The 2012 Game Developers Conference is just about ready to kick off, and while it won’t quite be the equivalent of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, there’s no question that several exciting game projects will be revealed.  But the hype may have began just a wee bit early, as a Microsoft racing project called Forza Horizon has started to make its way across the Internet.

First revealed as a teaser trailer over the weekend (which we’ve included below), Forza Horizon looks to be the latest in Microsoft’s ongoing racing series, which is usually handled by Turn 10 Studios.  Last year’s release of Forza Motorsport 4 was met with critical acclaim, and for good reason, as it stands as one of the better racing sims made today.  So, with that, what is Horizon?

Well, the first thing you should assume is that it actually isn’t Forza Motorsport 5.  Rather, it’s a new racing project that Microsoft is making in collaboration with Playground, a development team that includes talented folks taken from several of the best racing franchises out there.  These include the TOCA series, GRID, and a few other Codemasters types.  While it’s interesting to see new blood taking the help of Forza, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Turn 10 Studios is done with Forza.  In fact, far from it.

Though Microsoft didn’t quite make it official (they confirmed the trailer and left it at that), they did state that Playground would be producing the Forza Horizon series for this year, while Turn 10 was still in chief production of the series, with Forza Motorsport 5 rumored to start making the rounds next year – possibly for Microsoft’s next rumored console.    That means Microsoft is dedicated to turning it into a likely yearly franchise, with plenty of DLC and extra driving space to follow.

It’s an interesting plan, but will there be differences between Horizon and the original Motorsport series?  Looks that way.  Though no details have been confirmed, rumors have circulated that Horizon is more about the “fun” of racing games, getting into each race with arcade tactics and enjoying an open world of racing excitement, with pick and choose events and Xbox Live interaction.  Again, it’s just rumor, but if Playground can pull it off, it’d be an exciting change of pace for the series.

But again, it’s all just rumor until Microsoft confirms all the details on the project…which they could very well do this week.  Stay tuned for more details, and race on! 

About the Author

Robert Workman

Senior Writer/Editor

Robert has years of experience in the video game industry, writing for such sites as AOL GameDaily, PlanetXbox360 and Comic Book Resources.  He can also outdrink you any day of the week.  And twice on Sunday.  Follow him at www.twitter.com/thedcd.