Those of us who play any form of racing simulator has probably learned of the dreaded EA and Porsche deal which has been around for many years. It has resulted in the publisher gaining exclusive access to the manufacturer’s cars for its Need for Speed and mobile racing games. If you want Porsche in your game, you have to pay royalties. So that’s we don’t see Porsche in games like Forza Motorsport. However, that may be about to change.
The last time we saw Porsche in Forza Motorsport was back in the franchises fourth entry when a DLC released for Forza Motorsport 4 back in 2012 added thirty Porsche cars to the game. This of course meant Microsoft had to make a deal with Electronic Arts in order to license each of those cars. It would’ve resulted in Microsoft paying a lot of money but they clearly saw the value in it. Turn 10 Creative Director Dan Greenawalt said back at the announcement of the pack “The upcoming Porsche Expansion Pack for Forza Motorsport 4 is great news for racing fans and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work closely with EA on an agreement that brings one of the world’s most iconic automotive brands to Forza 4.”
The question is, could we be seeing the return of Porsche in Forza Motorsport? It seems that way from what savvy NeoGAF user, ‘Mascot’ discovered in the June copy of EVO magazine. The magazine claims that Magnus Walker’s Porsche 277 (based on the Porsche 911) is soon to be rendered for the Forza Motorsport franchise meaning that for the first time since 2012, Porsche could feature in Forza Motorsport. Now, while this could also mean in Forza Horizon 2 as a DLC (similar to the Forza Motorsport 4 Porsche DLC), it would probably make a lot more sense to have this as another selling point for Forza Motorsport 6. If Greenawalt was able to state that Porsche is returning to Forza Motorsport during E3 in June, that would get a quite the applause, especially from the automotive enthusiasts who have been anticipating the return of Porsche to the game.
So let’s look at this in more detail. We know Turn 10 uses laser-scanning technology to add cars into Forza Motorsport. They can even render cars in-game before they enter production. They’re also working on ‘Forzatech,’ a new proprietary graphics and simulation engine for Forza Motorsport. Magnus Walker is famous for his Porsche collection and was even featured in Turn 10’s Heavy Metal Affliction back in January 2014. That’s over a year ago and it is possible that a decision for a Porsche deal like this could’ve been made back then. As for EA, we’re not sure of the current status of their Porsche deal. It’s possible that the deal has finished or Microsoft have decided to expand its partnership with EA by paying the royalties required to add Porsche-licensed vehicles to the game. Microsoft already have a good relationship with EA with EA Access and this would only add onto that.
However, Turn 10 Studios may have already tested the Porsche 911 in Forza Motorsport 5. It was never added to the game but a reference can be found in the game menus when setting the car restrictions for a multiplayer race. One of the options in the ‘Model Family’ area is indeed the iconic 911. So why can’t you use the 911 in the game? The car was probably tested in early versions of Forza Motorsport 5 before being removed. Obviously, they couldn’t ship the car in-game without the license from EA. While this reference would have most likely been left accidently, it shows Turn 10 hasn’t given up on the idea of introducing Porsche into the game.
Another question would be if Microsoft would spare the cash for such a deal with EA and I think they would. In the companies last earnings call for investors, they specifically called out Forza Horizon 2 for being one of the most successful Microsoft games for the second quarter of FY15. The other two mentioned was Halo and Minecraft. But what this shows is that Microsoft are doing extremely well with its Forza franchise and if Turn 10 need something to add to the game, Microsoft will see the value in it and pursue whatever is needed, even if it means making a deal to add one specific manufacturer to the game.
Whatever does happen, Dan Greenawalt has promised fans that this will be the best year for Forza as they celebrate 10 years since the launch of the original Forza Motorsport. The studio has also re-affirmed with me many times that a lot will be revealed at E3 this year and if such a Porsche deal is to happen, that could be the most appropriate way to reveal it.
Cheers for the tip @Forzatographer!
^Alan @BeetleComet.
Alan Walsh is a games journalist, head writer at AR12Gaming. They contributed 52 articles to ICXM in 2015, focused on game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: leads editorial for AR12Gaming and reviews titles for OpenCritic.