Forza Motorsports 2

[man 430gt]

Thought i'd make an offical Thread, i know werty made a thread, but that was concerning E3 and the Trailer, i'd like to put all Screenshots and Info in here, i'd thought i'd start off first with the *ONLY* screenshots out right now, also got some news they say that Forza is set for release on the 2nd of October, i'm not so sure seeing that they've posted literally no progress to the present date. But they may just be keeping every thing underwraps, also when i say second of october i mean 2006 (:D)..

[man 430gt]

Got some more things you lot should see, got some face plates* picked a handful but got plenty more on demand everything can be found on the Forza site @:http://forzamotorsport.net/default.htm
*Faceplates are the covers on the front of xbox 360's..

I'm planning on getting the last one printed like a photo on to my white faceplate when i get the chance...

[Clivey]

This is the game that will determine whether I buy myself a 360. My friends and I have clocked up hundreds of hours on the original, it's quite simply the best console driving simulator out there. Can't wait.:D

[Pando]

Those pictures aren't actually screenshots, but still's from the pre-rendered video trailer... :rolleyes: I'm sure the game will look better than that when completed.

Edit: Oh, yeah and the compulsory "Can't wait".... :)

[Clivey]

I'd love to have a TVR Tuscan / Typhon / Sagaris face plate done...those ones look great. Love the integration of the "on" button into the design, especially the back of the F50.

[Zondaboy1]

hmm i woulnt mind having that F50 faceplate, looks damn nice. the murcielago one kinda got screwed up but w/e

[Matra et Alpine]

Those pictures aren't actually screenshots, but still's from the pre-rendered video trailer... :rolleyes: I'm sure the game will look better than that when completed.
That would be a first :)
They often give up 10 second of render time per frame on SERIOUS kit for the prelaunch trailers.
So seldom does a game get close to what they "pitch" early on.
That's a 720 line image which woudl be a 720p HD game.

[man 430gt]

hmm i woulnt mind having that F50 faceplate, looks damn nice. the murcielago one kinda got screwed up but w/e
There all entrants from people on the forums, but many like ferrari :whistle...

[Clivey]

On the graphics side of things, Games NEVER look as good as the initial screenshots (remember what Sony pushed around about the PS2 and it's in-game graphics before it came out). As long as it looks as good (or better) than PGR3 though, it's all good :)

[man 430gt]

On the graphics side of things, Games NEVER look as good as the initial screenshots (remember what Sony pushed around about the PS2 and it's in-game graphics before it came out). As long as it looks as good (or better) than PGR3 though, it's all good :)
Hmmm:D Just joking just got it and felt like using it..

[Clivey]

Hmmm:D Just joking just got it and felt like using it..

Lol WTF? What did I say (this time)?:D

[F1_Master]

I'm a bit disappointed the in-dash view won't be in, but the hood cam should still be cool.

I'm just excited about McLaren and Lamborghini being in.

[Clivey]

I'm a bit disappointed the in-dash view won't be in, but the hood cam should still be cool.

Where did you hear that? We're not going to have the GT3 disgrace of only having 2 views are we?:confused:

[F1_Master]

I don't know what views you'll have but I know you won't get in-car.

The developer said they did not have time to model 300 car interiors.

[The_Canuck]

meh ill judge it when GT5 comes out. ive played forza at my friends and i just dont like the way the games set up.

[Pando]

That would be a first :)
They often give up 10 second of render time per frame on SERIOUS kit for the prelaunch trailers.
So seldom does a game get close to what they "pitch" early on.
That's a 720 line image which woudl be a 720p HD game.
No I mean it, look at the quality of those images, it's terrible. The images are screenshots from a higher-res version of this (http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/743/743956/vids_1.html) trailer.

One reason why a game itself doesn't always look as good as the pre-release shots is the screen you watch it on. Most people have a computer screen that's capable of better image quality than their television. Still, in my opinion most games look as good as the pre-release shots and trailers, in many time they even look better. You just have to have a common sense filter on not to take every "ingame" image of games released well into the future seriously. Many times the images are just based on the imagination of the game developers or even totally unrelated photoshoppers. On some rare occasions game developers also have to "tune down" the graphics of a nearly finished game if they all of a sudden realize it doesn't run smooth enough on the console.

In this case I'm rather certain the released game will look better than this, the release date hasn't even been announced yet for pete's sake. Only a "late 2006" which means the game is far from done.

Here's some information on the game, confirming that these are even far from "official" pictures.



E3 2006: Forza Motorsport 2 Update
The Wireless Wheel, 300 cars and a holiday release.
by Jonathan Miller

May 11, 2006 - Dan Greenwalt is not happy about the Forza Motorsport 2 trailer. None of what you saw at Microsoft's E3 press conference Tuesday was using the in-game engine, nor did the trailer convey the passion for cars that Forza is known for. And Greenwalt, the director of the upcoming Forza title on the Xbox 360, is not happy about that at all because he wants you to know that his game rocks way harder than that video clip.

Still, Forza 2 is making no appearance at E3 whatsoever, so we'll have to take Greenwalt's word for it. There is no playable version behind closed doors and there is no in-game footage of any kind. There is only the trailer that Greenwalt's team didn't even work on, that crazy concept-montage prepared specifically for E3. So here is what we do know. Forza 2 will be released this holiday season. The game is already running smooth at 60 frames per second, Greenwalt said, and the goal is to have the sequel to one of the highest-rated racing games on store shelves before the end of 2006.

The game will feature more than 300 cars, including Lamborghini -- new for Forza. Each car will be fully customizable, from the tires to the spoilers to engine performance to paint job and decals. "It's not any Lamborghini," Greenwalt said. "It's your Lamborghini. You can put a Hello Kitty decal on the hood if you want to. You can put the Mona Lisa on the hood if you want to."

Like the single-player game, Forza 2 on Xbox Live will have 12-player races and you can take your tricked out car online and show it off to your competition -- hopefully the only decal they see is on your bumper. And since decals are customizable, hopefully you can slap on a bumper sticker that says, "You are losing to me." And on the hood? Why not the Playmate of the month? The car is your oyster.

Because Forza 2 is geared toward car and customization freaks, Microsoft is adding a photo mode too. You can take pictures of your ride and post them online, sharing them with your friends. Will there be MS contests for coolest cars? We think so, but Greenwalt wouldn't say anything more about Xbox Live. He did smile when we asked him, if that means anything.

Forza 2 will have more than 60 tracks, so we assume the number is around 30 with their mirrors. Greenwalt said the original Forza tracks are included and are getting the high-resolution treatment. We don't know how many new tracks are in the game, but we do know that Sebring International Raceway will be included. The Florida track has been used since the 1950s and is set on unused runways and support roads for an airport. Sebring features three courses: the 12 Hour Grand Prix Course; the Old Club Course; and the New Club Course, but we don't know which, if not all three, will be included in Forza 2.

Because Sebring is not the smoothest course out there -- there are plenty of bumps, changes in surface and misaligned slabs of cement -- so it's a perfect way to highlight the recently-announced Wireless Racing Wheel 360 that will be launched with Forza 2. We don't know if the two will be packaged together -- we assume you could buy them separately and there will be some form of package. With sophisticated rumble capability and force feedback, the wheel will give gamers a three-dimensional sensation of control, Greenwalt said. For instance, let's say you take a sharp turn. If you let your hands off the wheel, it will automatically self correct. Also, with force-feedback, you will feel when the car is off traction during sharp turns. Greenwalt mentioned that the all racing games down the line will have to be compatible with the wheel as part of the certification process, and there is talk of updating PGR3 with a patch so it works as well. Racing fans will be very happy this holiday season.

Again, it was a surprise that we were taken behind closed doors and instead of a fancy plasma TV with Forza 2 running we found Greenwalt sitting by himself. He did give us a ton of new details on his game and said it would have set his team back about a month to get together a demo or in-game trailer of Forza 2 for E3. Greenwalt doesn't care much about conventions though -- he's aiming for a holiday release. We'll keep you posted on Forza 2 as we get more information about new cars, tracks, online modes and the official IGN bumper sticker as it develops.

[Clivey]

I don't know what views you'll have but I know you won't get in-car.

The developer said they did not have time to model 300 car interiors.

To be honest though, in-car interiors on screens / TVs don't really work because you are being FORCED to look AT the interior rather than do what you do when actually driving and look OVER the dash and out across the bonnet. The nature of a screen means you arent in the same position relative to the image of the dash as you would be relative to the dash sitting in a car. That's why I like "Bonnet cam", it's the most realistic.

[F1_Master]

Most games with an in-car view DO allow you to look over the bonnet.

Test Drive does it, a couple in PGR3 do it (then again, that's still realistic. You can't exactly see a Murcielago's bonnet in front), and GTR do it.

[Clivey]

Most games with an in-car view DO allow you to look over the bonnet.

Test Drive does it, a couple in PGR3 do it (then again, that's still realistic. You can't exactly see a Murcielago's bonnet in front), and GTR do it.

Oh I know they allow you to see the bonnet, but because the dash is in front of you on the screen instead of underneath your line of sight, you can't see much of the road ahead.

What I'd really like to see for racing games would be for the player's head movement to be monitored by something similar to the PS2's "Eye Toy" camera and then as the player moved their head, they'd get a different perspective of what's going on so if they were looking straight over the dash, it'd be more like being inside a real car (the image on the screen would be more like "Bonnet Cam", but if the player looked slightly down, they'd be able to see the instrument binnacle and the top of the dash. that would be technically very hard to do, but it would rock.

[F1_Master]

Hmm, well, like I said on FC.com, I still think PC sims are still lightyears ahead of Console sims. GTR allows you to raise above the dash, and the TrackIR device follows your head movement to look around.:D

[RacingManiac]

I don't see how Froza 1 can be the best console sim out when XBox doesn't even have a decent wheel.....

[Pando]

I don't see how Froza 1 can be the best console sim out when XBox doesn't even have a decent wheel.....
Yes it does.

[Matra et Alpine]

The nature of a screen means you arent in the same position relative to the image of the dash as you would be relative to the dash sitting in a car. That's why I like "Bonnet cam", it's the most realistic.
Funny I prefer dash as long as the game has properly modelled the instruments. THEN it's liek teh real thing.
I'm not a great fan of all teh HUD BS that sims adn games put up there :(
BTW, mount the "screen" on a racing seat setup and it's fine.
We once did the three screen setup in GPL which was awesome -- and we didnt' take pics :(

[Alastor]

What I'd really like to see for racing games would be for the player's head movement to be monitored by something similar to the PS2's "Eye Toy" camera and then as the player moved their head, they'd get a different perspective of what's going on so if they were looking straight over the dash, it'd be more like being inside a real car (the image on the screen would be more like "Bonnet Cam", but if the player looked slightly down, they'd be able to see the instrument binnacle and the top of the dash. that would be technically very hard to do, but it would rock.

There are quite a few racing games that support Track-IR which follows your head movement. According to the website any of the following games are supported:

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/03-enhanced-games/enhanced-games-racing.html

GTR for example supports looking up, down, left, right, and even leaning. I guess the leaning helps resists the lateral forces, can't get much more real than that ;-)