Road Rash (3DO) 1994, wrecked during filming

Road Rash and the Panasonic FZ-10 3DO

If your confused about the title of the blog you may not be alone.  Lots of people probably don't know what or remember the ambitious but failed 3DO Interactive Multiplayer media and gaming console that debuted in 1993 and Road Rash a motorcycle themed racing game for the system.

The game is most notably remembered for it's stunning graphics (for the time), fast paced racing (thanks to the robust hardware), and thrilling and comical, high quality FMV (full motion video) cut scenes that help to advance the plot of the game, what little plot there is.  Even today this is a fun and addictive game challenging the player to win races, earn money to buy better and faster bikes in Olley's Skoot-o-Rama as well as hang out in the Der Panzer Klub.  Being this is an early CD based game it also features CD quality audio, in this case music from Sound Garden, Paw, Monster Magnet, Swervendriver and more.   It was also published by EA (yeah that EA) in house with the 3DO company (a spin off company of Electronic Arts).  Alright, way too much info this is not going to be a video game review, that has been done HERE if you are interested.  What I want to focus on is the FMV cut scenes, or actually one of the motorcycles, within the game specifically a red Ducati Supersport 900.  Watch the video below to see the FMV cut scenes where real motorcycles were used for various stunts and scenes later to be put into the game for various comic effect.  Read on for the full story.

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The bike as it sits in the lobby of EA Electronic Arts

So goes the story, which can be read in full on EA's Electronic Arts website HERE, the bikes were rented from a local specialty vehicle rental company.  The producer for the game Randy Breen, an avid motorcyclist,  approached Ducati for a loaner bike.  The real bikes were not only used for the FMV scenes but also the motion capture for the in game mechanics (don't worry about this as it is technical mumbo jumbo to make the sprites behave more similarly to real life).  Anyways this bike was accidentally layed down while filming some of the cut scenes and thus scratching the bodywork rendering the bike un-returnable, so now it sits on display in the lobby of the now video game giant EA Electronic Arts since the games release in 1994.  An interesting motorcycle story tied to a really good video game.  So if you ever get a chance to play the game, just think, this bike pictured here is essentially the one you are using in the game since it was used to create the experience you see on the screen.  It is also interesting to note that some of the other bikes are 2 stroke sport bikes, which I find some charm in that as it hearkens back to a time when you would still hear that 2 stroke whine as it whizzes by at 13,000 rpm.

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The alleged scene where the minor crash happened, This scene happens when you level up

This is one scene after you "wreck" your bike within the game, notice this must have been filmed AFTER the initial crash as you can see the scrapes on the side of the machine.