There’s a definite line drawn between serious racing games and games like Burnout:Pardise. The former has almost always attracted the serious gearheads – people who want the ability to fine tune every part of a car, some of whom actually know what the hell they’re doing. The latter is for people like me, who just enjoy driving really fast and looking at pretty cars. Okay, so I also like the former, but I really don’t know what I’m doing, which makes it tough to really get into the game. I’ll race around the early tracks, completely dominating the competition, but by the time it gets to the long races (like the 4-5 hour matches) I’m just bored.
Turn 10, the guys who put out the Forza franchise, want to change that, and they say it all comes down to conventions of development. Korey Krauskopf told Kotaku he thinks developers have become too specialized.
“I think that’s more about developers trying to be different, not an indictment of the user. I think it’s that game companies are making their games more specialized,” he said of the increasing specialization in games like Forza. By making the game incredibly detailed, developers limit their player base because it confuses your average player. That’s Krauskopf’s take anyhow.
For others, like myself, it’s just too much information. I love learning new games, mastering new playstyles, but a game like Forza takes more time than I’m willing to commit to learn all the ins and outs. Turn 10 plans to add all sorts of “auto-tuning” features to Forza 3 alongside huge customization for multiplayer matches with the hopes that it will draw a more casual crowd. ‘Kopf cites games like Halo 3, where players can edit almost everything about the world, including handicaps/assists for certain players, to create a competitive experience for everyone.
As a short list, Forza 3 will include team modes, racing handicaps, one-button racing, auto-tuning, brake and acceleration assists, among other aids for the challenged gamer. Maybe I’m just a little too competitive, but you can bet your ass I won’t be using any assists in my gaming, no matter how badly I need it. For those folks with a more healthy disposition toward friendly gaming I’m sure this is a welcome addition to the franchise.
Microsoft’s Xbox Division may have shipped more units this year than last, but they certainly didn’t make more money. Not by percentage anyway.
