PC gaming is great. When you play the PC version of a game you get customizability, graphics, and (normally) superior controls. However, there are times when the PC port is a tad rushed, and we end up with an inferior version of a game. OK, fine. We can live with that. What's worse, though? When a port for the PC isn't made at all! There are plenty of games that should exist on PC, yet do not.
Forza Motorsport 3, released in October of 2009 for the Xbox
360, is a professional racing simulator. It takes all styles of racing, from
American muscle to European precision, and puts them into one game, though the
tone definitely veers toward European. There are hundreds of events and cars, with plenty of real manufacturers represented. What separates Forza Motorsport
3 from other racing simulations that already exist on PC is its accessibility and community. Players can
choose exactly what level of difficulty they want, choosing opponent AI
skill and the amount of control required to drive their cars. They also
have the ability to customize their cars, both with the tuning setups, and the
appearance. Tuning setups and vinyl designs can be sold online for in-game
currency, either at auction houses or storefronts. Forza Motorsport 3 received
universal praise, though some considered the accessibility an issue.
Why it Would Work on PC
Forza 3 is a perfect fit for PC. For one, hardcore racing
simulations are games used to the PC marketplace, and still sell well on the
platform today. PCs also accept plenty of different controllers, from steering
wheels to gamepads, making it perfect for Forza 3’s racing gameplay. As with
all PC games, Forza 3 could be given a graphical edge as well. Steam could be
integrated for extra community support. Finally, if Forza 3 was on the PC, load
times would be reduced significantly. If you remember the Xbox 360 version,
there was loading from the main menu to the before race menu, then again before you reached the track, and another slight delay every time you rewound the race. With the power of a decent gaming
desktop, the load times could be shortened significantly and/or removed
completely.
What PC Exclusive Content it Could Have
There’s plenty of content that could be added to a
PC-specific Forza 3. There’s the obvious port extras, such as all the DLC
packaged with the full game, but with Forza 3’s focus on design modding and
online community, extra features can be added to improve this experience on PC.
More shapes for vinyl designs could be added, as well as the option of
importing photos and Photoshop files into the vinyl designer. When Forza 3 was
first announced at E3 2009, it was said that there would be a video editor,
though this “video editor” turned out to be a replay feature that could upload
videos to the storefront. The PC version could be a chance for Turn 10 to add a
deeper and more powerful video editor. As a cherry on top, multiplayer could be
given more options as well, with players being able to host their own servers
for tournament play.
Why do We Expect it Again?
Forza Motorsport 3 is a game that is expected for the PC if
only because of it’s genre. The racing simulation genre has always been
friendly to the PC, and third party developers such as Codemasters support it
to this day with games like GRID and F1 2010. Xbox 360 architecture is similar
to PC architecture, so a port would be easy to achieve. Forza has always been a
Microsoft flagship racing series, though, so Microsoft will probably keep it on
the Xbox 360 to get more attach rates.