When Forza Horizon 2 is released for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on September 30, gamers will not be able to use microtransaction-based tokens to unlock cars—at least initially. Forza chief Dan Greenwalt told IGN that the token system would only be implemented once developer Playground Games had confirmed that Forza Horizon 2’s in-game economy was functioning properly.
Until then, Forza fans will have the opportunity to unlock the game’s higher-tier cars through a system dubbed “the Horizon Wheel Spin” by Playground Games creative director Ralph Fulton. This feature allows gamers a chance to unlock “anything from some cash, a load of cash, to a car or to the best car in the game,” said Fulton. A similar system was present in the multiplayer of the original Forza Horizon.
Last year, Forza Motorsport 5 generated controversy when its microtransaction system was adjusted to scale the amount of tokens needed to purchase a car with the vehicle’s in-game price. Many gamers objected, arguing that the higher prices were unreasonable and unfairly penalized players who did not wish to make the in-game purchases.
The delayed implementation of Forza Horizon 2’s microtransaction system is likely a response to that controversy. Speaking with Digital Spy, Fulton explained, “The approach we’ve taken is that we’ve designed our game at Playground Games from the ground up to be fair, to be fun, to be rewarding. That’s incredibly important to us. For that reason, we will launch in September without tokens.”
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