Forza Motorsport 6 Revealed

Moments ago, Microsoft announced Forza Motorsport 6, a new racing game coming exclusively to the Xbox One.

The announcement for Forza Motorsport 6 came on its Xbox Wire news blog. The company timed the announcement with the unveiling of the Ford GT at the North American International Auto Show.

Microsoft says that users will get the chance to drive the GT, Shelby GT350 Mustang and the F-150 Raptor in Forza Motorsport 6. Just like previous games in the series, developer Turn 10 Studios is looking to create another realistic driving simulation with Turn 10’s Dan Greenawalt saying, “Just as Ford has pushed the boundaries of car technology in GT, Forza Motorsport 6 will embrace that spirit of innovation as our most technically advanced racing simulation to date.” He goes on to note that his team is looking to create a “fun and realistic automotive experience for both car lovers and gamers”.

Microsoft is only providing a look at an updated Forza Motorsport 6 logo sitting overtop the new Ford super car. We’ll have to wait until the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June to get a look at the actual game, according to Greenawalt. Most are assuming that Microsoft has Forza Motorsport 6 planned for a release sometime this year. That’s a bit unclear now. Microsoft’s post about the game only confirms the announcement of Forza Motorsport 6 for 2015. Microsoft does hint at a Forza Motorsport 6 release date of sometime this year, saying “this year promises to be the busiest and biggest in Forza history”, but that’s hardly a sure thing.

It’s very, very interesting that Microsoft would make a Forza Motorsport 6 announcement today. It hasn’t been that long since we last saw a Forza title. Last fall, Microsoft released Forza Horizon 2 for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. That game isn’t exactly a successor since it’s much more of an open-world arcade racer than it is a hard-core racing game for car fanatics. Even if we’re judging by direct successors, Forza Motorsport 6 is a follow-up to Forza Motorsport 5, which launched alongside the Xbox One in November of 2013. Microsoft appears to have switched to an annual schedule for Forza racing titles, though it hasn’t officially announced that.

A new Forza title is a big deal for Xbox One users. By most accounts, there aren’t a lot of people playing racing games when compared with first-person shooters, but that doesn’t matter. Those that do play racing games are a dedicated. They want the most realistic simulation they can have, whether that means they have to spend time thinking about the right engine and tire combination to get the best performance out of their in-game car or using Adobe Photoshop and other tools to create decals and a custom paint job to share with their friends and the Forza community. They’re willing to spend money on steering wheels and accessories. Racing games are a pillar gaming genre.

Things in the car community change very, very fast. To keep up, Microsoft needs this accelerated schedule. It’s good news for racing fans on the Xbox One. The only problem, is that it’s not necessarily good news for racing fans who don’t want to or can’t afford to upgrade their console this year. Forza Motorsport 6 being exclusive to the Xbox One means that users will need to upgrade before they can play it. For most, that’ll be fine and it’s probably what they expected. It’s unpleasant for anyone trying to eek as much as they can from their Xbox 360 purchase.

Presumably, Forza Motorsport 6 will cost $60 when it arrives on Xbox One, but Microsoft hasn’t confirmed pricing for any additional version of the game with extras.