Forza's June date confirmed

By Tom Bramwell Published 26 April, 2007

Racing sequel on the grid.

Microsoft has finally confirmed that Forza Motorsport 2 will be released on 8th June.

That was the message from retail earlier this week, although this is the first time that Microsoft has officially confirmed the game's European release date.

The Xbox 360-exclusive racer features more than 300 cars, improved customisation systems and of course a host of online racing options. If you thought Forza 1 was impressively put together, this might turn your head.

That's certainly what game director Dan Greenawalt reckons. "The added horsepower of Xbox 360 has allowed us to redefine what it means to be a racing simulator with Forza Motorsport 2," he said, ahead of a visit to the UK to demo the game next week.

"We've turned mountains of real world raw data into a living, breathing simulator where the only difference between the game and reality is that you're racing from the comfort and safety of your living room."

Look out for full impressions and more from the developer in the near future, along with a review closer to the game's 8th June release.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • oakie007 #1 5 years ago

    At last it's confirmed........time for the wireless steering wheel???

  • asphaltcowboy #2 5 years ago

    Yeah, announce some bundles with the wheel to tempt me into purchase!

  • Macross #3 5 years ago

    mmmm bundles, where's my hammer?
    *stares at piggy bank*

  • Scurrminator #4 5 years ago

    demoing a demo next week - i'd think that means the demo will be up on marketplace then.

  • king_skins #5 5 years ago

    :( that is crap as the US get this on the 29th of May. Don't see why there needs to be such a lag for a game. It alo unbalances the multiplayer and auction house for the first month or two.

  • SpacemanX #6 5 years ago

    Hopefully it's not a poor mans GT@30fps like the first one...

  • S.J.Rogers #7 5 years ago

    Every game i want is being pushed back.

    Forza
    Bioshock
    Mass Efect
    Time Shift
    Huxley
    Blacksite: Area 51

  • paulf #8 5 years ago

    ':( that is crap as the US get this on the 29th of May. Don't see why there needs to be such a lag for a game. It alo unbalances the multiplayer and auction house for the first month or two.'

    8th June is only 10 days after 29th May not a massive difference really, in comparison to some other games

  • XdarXideX #9 5 years ago

    It's delayed because we're a european territory so I wouldn't be surprised if there are multiple languages bundled on our discs. You have to remember that our discs have to be region coded differently to US ones so we'll need our own batch. I know they could do it region free but that's not how they want it.

    SpacemanX> It's been said in an interview that the game runs at 60fps. How true that is I don't know but poor man's GT it isn't. Forza is much more expressive and open.

  • Putty-Man #10 5 years ago

    Yeah your rite spaceman, Forza was so lightweight compared to GT4.

    Ona less fanboyish note, can't wait for this, been ages since we've had a good racer on the 360.

  • SBfistfun #11 5 years ago

    "difference between the game and reality is that you're racing from the comfort and safety of your living room."

    Horsehit

  • chronom4n #12 5 years ago

    why the hell would i be bothered about the US date? All I want is an optimised to perfection UK release. Time to put in my order in for the special edition of the game. I just hope the damn thing looks the business in this age of promises of developers to make games look and play as realistically as possible. I want the car modelling to make the cars look like a million dollars. compare the car modelling in GT3's car selection screen and then compare the car modelling on FM1. You will see what I mean.

  • Mordum #13 5 years ago

    Had pretty much accepted the speculation of a June 8th release date for us anyway, 10 days difference between the US release date isn't too bad. Looking forward to this game in a huge way, the GT series grew very stale and Forza was a breath of fresh air, and I have high expectations for this sequel.

  • MrBiggles #14 5 years ago

    Lightweight compared to GT?, please. Crash damage, online racing, better car tuning, car painting, better gameplay.

    GT is a bore fest.

  • alimokrane #15 5 years ago

    As much as I hate to admit it, Microsoft is the only publisher that has release dates of US and Europe differing only by a few days and I think we should appreciate that. Look at Sony and all their first party games, we always get them months later ....
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 11:11

  • mattigan #16 5 years ago

    I saw a vid that said it would run at a solid 60fps, while the physics are calculated at around 250fps whatever that means?
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 11:14

  • sniglet #17 5 years ago

    I'm somewhat in agreement with you MrBiggles. GT2 is probably still my favourite racing game of all time, but as time goes on the series seems to be getting more and more sterile and dull. Really looking forward to doing some paint jobs and tuning. Pre-ordering now.

  • InterMeLocal #18 5 years ago

    Lets hope it plays better than it looks.....

  • Putty-Man #19 5 years ago

    Just to confirm MrBiggles, my comment on Forza being lightweight compared to GT4 was utter sarcasm. Apologies if it sounded otherwise!

  • Downside #20 5 years ago

    FM2 isn't about photorealistic visuals but about accurate modelling of the physics to give as accurate a sim as possible. HTH.

  • gizmo #21 5 years ago

    Poor mans GT? ooooooo how I larfed...

    That's like the Chavs who wear all those gold rings to prove they're 'rich'

    i.e. Misinformed ;)

  • chronom4n #22 5 years ago

    I have just in the last 5 mins been playing GT4. I had not touched game in the last 7 days. Upon playing it again, I am finding it difficult to get into it again. Now that FM2 is only 42 odd days away, I need something new.

    To whoever said the FM1 was a lightweight, in terms of graphics and taking your breath away, I would agree, but in other areas, in was I would say a middleweight. I hated most of the tracks in FM1 bar the silverstone, tsukuba, road america and nordeschliefe. majority of the tracks were uninspiring for me anyway. Although the AI was good, at times they would make things very frustrating because they would just bash you off the road. after the 8th shunt things become a lot less amusing. At least in GT4 you had none of that crashing and bashing going on.

    I am pinning all my hopes that FM2 will do the business in terms of graphics, sound, AI, customization to each and every car irrespective of class, and the steering wheel had better be good.

    As I cannot wait any longer for GT5 and, not knowing how that will turn out. Ultimately,by the time GT5 is released, the Forza franchise will have matured much more while I feel GT5 will be still be feeling its way around.

    I do hope that my comments make sense.
    Edited by 1 at 26/04/07 @ 14:52

  • Krusty #23 5 years ago

    Excellent, now give as the fecking demo please!

  • BadDevotions #24 5 years ago

    i totally enjoyed the first forza. I just hope this is as good as the first. What worries me is the whole simulator thing; if it sacrifices fun for simulation then I won't be impressed. first and foremost a game must be fun, imo.

  • miiiguel #25 5 years ago

    GT is so passe.

  • HarryB #26 5 years ago

    I liked forza a lot, i loved that they had stupid hot hatches in it etc.. cars Id actually driven and I loved the engine sounds - that was probably my favourite thing about the game... much better than project gotham's. It was a bit difficult, though.. some of the championships were very frustrating... still.. a great game. Never got to try it online but definitely up for FM2 - I'll be travelling Europe when it comes out - maybe pick it up cheap :)

  • ruckus #27 5 years ago

    The no cockpit decision still leaves me cold, might just pick it up when it's cheap.

  • HarryB #28 5 years ago

    i find cockpit annoying, you dont see that much when you're driving a car in real life - you see the top of the wheel at most and the windscreen... colin mcrae titles had a decent cockpit you could actually drive well with.

  • ruckus #29 5 years ago

    yeah - but if you don't like it, you can always use one of the other views. That's why it's better if they include all (with a moveable camera, so it's just right for everyone).

  • cyber_nicco #30 5 years ago

    As long as the normal view isn't set about 18 inches off the ground like FM1... The original Forza would have to be my most played video game of all time (and I am talking about playing it a lot), but it still infuriates me that the view is such crap. I could be in a race with identical cars, and if I am behind one I am staring right into its license-plate holder - can't see a thing. Grrrrrrrr.

    Still love the game though. Shoot, if they just fixed that in FM2 I would have paid full price for it...

  • Martin #31 5 years ago

    Fear my Saab!

  • SomaticSense #32 5 years ago

    "We've turned mountains of real world raw data into a living, breathing simulator where the only difference between the game and reality is that you're racing from the comfort and safety of your living room."

    So more sim-like than even GTR, with bust gearboxes, popped tyres, and knackered engines after just one shunt then?

    No of course not, so what a load of absolute PR bullshit that statement was. Can't believe the bloke said that though, as all it'd lead to is disappointment among people when they play the demo. Which could even lead to people being pissed of at the lie and end up with them not buying the game, thus lost sales.
    That bunch of bollocks rivals even Sony for shooting themselves in the foot from false promises and/or lies......

    edit: Oh, and when is that bloody demo coming out. They said sometime in April, but it's still not here. I realise it sounds impatient of me, but if they weren't absolutely certain one wasn't going to be ready in time, then they should've just shut the fuck up instead of shooting their mouths of and disappointing people. It'd save the bad press for if they fail to deliver.
    Edited by 2 at 27/04/07 @ 13:49

  • SomaticSense #33 5 years ago

    ^^Huh? Nothing he said made a specific reference to just the driving physics. By using a statement like "where the only difference between the game and reality is that you're racing from the comfort and safety of your living room" he is suggesting that it is as realistic as racing games get, in every aspect. Put simply, it isn't. It isn't even going to be on a GTR level of sim, so it's a BS remark either way.