout 3 Designer Diary|website=GameSpot|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020221093153/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/wipeout3_dd/index.html|archive-date=21 February 2002|pages=1–2}} The single race mode awards medals to the top three finishers. Each contestant must reach checkpoints on the course within a certain amount of time, or be ejected from the race. Winning consecutive gold medals unlocks new tracks and crafts. Other game modes include time trials and challenge modes; an "Eliminator" deathmatch-type mode, players gain points for destroying competitors and finishing laps; and a "Tournament" mode where players are awarded points for standing across multiple races.{{cite web|author=Psygnosis|year=2001|url=http://www.wip3out.com/english/game/modes/modes.html|title=Modes|website=Wip3out.com|publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment Europe|access-date=22 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213151442/http://www.wip3out.com/english/game/modes/modes.html|archive-date=13 February 2012|url-status=usurped|df=dmy-all}} Players can engage in two-player racing via a split-screen option.

Developer Psygnosis began developing the next entry in the Wipeout series in 1999, three years after the release of Wipeout 2097. In the interim, Psygnosis had been acquired by Sony and released Wipeout 64, a Nintendo 64 exclusive title that proved the franchise remained popular. Sony gave the team a small budget and tight schedule—only nine months—to ship the game before the new PlayStation 2 arrived. Because of the time constraints, lead designer Wayne Imlach recalled that the team was conservative about adding new features or changing too much of the formula, instead focusing on refining what had been established in 2097.{{cite book|title=GamesRadar Presents Classic Gaming Vol. 3|date=2017|publisher=Future plc|location=Bournemouth|isbn=978-1-78389-385-0|pages=97–101|chapter=Behind The Scenes: Wip3out}} Psygnosis retained many of the developers of the original game to preserve the distinctive racing experience of the earlier games. At the same time, Psygnosis sought to make the game more accessible to new players of the fast-paced racer, and kept early courses easier for these players; the difficulty was adjusted for later courses so that experts would still experience a challenge.{{cite web|last=Perry|first=Douglass|date=18 August 1999|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/19/wipeout-3-2|title=Wipeout 3 (Preview)|website=IGN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710122909/http://psx.ign.com/articles/131/131070p1.html|archive-date=10 July 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} An initial pool of 20 tracks was whittled down to 8 after playtesting; the developers wanted a variety of tracks that favored different ships and had different difficulty levels. Wipeout 3 was the first Wipeout game to take advantage of PlayStation controllers with analogue sticks, used to offer smoother control of the player's craft.

An advantage of developing for the mature PlayStation platform was that the developers knew how to push the console to its limits. Psygnosis prioritized using the console's high-definition widescreen mode, which many development teams had found infeasible. Renderer optimizations allowed the team to boost the resolution from 256x240 to 512x256 pixels, and engineers rewrote the console renderer to reduce clipping and seaming issues that plagued many of the console's games. The game was targeted at the PAL video format and a 25 frames per second frame rate, then converted for NTSC at 30 frames a second; as a result, the game clock and thus the entire game experience was faster on NTSC consoles. Another technical hurdle was adding local split-screen play, which required more computation despite the same output resolution. Psygnosis had distant ships render at much lower levels of detail to reduce the technical demand on the system.

Psygnosis turned to the graphic design studio The Designers Republic to assist in development. The Designers Republic, known for its underground techno album covers, provided "visual candy" to Wipeout 3{{'}}s graphics, designing the game's icons, billboards, colour schemes, and custom typefaces.{{cite news|last=Herz|first=J. C.|date=16 September 1999|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/09/circuits/articles/16game.html?scp=3&sq=wipeout%2525203&st=cse|title=The Game as Elegant Fashion Statement |newspaper=The New York Times|page=G4|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212182257/http://partners.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/09/circuits/articles/16game.html?scp=3&sq=wipeout%203&st=cse|archive-date=12 February 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} The look and feel of the futuristic courses was bounded by the desire to remain believable: Wipeout 3 lead artist Nicky Westcott said that "[Psygnosis] tried to make it look like a believable future, instead of making the sky toxic orange with 10 moons flying around and the world gone mad." The artists also set Wipeout 3 apart from its predecessors by using a different color palette, which Imlach felt made the game's style feel more refined and mature.

Music is an important part of the Wipeout series. Continuing the tradition set by the first game, Wipeout 3 contains licensed tracks from various electronica artists, including The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, and the Propellerheads. Psygnosis' development manager, Enda Carey, focused on bringing together music early in the game's development cycle, instead of as an afterthought or last-minute addition to the game.{{cite news|author=Psygnosis|date=12 July 1999|title=The Return of the Game That Kickstarted an Era; Psygnosis Announces Complete Band Lineup for Wipeout 3|newspaper=Business Wire|page=1|author-link=Psygnosis}} Unlike previous soundtracks, Psygnosis selected a single music director, Sasha, a Welsh deejay. Sasha noted that his work on the games brought his music to an audience of millions, rather than the tens of thousands he would sell copies to in England, and that his video game appearances were a bigger deal to some of his friends and family than his musical accomplishments. Sasha contributed several of his own tracks made specifically for the game, as well as selecting other artists to create a cohesive soundtrack.{{cite news|last=Werde|first=William|date=1 October 1999|title=A New Playing Field; Video Game Soundtracks Boost Recording Artists|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=G1}} To promote Wipeout 3 and its game music, Psygnosis sponsored a Global Underground tour for Sasha. Game pods featuring Wipeout 3 were placed at parties and venues, accompanied by a tie-in marketing campaign.{{cite web|author=IGN staff|date=1 July 1999|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/07/02/psygnosis-and-dj-sasha-begin-the-summer-groove|title=Psygnosis and DJ Sasha Begin the Summer Groove|website=IGN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120710014002/http://psx.ign.com/articles/068/068678p1.html|archive-date=10 July 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} The game disc is a Mixed Mode CD that allows Wipeout 3{{'}}s soundtrack to be played in a standard compact disc player.

Psygnosis announced the game at the Tokyo Game Show in 1999 alongside Wipeout 64 for the Nintendo 64 console.{{cite news|last=Rowe|first=Garrett|date=5 April 1999|title=Sony haunts Sega's dreams GameZone: Garrett Rowe reports on the forthcoming battle of the superconsoles|newspaper=The Irish Times|page=17}} The developers previewed the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May,{{cite news|last=Curtiss|first=Aaron|date=17 May 1999|title=The Cutting Edge / Focus on Technology; Gamers' Corner; As New Titles Go Mainstream, Veteran Players Miss the Fun|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|at=Business}} where IGN rated it the best racing game at the show.{{cite press release|date=24 May 1999|title=IGN.com Announces 'Best of E3' Awards Capcom, Microsoft, Midway and Rare Take Top Honors|publisher=PRNewswire}}

Wipeout 3 was released in Europe and North America in September 1999. A special edition of Wipeout 3 was released exclusively in Europe on 14 July 2000.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/driving/wip3outspecialedition/index.html?tag=tabs;summary|title=Game Summary: Wip3out Special Edition|website=GameSpot|access-date=29 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026100512/http://www.gamespot.com/wipeout-3-special-edition/platform/ps/|archive-date=26 October 2012|url-status=dead}} Wipeout 3 Special Edition featured many minor changes to gameplay, such as different craft physics, auto-loading of saves and AI bug fixes. In addition, eight courses from previous Wipeout titles (three from Wipeout and five from Wipeout 2097), plus two hidden prototype circuits previously only available in the Japanese version of Wipeout 3.{{cite news|last1=Cheung|first1=Kevin|last2=Cottee|first2=James|date=29 June 2000|title=Reign stormer; We've got the latest releases in our sight|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=14}} The Special Edition also allowed for four-person multiplayer, using two televisions and two PlayStation consoles.{{cite magazine|title=Wipeout 3 Special Edition|magazine=Official UK PlayStation Magazine|issue=61|date=August 2000}} Wipeout 3 was the last game in the series made for PlayStation. The next entry in the Wipeout series, entitled Wipeout Fusion, was released in 2002 exclusively for PlayStation 2. The game introduced new courses, crafts, and weaponry, as well as enhanced artificial intelligence.{{cite web|date=21 March 2002|url=https://www.gamezone.com/news/bam_to_publish_wipeout_fusion_and_dropship_for_the_ps2|title=BAM! to Publish WipEout Fusion and Dropship for the PS2|website=GameZone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308063557/https://www.gamezone.com/news/bam_to_publish_wipeout_fusion_and_dropship_for_the_ps2|archive-date=8 March 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

{{Video game reviews

| MC = 89/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/wipeout-3/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation|title=Wipeout 3 for PlayStation Reviews|website=Metacritic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102051545/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation/wipeout-3|archive-date=2 January 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

| CNG = 9/10{{cite web|author=Menasian, Gregor|date=29 October 1999|url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Wipeout3/|title=WipeOut 3 [sic]|website=Gamecenter|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815075534/http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Wipeout3/|archive-date=15 August 2000|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

| Edge = 7/10{{cite magazine|author=Edge staff|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/5/57/Edge_UK_077.pdf|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future Publishing|issue=77|date=Autumn 1999|page=99|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525175540/https://retrocdn.net/images/5/57/Edge_UK_077.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2021|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

| EGM = 7.375/10{{cite magazine|author1=Smith, Shawn|author2=Hsu, Dan "Shoe"|author3=Chou, Che|author4=Davison, John|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/4/40/EGM_US_124.pdf|title=WipeOut 3 [sic]|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=124|date=November 1999|page=254|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421030457/https://retrocdn.net/images/4/40/EGM_US_124.pdf|archive-date=21 April 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}{{efn|Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 8/10, one gave it 6/10, and the other gave it 7.5/10.}}

| GI = 7.75/10{{cite magazine|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=Game Informer|publisher=FuncoLand|issue=79|date=November 1999}}

| GameFan = (T.R.) 98%{{cite magazine|author=Rodriguez, Tyrone "Cerberus"|url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_11/page/n39/mode/2up|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=GameFan|publisher=Shinno Media|volume=7|issue=11|date=November 1999|page=38|access-date=25 September 2022}}
82%{{cite magazine|author1=Ngo, George "Eggo"|author2=Weitzner, Jason "Fury"|author3=Mylonas, Eric "ECM"|url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_11/page/n17/mode/2up|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=GameFan|publisher=Shinno Media|volume=7|issue=11|date=November 1999|page=17|access-date=25 September 2022}}

| GameRev = B+{{cite web|author=Baldric|date=October 1999|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34132-wipeout-3-review|title=Wipeout 3 - PSX Review|website=GameRevolution|publisher=CraveOnline|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040203145546/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/sony/racing/wipeout3.htm|archive-date=3 February 2004|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

| GSpot = 8.3/10{{cite web|author=Fielder, Joe|date=27 September 1999|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wipeout-3-review/1900-2550210/|title=Wipeout 3 Review|website=GameSpot|publisher=Red Ventures|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302125629/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wipeout-3-review/1900-2550210/|archive-date=2 March 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

| IGN = 9.1/10{{cite web|author=Sanchez, Rick|date=24 September 1999|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/25/wipeout-3|title=Wipeout 3 Review|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007093730/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/09/25/wipeout-3|archive-date=7 October 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}

| NGen = 3/5{{cite magazine|author=Lundrigan, Jeff|url=https://archive.org/details/NextGen59Nov1999/page/n123/mode/2up|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=NextGen|publisher=Imagine Media|issue=59|date=November 1999|page=121|access-date=25 September 2022}}

| OPM = 4/5{{cite magazine|author=MacDonald, Mark|url=https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_3_Issue_2_1999-11_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n125/mode/2up|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|volume=3|issue=2|date=November 1999|page=126|access-date=25 September 2022}}

}}

Critical reception of Wipeout 3 was generally positive; the game has a critic average of 87/100 Game Rankings, and a metascore of 89 at Metacritic.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/199315.asp|title=Wipeout 3 - PS|website=Game Rankings|accessdate=2008-04-20}} GamePro said that the game was "hands-down the best futuristic racing game to ever come on the PlayStation. Its blazing frame rate, smooth graphics, and kick-ass soundtrack make it the must-have game for anyone who has a passion for fast, furious fun."{{cite magazine |author=The Rookie |date=November 1999 |title=Wipeout 3 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/1/10/GamePro_US_134.pdf |url-status=live |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |issue=134 |page=88 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027182337/https://retrocdn.net/images/1/10/GamePro_US_134.pdf |archive-date=27 October 2021 |access-date=25 September 2022 |df=dmy-all}} Critics noted that if players liked or disliked previous games, Wipeout 3 would not change their mind. Favorable reviews often called it the best game in the series,{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=John|date=20 September 1999|title=Tripping out on a wicked race experience|newspaper=Daily News|location=New Plymouth, New Zealand|page=4}}{{cite news|date=4 October 1999|title=An Insane Style Of Futuristic Racing|newspaper=The Canberra Times|page=16}} refining what made the first two games memorable.

Reviewers who gave Wipeout 3 lower marks noted a sense of disappointment that the series broke little new ground.{{cite web|author=Salgado, Carlos|date=1 March 2001|url=http://uk.gamespy.com/articles/495/495453p1.html|title=Hall of Fame: Wipeout|website=GameSpy|access-date=30 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711071925/http://uk.gamespy.com/articles/495/495453p1.html|archive-date=11 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Stuart Miles of The Times considered Wipeout 3 a good game, but felt that he had been expecting much more from the sequel; "It's as if the programmers have concerned themselves more with the overall look and feel, rather than further developing the existing gameplay," he wrote. Alistair Wallace of Gamasutra, in a retrospective on Wipeout 2097, remembered that "I enjoyed [Wipeout 3] because it was more of the same and I loved it, but I think the series ran out of its innovation. Doing loop the loops isn't a big deal really".{{cite web|author=Wallace, Alistair|date=14 May 2007|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/desert-island-games-creative-assembly-s-dan-toose|title=Desert Island Games: Creative Assembly's Dan Toose (Medieval II: Total War)|website=Game Developer|publisher=Informa|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624083149/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/column_index.php?story=8668|archive-date=24 June 2008|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} Joe Fielder of GameSpot summed up its review of the game by judging the game an excellent racer, but not able to beat Wipeout 2097 as the best futuristic racing game of all time.

The fast-paced gameplay and graphics were singled out as strong features of the game. Jack Schofield of The Guardian was surprised by the level of detail, stating that the "graphics are better than you'd expect the [PlayStation] to deliver".{{cite news|author=Scholfield, Jack|date=2 September 1999|title=Games review: Ripe wipe|newspaper=The Guardian|page=6}} Both Scary Larry of GamePro and Baldric of GameRevolution praised the new features, specifically the new weapons and ability to challenge friends via splitscreen. The difficulty progression was described as steep, with David Canter of The San Diego Union-Tribune writing tournament game mode went from "easy as pie to tough as nails".{{cite web|author=Cheung, Kevin|date=27 September 1999|url=http://www.gaming-age.com/reviews/archive/old_reviews/psx/wipeout3/|title=WipEout 3 Review|website=Gaming Age|access-date=20 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507024128/http://www.gaming-age.com/reviews/archive/old_reviews/psx/wipeout3/|archive-date=7 May 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Though the analogue stick was judged as helping to increase control over the onscreen craft, GamePro and The Sydney Morning Herald{{'}}s reviewers found that proper handling required large amounts of patience and practice.{{cite magazine|author=Scary Larry|date=26 October 1999|url=http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/2694.shtml|title=Wipeout 3 Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com|magazine=GamePro|publisher=IDG|access-date=25 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041106165717/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/2694.shtml|archive-date=6 November 2004|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news|author1=Clarke, Stuart|author2=Tong, Janice|date=11 September 1999|url=http://www.smh.com.au/icon/9909/11/games2.html|title=Wipeout 3|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=26 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001020201809/http://www.smh.com.au/icon/9909/11/games2.html|archive-date=20 October 2000|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Jeff Lundrigan of NextGen said of the game, "It's not terrible, but for a series known for its 'gee whiz' level of quality, this is a serious misstep."

The game's visual design was praised, with The New York Times calling the game "deep-dish slice of graphic design and club culture, a sly piece of eye candy for the fashion-conscious gamer."{{cite news|last=Herz|first=J.C.|date=18 November 1999|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/18/technology/game-theory-games-to-suit-every-platform-and-every-taste.html|title=Game Theory; Games to Suit Every Platform and Every Taste|newspaper=The New York Times|page=C4|access-date=28 August 2024}} While Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine{{'}} Mark MacDonald praised the overall graphics, they felt the weapons and other special effects were too subtle. Game Revolution praised The Designer Republic's style as helping to make the racing locales seem real, though David Goldfarb of the magazine International Design stated that the "techno-meets-Nihonpop-art visuals" had been executed better in previous entries of the series.{{cite magazine|author=Goldfarb, David|title=Wipeout 3|magazine=International Design|volume=46|issue=7|date=November 1999|page=112}} The Los Angeles Times felt that similar games "[dripping] with attitude" turned out not to be fun to play, but that Wipeout successfully avoided being off-putting.{{cite news|last=Curtiss|first=Aaron|date=23 December 1999|title=The Cutting Edge / Dreamcast, Games for a Desert Island Top Year's Adventures|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|at=Business}} Wipeout 3{{'}}s soundtrack and sound effects were also lauded.

IGN named it the most accessible game of the series, and in 2007 the title was named the 92nd best game by the site.{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_92.html|title=IGN's Top 100 Games: #92|website=IGN|publisher=IGN Entertainment|access-date=1 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414141352/http://top100.ign.com/2007/ign_top_game_92.html|archive-date=14 April 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} In 2021, Retro Gamer noted Special Edition as one of the best PS1 racing games.{{cite web |title=Wipeout 3 Special Edition |url=https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games00/wipeout-3-special-edition/ |website=Retro Gamer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=28 February 2023 |date=23 December 2021}} Despite generally positive reviews of the game, Wipeout 3 was not a commercial success. Programmer David Jefferies felt the game's poor performance was partly due to the franchise being European-centric, as well as releasing Wipeout as attention shifted to the next generation of game consoles. Despite disappointing sales, the franchise continued with Wipeout Fusion on the PlayStation 2.

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{{Wipeout series}}

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Category:1999 video games

Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games

Category:PlayStation (console) games

Category:PlayStation (console)-only games

Category:Psygnosis games

Category:Sony Interactive Entertainment games

Category:Split-screen multiplayer games

Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom

Category:Video games set in the future

Category:Video games set in the 22nd century

Category:Wipeout (video game series)