Forza Horizon Announced, Releasing In 2012

Turn 10 Studios today announced Forza Horizon, the fifth installment in its acclaimed racing series set for release in Fall 2012. Horizon marks the first collaboration between Turn 10 and the studio’s new development partner Playground Games, a UK-based developer comprised of former developers from such well-respected racing game studios as Codemasters, Bizarre Creations, and others.

Forza Horizon was officially unveiled at Microsoft’s Spring Showcase 2012 last week in San Francisco, but no details were revealed, aside from a live-action teaser trailer that was more of a tone establisher than anything. Interestingly enough, Horizon is the first Forza game to ship just one year after the previous release; Forza games typically release every two years. According to Turn 10, the collaboration with Playground Games has sped up the turn around process but also given the studio the chance to take the Forza series into a new (if unspecified) direction.

From the looks of the trailer, it looks as though Forza Horizon may go for a Dirt Showdown, motorsports kind of style in place of the series' more straightforward sim tone and design. Impossible to say at this point, but whenever I see footage of a music festival rave and expansive desert vistas, I think motorsports and Red Bull. Plus, considering some of Horizon's devs previously worked on the Dirt series, it's not inconceivable that there might be some crossover there. Could just be me though.

(NOTE: While the above image is from the "entirely" live-action teaser trailer, I have a strong feeling it's actually from the game. Sort of a flash of what Turn 10 is aiming for in terms of presentation and graphical capability. Or it's just a nice shot of a really nice car going super fast.)