Forza Motorsport 4 will be shipping for the Xbox 360 during the fall of 2011, Microsoft announced early this morning. Specific gameplay details are scarce at this point, although Microsoft did confirm that Forza Motorsport 4 will support motion-control gameplay via the Xbox Kinect hardware.
In previous years, the Forza Motorsport games have made significant ground on Sony’s Gran Turismo series of PlayStation games, but with GT5 releasing this fall to mixed reviews, the opportunity is there for Forza Motorsport 4 to put itself in the driver’s seat in the racing-simulation genre when it releases next year.
Microsoft did not outline specific modes or features for Forza Motorsport 4, but it’s safe to bet that online interactions via Xbox Live will continue to be a focus, whether it be online multiplayer races, car designs and “marketplace” via the livery, watching other racers online and downloading ghosts to see how you fare against the other Forza Motorsport 4 owners.
Another possible innovation that may be up Microsoft’s sleeve would be a track editor using off-the-shelf sections of track, but the company may be focused so hard on implementing Kinect support in Forza Motorsport 4 that track editing functionality may have to wait for Forza 5. As it currently stands, that idea is just that: an idea.
Regardless, cockpit-view controls via the Kinect hardware are confirmed, which is bound to please thousands of Forza Motorsport 4 owners upon the game’s release next fall.
In its announcement, Microsoft shared the following enthusiastic statement:
Forza Motorsport 4 will be the most expansive and vividly realistic automotive experience across any console, bringing you closer to the edge than you’ve ever been before. Through the power of Kinect, players will be able to step through the TV screen and jump into the driver’s seat while the engaging controller-based experience will let you take on the bone-jarring physics, unparalleled levels of customization, and rosters of dream cars and tracks. Offering gameplay that will electrify racing fans and excite car lovers and novices alike, the highest-rated racing franchise of this generation returns in fall 2011
Yes, the company’s excited about their upcoming racing game. Stay tuned to DailyGame for more information as it becomes available.
