E3 2011: Forza Motorsport 4 Microsoft Press Conference Impressions Preview

During this morning's Microsoft press conference, Turn 10 Studios took to the stage to show off Forza Motorsport 4. Composed entirely of in-game footage, the impressive trailer got underway with a look at some incredibly detailed car models from such manufacturers as Ferrari, Mercedes, Bugatti, and Lamborghini. These are just a handful of the 80-plus manufacturers that will appear in the game. Car interiors were also shown, and they looked every bit as good; they need to because when playing with a Kinect, you'll have the option to enable head tracking and look around from your position in the driver's seat. Kinect voice support was also confirmed during the showing, but it's not yet clear how it will be used.

There wasn't a great deal of racing footage, but what was shown made it clear that, as in previous Forza Motorsport games, it won't just be the cars that look great. The views when racing across a bridge high in some snow-capped mountains were breathtaking, and closer to home, the tires forming a wall around a racing circuit didn't appear to have any less attention paid to them by Turn 10 artists than those on the cars.

No mention was made of any improvements that might be coming where car customization and vinyl options are concerned, but car clubs, 16-player races, and a new Rivals mode were all confirmed, as were monthly downloadable content expansions.

We look forward to bringing you more information on Forza Motorsport 4 later this week, including a demo on our live stage show on Wednesday afternoon. Forza Motorsport 2 is currently scheduled for release in North America on October 11.