PYONGYANG RACER - online racing game from North Korea
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Dear Leader Divine Administrator
Posts : 626 Join date : 2008-03-30
Subject: PYONGYANG RACER - online racing game from North Korea Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:31 am
Update December 2022 THE PYONGYANG RACER GAME IS OFFLINE AND UNAVAILABLE AS OF JANUARY 2022. The pyongyangracer.co/ URL is now directing to a website claiming to be based in West Virginia that seems to focus on video game designing. I searched the company address provided and no such address shows up on Google or Google Maps.
I will leave all the following posts and links as they were, but the PYONGYANG RACER GAME IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
If the Pyongyang Racer game ever returns in some form or other, that information will be provided here.
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"Pyongyang Racer" is North Korea's first video game to be widely available online. Developed in North Korea, it was commisioned by the Chinese based travel company Koryo Tours and is played directly on your browser at the Pyongyang Racer URL
URL Link for Pyongyang Racer online game: http://www.pyongyangracer.co/ (Wait for the game to load - Click "go now" - then wait for the words "loading Pyongyang" to fill with color.)
Screenshot:
Online history:
Koryo Tours posted the game online on December 18 2012.
Here was their announcement:
Great news everyone!This Christmas have a bit of retro fun with a free gift from Koryo Tours - The chance to drive around Pyongyang all by yourself! In the computer game 'Koryo Tours Pyongyang Racer' Koryo Tours commissioned a DPRK (North Korea) gaming company to develop a racing game that lets you drive around Pyongyang in a locally made Pyonghwa Motors vehicle, see some of the sites and compete for a good race time! Collect fuel along the way, avoid the attentions of Pyongyang's traffic ladies, and try not to crash into any of the local cars, or the DHL vans! This unique game is currently online exclusively on Koryo Tours' website (do note that it may take some time to load properly - so do stay patient before starting) You can play the game here: http: //www .koryogroup.com/Pyongyang_racer/racer.html The game has an old school feel and offers a challenge for all the family. We hope you enjoy it and do let us know how you get along! Kind regards from all of us at Koryo Tours
The game was only online for a day before it got hacked and both it and the Koryo Tours website went offline. Statement on December 20, from Koryo Tours facebook:
Sorry folks, if you have been trying to access our website it appears someone has tried to hack us and it is currently off line. Someone is not playing fair game here. If you have any questions our emails are still up and running.
Statement on December 22:
it looks like our server in the west is having a problem with putting up the game
Statement on December 24:
It will be up and running again soon sorry. We could use it now as a new year gift to you all.
The Koryo Tours website was back online several days later. The Pyongyang Racer game was not.
December 30:
we are getting there- VERIO in America the web hosing company have not been very supportive so we have moved the game....should have news for you in the next day or two- please hold on and thanks
January 5: The Pyongyang Racer game came back online at new URL http://www.pyongyangracer.co/ (Edit: The game presently - Jan 5 0850 GMT - is not loading when I try it. The load bar gets to the n in loading and then stops. I assume they are working on this issue. Stay tuned. ) (Edit January 7th: I have emailed them. They are aware of the loading problem and are working on a solution.)
January 10, statement from Koryo Tours:
Pyongyang Racer game has been moved to pyongyangracer.co and is under maintanence, but should be up and running soon!
January 24, statement from Koryo Tours:
still under maintanence - coming soon!
February 9: Pyongyang Racer post has been removed from the Koryo Tours facebook page. Pyongyang Racer game still not loading at its website URL. Koryo Tours website continues to state: still under maintanence - coming soon!
March 6: FINALLY - Pyongyang Racer is now loading and appears to be working again. http://www.pyongyangracer.co/
March 31: Pyongyang Racer offline again, possibly a victim of the group "Anonymous_Korea" which unleashed a wave of hack attacks against various North korea websites, but also including Koryo Tours. Article: http://rt.com/news/anonymous-korea-tango-attack-085/ "Hacking group Anonymous_Korea claimed they have taken down five of North Korea's official websites ..... The sites included the Korean and English language versions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North Korean Committee for Cultural Relations and the state-owned airline Air Koryo .... The group later tweeted the attack was still under way.... "
April 1: And Pyongyang Racer is back online. Probably it wasn't exactly hacked, but more like "Anonymous_Korea" and their followers flooded the websites with traffic, temporarily overwhelming them.
YouTube video of Pyongyang Racer game in action :
Here is the original description of the game by Koryo Tours:
Koryo Tours Pyongyang Racer is a small racing game developed in the DPRK (North Korea). This game was developed in 2012 and is not intended to be a high-end technological wonder hit game of the 21st century, but more a fun race game (arcade style) where you drive around in Pyongyang and learn more about the sites and get a glimpse of Pyongyang. You will drive a long journey through Pyongyang. On the journey there will be special sites that you can see, but you should also collect the items that appear close to the sites! Don’t forget to collect enough gasoline during your journey! If you drive recklessly there will be a Traffic Girl to direct you and if you get too many warnings…….
Last edited by Dear Leader on Sun Dec 11, 2022 1:32 am; edited 5 times in total
Dear Leader Divine Administrator
Posts : 626 Join date : 2008-03-30
Subject: Re: PYONGYANG RACER - online racing game from North Korea Wed Mar 17, 2021 1:30 am
Sad news Pyongyang Racer depends on Flash for it's operation.
Since Adobe no longer supports Flash Player after December 31, 2020 and blocked Flash content from running in Flash Player beginning January 12, 2021, Adobe strongly recommends all users immediately uninstall Flash Player to help protect their systems.
Adobe has stopped issuing security updates to anyone who still has Flash installed in their system, so it it may not be advisable to use the Pyongyang Racer game any longer.
I have emailed Koryo Tours and asked if they are going to update the Pyongyang Racer software platform to one that does not use Flash.
This was their reply: "We don’t actually have any plans as regards this at the moment, in the future it will depend on costs, resource allocation, and so on but it is in mind and maybe one day this game can be revived. Just not for the time being I’m afraid. Sorry for the disappointment. Best regards"
If you want to contact them and maybe help inspire them to update the game, you can email them here: info@koryogroup.com And, you could even try to book a tour to the DPRK.
Dear Leader Divine Administrator
Posts : 626 Join date : 2008-03-30
Subject: Re: PYONGYANG RACER - online racing game from North Korea Sat Dec 10, 2022 11:54 pm
THE PYONGYANG RACER GAME HAS BEEN OFFLINE AND UNAVAILABLE AS OF JANUARY 2022. The pyongyangracer.co/ URL is now directing to a website claiming to be based in West Virginia that seems to focus on video game designing. I searched the company address provided and no such address shows up on Google or Google Maps.
If Pyongyang Racer ever returns in some form or other, that information will be provided here.
PYONGYANG RACER - online racing game from North Korea
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Subject: PYONGYANG RACER - online racing game from North Korea 
Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:31 am
