After backlash to the Xbox One’s previously obligatory add-on of Kinect helped hamper the new console’s sales, what better way to plump up interest than with a console staple? Games in the racing genre are this very foundation for Microsoft, with highly reflective paints and the shine of the wheels allowing the new console to prove its visual ability. For the Xbox One, the console exclusive Forza Horizon 2 is the next in the franchise to do just that, and it’s learning from its predecessor’s mistakes.

Horizon 2 was officially announced prior to E3 2014 earlier this month, set to bring a long-hoped-for variable weather system as well as an updated Drivatar (the system controling opponents in Forza Motorsport 5) to a gorgeous Southern Europe setting. And, as expected, is being touted for its ability to show off the Xbox One’s horsepower, both on the console side and multiplayer integration.

It’ll even be released on Xbox 360, with the series’ longstanding success on Xbox being continued on both consoles - so it seems that nothing could dampen the enthusiasm for the game. One thing that just might: Microtransactions. Thankfully, developer Playground Games has confirmed that Forza Horizon 2 will launch without them.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Forza Horizon 2’s Creative Director Ralph 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. We’ve got an amazing list of 200 plus cars, and we want you to explore it. We want to enable you, at very regular intervals, to be able to change your car, pick a new one from the list. If that doesn’t work out, you’re able to buy a new one really quickly."

The use of ‘launch’ will undoubtedly bring some concerns, as who knows what could come to Forza Horizon 2’s current lack of microtransactions afterwards. We already know that Xbox One microtransactions are to be analyzed and adapted based on their existing uses in games on the console (such as Battlefield 4) after games like Forza 5 received criticism, prompting Microsoft to say that they would learn from such events.

That’s not to say that building up to the game’s better cars is going to be an excruciatingly difficult grind, though, as “The Horizon Wheel Spin” will be included once more:

That does indeed sound like a useful alternative to forking out real money… in games that you’ve already forked out real money to play in the first place. But again, there’s still room for Playground to suggest players pay for more spins of the wheel (or to just skip the wheel altogether). We won’t know their plans until after release as the Forza Horizon 2 team won’t want to alienate wary fans before launch, and those plans may not be set just yet.

“When you do level up, we give you a shot at what we call ‘The Horizon Wheel Spin.’ We used it in the original in online, and you get to spin and it can be anything from some cash, a load of cash, to a car or to the best car in the game. Every time you level up we’ve got this game of chance, and for the lucky guys, they could be a getting a Bugatti Veyron after playing the game for 30 minutes."

Forza Horizon 2 will be available on Xbox 360 and Xbox One from 30 September, 2014.

Source: Digital Spy