Turn 10 has confirmed that the latest Forza Motorsport title will incorporate the use of in-game loot boxes. Confirmation comes by way of AR12 Gaming, who attended a Gamescom discussion on FM7 that brought up the topic. The incorporation of this feature is a first for the series.
At Launch, Loot Boxes Are Only Available Via In-Game Credits
Whilst this is a troubling development at first glance, things may not be as underhanded as they seem. From the report, it appears you will only be able to obtain these “Prize Crates” via in-game currency, much like Mod Cards. This would eliminate the potential for players to be drawn into the lottery-like nature of these items with actual money.
There won’t be just one type of crate either, as players will be able to choose between multiple variations — the assumption being the more cash you put down, the better rewards you can reap. Contents of each box include items such as driver outfits, mods and even rare cars.
As of this report, we can’t confirm if there will be exclusive items or vehicles within these crates. With the recent reveal of Horizon Edition machines though, it seems like a perfect fit for this new loot box system.
Will It Stay This Way?
Although it’s reassuring to see that Turn 10 is seemingly avoiding the microtransaction route with these boxes, its best to remain cautious that this will always be the case. The Forza series has embraced this type of system post-release in recent games, allowing players to buy “tokens” for purchasing cars and tuning parts. Once the title is out in the wild, these tokens are then patched in for purchase.
Conversely, its worth noting that Forza Horizon 3’s wheelspins were pretty much perfect for monetization yet remain untouched. To this date, you can only attain wheelspins through playing the game or unlocking a “perk” to use in-game cash. This is a much fairer compared to the token system, as its gambling-esque nature is similar to “Prize Crates”.
The trend of loot boxes in video games is a troubling one, however. In other genres, we’ve seen the likes of Overwatch and Rocket League thrive on locking cosmetic content behind a chance-based paywall. Microsoft has also dabbled in the past with the likes of the Gears of War and Halo franchises this generation.
When real cash is involved in these types of system it rightfully attracts ire, especially if duplicates can be distributed. With such a wide content range on offer, it’s understandable why Turn 10 may have looked into a new way of rewarding the player and adding to the “collect ’em all” side of the Motorsport series.
That all being said, we hope this stays as a neat in-game purchase and not a new form of microtransaction.
See more articles on Gamescom 2017.
