The US motorsports tv network, SPEED, is to show a live-action mini-series based on Forza Motorsport 2. The four episode series, called Forza Motorsport Showdown, will follow a group of racers battling it out to win a $100,000 winner-takes-all prize by competiting in a number of different motorsports.
Robert Ecker, of SPEED, said:
“These are real people, real crews and real cars battling it out for a significant prize. It’s a very visually appealing production, with an incredible amount of drama and suspense. Each team and personality has to excel in all of the racing categories to have a chance. There’s not a lot of room for error.
This was the first time SPEED had been approached about doing a video game-based reality series offering a serious prize — while providing a wider appeal to a more youthful audience. To Microsoft Games Studios’ credit, they didn’t want this to be an infomercial about Forza Motorsport 2. They wanted this to be a stand alone show with its own reality twists and uninhibited drama. It’s a very refreshing approach.”
Jeff Bell, of Microsoft’s Marketing Department, said:
“In essence, gaming is reality-based entertainment in its purest form. The upcoming Forza Motorsport Showdown series demonstrates how great games can be a creative force for telling compelling stories in other media such as television and film.”
Whether the show will be broadcast here in the UK is unknown (and fairly unlikely). Forza Motorsport Showdown will broadcast on the SPEED network in the US in February 2007. Forza Motorsport 2 is due on store shelves sometime in Q1 2007.
Originally Written By: Scott Webber
