Derby Owners Club

Summary
Derby Owners Club (ダービーオーナーズクラブ) is a horse racing simulator developed by Sega AM3 and published by Sega for the Sega NAOMI arcade platform. Players use one of several consoles (called satellites) to train horses, and then race them against 11 other CPU or human-controlled horses on a huge screen.

Game Design
In the arcade version, players each have their own console (known as a satellite) highlighting their own horse, with a large mainscreen that shows the race progression as it unfolds. Game variations of 4, 6, or 8 player deluxe version (2 50" main rear projection displays plus individual satellites consisting of CRTs) or the later released "horseshoe version" or originally marketed as "Special Edition" with revised EX software has 4 lcd connected satellites horse-shoeing a main 60" lcd display.

Gameplay
Each player acts as owner, trainer, and jockey at each console. To create a horse, the player assumes the role of Breeder and must begin by choosing the Sire and Dam. Once the horse is born, the player names it and chooses the pattern and color for their jockey's silks. Then it's off to the training farm, where the player is now the Trainer.

Training consists of selecting a training regime from a menu of ten different mini-games. Each exercise develops the horses racing abilities, which include Starting, Cornering, Out of the Box, Tenacity, Competitiveness, and Spurt. After training, players choose from a variety of foods to feed their horse. The horses' abilities will develop differently depending on which minigame was chosen, how well the player did in the minigame, and which food was chosen for the horse.

After training and feeding their horse, the player can race their horse against other players or the CPU. At this point the player has taken on the role of the Jockey, using their whip at strategic times to maximize their horse's performance. Players win prize money for finishing the race, the higher the position in the race, the more prize money their horse wins.

Once the race is over, the player takes on the final role of Owner and is asked a multiple choice question to test the understanding he/she has of their horse (its likes, dislikes, etc). The wrong answer will have a negative effect on the relationship between player and horse.

Much like in real horse racing, after 30-40 races, the player's horse becomes "old" and slows down compared to younger horses. Once a horse has run in 20 races, the player can opt to retire it to the breeding stable, where it can be used as the sire or dam of future champions. However, doing so makes it impossible to ever race the horse again. For each horse created, a unique Horse Owner's Card is printed out by the machine. All of the data from training, feeding, and racing the horse is stored on the card, which can be scanned at any Derby Owner's Club console so that players may pick up where they left off. This allows players to slowly build their horse's abilities and increase the amount of prize money collected.

Riding Mechanics
The player uses a green button as the whip to make the horse go faster, and a red button to pull the reins and slow the horse down.

Differences between Releases
Sega's Memory Card Reader and Dispenser Technology (MCRD) SANWA Card R/W Unit CRP-1231AR-10 - Sega Part # 601-10822 DOC2000 (Rev A, Rev B) - Japanese Release DOC2000 Version 2 (Rev A, Rev B) - Japanese Release

Sanwa Newtec Card R/W Unit CRP-1231BR-10 Sega Part # 601-11082 DOCWE (Rev A, Rev B, Rev C, Rev T) - North America and Europe Release DOCWE-EX (Rev D) - North America and Europe Release

After DOCWE-EX and beginning with DOC II, the game did away with the MCRD technology due largely in part to players learning how to manipulate the card data creating horses with values well beyond the parameters of normal game play. This was primarily used in the Japanese and American tournament scenes or in G1 play as, during normal play, the parameters of horses outside of normal game values are reset during main gameplay. This shift away from MCRD technology was marketed by Sega and Hitmaker as reducing "game processing power caused by breeding sires and dams", but reviewing the actual game code contradicts this.

Additional Media
Derby Owners Club: Perfect Audio Collection (2006) Derby Owners Club 2008: Feel the Rush Original Soundtrack (2009)

Trivia
Derby Owners Club 2000 (ダービーオーナーズクラブ 2000) is a horse racing simulator developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega for the Sega NAOMI arcade platform. It is the sequel or update to Derby Owners Club, and was followed by Derby Owners Club World Edition for the European and North American Markets. DOCWE as World Edition is often referred to as received one revision the "EX" version which was essentially the same game as DOCWE but renamed many sire and dams to make it more difficult identify the strong breeding pairs. EX also made the game easier for novices to win early races by handicapping the strong horses for the first three races or so. The game was an arcade exclusive.

System Requirements & Compatibility
DOC2000, DOCWE, DOCWE-EX - Naomi 1 (or Naomi 2 with serial communication enabled) Satellite Terminal DOC II - Naomi 2 Satellite Terminal Derby Owners Club 2008: Feel the Rush - Sega Lindbergh Blue Derby Owners Club 2009: Ride for the Live - Sega Lindbergh Blue

Database

 * Derby Owners Club pages on Sega Retro
 * Derby Owners Club entry on Wikipedia
 * Derby Owners Club entry on Codex Gamicus
 * Derby Owners Club - World Edition on International Arcade Museum

Trailer

 * Sega video (mobile version trailer)
 * Arcade Belgium video (Derby Owners Club 2009 - Ride for the Live trailer)

Gameplay

 * Game Room Guys video (arcade version)
 * Virtual Arcades video (modified arcade version)
 * Jin-Roh video (mobile version)