It’s one thing to accurately match a car’s specs, but how do you factor personality, behavior and nuance into each car? A highly computerized Nissan GT-R experience is going to feel and act completely different than a raw Ferrari experience.
You’re exactly right and the example you bring up is a good one since we have both the GT-R and many iconic Ferraris in the game. All cars in Forza Motorsport 3 start off as a database with thousands of real-world numbers that we get from manufacturers and our research teams. These are subsequently plugged into our sophisticated math model. What we call “automagic” or our simulation before the simulation. This gives each of our 400+ cars its own character and nuance based on pure physics alone. Of course, being a group of car nuts here at Turn 10, being able to reproduce this vehicular essence is of utmost importance; this is why we work with professional drivers such as Stephane Sarrazin, Gunnar Jeannette, and Natacha Gachnang to make sure our simulation isn’t just accurate on paper but also feels tactilely authentic.
What is the future of racing games?
Graphics and physics will continue to see advances as consoles and PCs become more powerful, but I believe the future of racing games can be witnessed on Xbox LIVE today. There are few games out there that embrace online functionality and community-building features like Forza Motorsport 3. Our implementation of the online user Storefront, Auction House, Livery Editor, and sharing of user-generated content is just the beginning of what will eventually become an ever-increasingly connected way to play your racing game, whether it’s on the console, in your PC web browser, or on your mobile phone. The idea is that you’re living in our ecosystem at all times, even when you’re not actually on the track with controller in hand, you’re interacting with Forza in some fashion, be it with the community, tweaking your setups, promoting your artwork or boasting about your accomplishments. We’re already starting to evolve the Forza experience and you’ll see that starting even with Forza Motorsport 3 over the next year.
What would you like to include in a racing game that you can't do now because of limited technology?
I would love to be able to create cars and tracks in the game in a fraction of the time it takes now, so that you could see the car at an auto show and be able to drive it in the game that very weekend. Right now, all 400+ cars in the game are hand-built from the ground up, each featuring a tremendous amount of detail – literally every piece of carbon fiber, screw, and lug nut is modeled – so it takes us roughly 4 months of work for a single artist to finish a car. Multiply that by any number of cars you want to include in a downloadable car pack and the amount of work and time required is daunting. Luckily we’re able to throw a lot of manpower at the problem, which is how we’re able to release downloadable car packs for Forza Motorsport 3 on a monthly basis.
What are your favorite Speed shows?
I’m addicted to F1 coverage. So, I watch the races and try to catch Wind Tunnel when I think there will be a good F1 story on there. Of course, I watch the ALMS, Sebring and Le Mans coverage. I also DVR the car auctions from Barrett-Jackson and the car show recaps from Detroit, Paris and the like. There’s something about seeing immaculate classic and concept cars that inspire the designer in me.
I have always enjoyed driving in racing games, but I have little interest in watching a virtual race. Will people ever enjoy watching virtual racing the way we enjoy watching real world racing? If so, what needs to happen?
Forza Motorsport 3 actually has more dynamic racing AI than most racing games out there, but nothing will replace the unpredictability of a human locked in wheel-to-wheel racing, which is why I find it thrilling to jump online and watch live racing between real players on Xbox LIVE. I’ve seen some really good duels out there, be it circuit, drift, or drag racing. Sometimes if the race was especially memorable, I save the replay and export a WMV movie to my PC via Forzamotorsport.net to share on Youtube.com.
The Forza series is well known for its deep customization. If you could customize Speed's programming, which races and shows would you add to your line-up?
I really love watching sportscar racing. I have to use hook and crook to get coverage of DTM, FIA GT and the SuperGT in the states. I’d especially like to see coverage of these races in HD on Speed. Also, while I love catching American cars on Barrett-Jackson coverage, I’d love to see the super-high-end RM and Pebble Beach Auctions televised. The cars at those events are functioning time machines.
Of all the cars in the world, why choose the 10 you did for the first premium downloadable car pack for “Forza Motorsport 3”? What makes these cars special?
There are over 400 amazing cars in Forza Motorsport 3. These cars were too new to make it onto the game discs. We could have shot the Nissan GTR, but we wanted to wait for the Spec-V version. The Ferrari 458 still wasn’t finalized when we sent our last group of cars into production for release on the disc. These cars are the hottest of the hot.
What kind of access do the car manufacturers give you in order to ensure their cars are represented accurately in the game? Is this more of a challenge (or more fun) when you’re dealing with brand new cars like the 2010 models in the Hot Holidays Car Pack?
Generally, it’s easier to capture a current model year car, than a classic or a concept. It really comes down to rarity. Also, every manufacturer is different. Some are extremely cooperative. They give us CAD drawings and access to the car for dyno recording and laser scanning. Other manufacturers are more protective – especially of cars that haven’t even debuted to the press yet. However, we’ve never had a real problem. We have very strong relationships with our car brands. For most of the manufacturers, it’s a partnership that goes back nearly a decade with Microsoft Game Studios. We’ve been working with some of them since Midtown Madness on the PC. It’s amazing to think of how the race game experience has changed over those 10 years. Back then, most car manufacturers didn’t even think about video games as a means of promoting their new cars. Now, many manufacturers approach us to have the car featured in the game before it’s even been prototyped.
Of the new cars in the Hot Holidays Car Pack, which is your favorite and why?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. I would say my favorite car in our recently released Hot Holidays Car Pack is a toss-up between the 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia and the #2 Audi R15 TDI. The 458 Italia is a gorgeous evolution on the F430, and while the car has yet to be really proven out there on the road and track, I’m intrigued by its lightweight aluminum chassis which, when combined with its aerolastic front spoilers and 570hp V8, is a balance of both breakneck speed and supreme handling. The R15 has a soft spot in my heart not only because I come from a family of Audi drivers, but because having seen the car win races at Sebring and Le Sarthe, I think it’s just an incredible piece of technology on four-wheels. Plus, the R15 looks absolutely wicked and sounds like a spaceship from the grandstands.
Which of the Hot Holidays cars is the easiest to drive? Which is the hardest?
Just like in real-life, all-wheel drive cars tend to be easier to handle in Forza Motorsport 3, which is why the 2010 Audi S4 would probably be the easiest from a beginner’s perspective. The S4’s Quattro system and temperate 333hp V8 keeps this a fun but ultimately safe ride on the track. But then again, it’s been said many times before, but the Nissan GT-R Spec-V (with its computerized controls) practically drives itself so you can take your pick there. And just like in real-life, the hardest cars to handle in Forza Motorsport 3 are the purpose-built race cars which are extremely powerful, lightweight, and rear-wheel drive. This would mean that the hardest cars to handle in the Hot Holidays car pack are the Aston Martin Racing #007 Lola and the #2 Audi R15 TDI – both are intensely fast and can be more than a handful even for experienced drivers if you turn off all the driver assists in the game.
What would you say is the ideal “Forza Motorsport 3” driving course or track for a new supercar like the Ferrari 458 Italia?
That car fits perfectly spiriting through the coastal roads of Amalfi Italy. Sliding over the cobblestone with the sea in the distance, the sun beating down… and the engine singing an aria over your shoulder in 5.1. Now, that says Forza to me.
