It's been over a decade since Forza Motorsport launched on the first-generation Xbox, going up against the hugely popular Gran Turismo series that had remained exclusive to Sony's PlayStation consoles. Today, Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios shared a few details that provide a glimpse of just how successful the Forza franchise has become since then.
By the end of last year, the Forza series had generated a total of over $1 billion in retail sales. Throughout December, "more than 14 million unique players were involved in the Forza community on Xbox One and Windows 10".
"Additionally, our online racing community expanded significantly [in 2016]," Turn 10 chief Alan Hartman said today. "Over three million players joined us online each month and we launched the Forza Racing Championship, an eSports league for players of all skill levels to compete for glory and real-world prizes."
The latest title in the series, Forza Horizon 3, launched in September 2016. Microsoft said today that, since its release, over 2.5 million copies of the game have been sold, maintaining its run "as the best-selling racing franchise of this console generation", according to data from The NPD Group, collected in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand since November 2012.
Microsoft's Phil Spencer also joined in the celebration of Forza's billion-dollar milestone, saying:
Since the beginning, Forza has combined stunning graphics, racing’s leading simulation engine, and an emphasis on fun and accessibility. With the Forza series, Turn 10 Studios has built the world’s largest racing community. We couldn’t be more proud of their success.
You can find out more about Forza Horizon 3, in our detailed review - and be sure to check out details of the Blizzard Mountain expansion pack too.
Editor's note: This article was updated shortly after publication to correct an error: the first Forza Motorsport game was released on the original Xbox, not the Xbox 360. (Forza Motorsport 2 was the first in the series to launch on the 360.) Thanks to LancerHMD for pointing that out - Andy Weir has since been flogged, and ordered to brush up on his gaming history.
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