IndyCar Series to be featured in Forza 5 video game

It’s not a full game like many fans would prefer but this is a start.

The IZOD IndyCar Series will be included in the “Forza Motorsport 5” video game, which will be available on the upcoming Xbox One console.

Four car and team combinations will be featured in the game, headlined by defending Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and the No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport Chevrolet. Other cars include the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 15 (Graham Rahal), Target Chip Ganassi No. 9 (Scott Dixon) and Team Penske No. 12 (Will Power).

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will also be a drivable option within the game.

Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan, Josef Newgarden and Dixon attended the game’s presentation at the E3 convention in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning.

Fans have been clamoring for an IndyCar video game and the concept was a popular topic of former CEO Randy Barnard as well. With its reach and popularity amongst the key 18-35 year-old demographic, an IndyCar video game has the potential to reach a new audience and develop their fandom.

But the Series has to first prove that there is a market. Joining an existing video game product is a good way to test the waters. It’s also a dynamic and unique style of racing that makes a lot of sense for the Forza brand as well.

“Including open-wheel cars in ‘Forza Motorsport 5’ brings Forza fans a whole new world of racing action,” said Alan Hartman, studio manager for Turn 10 Studios. “Players will be able to drive these incredible cars on a collection of world-famous race circuits.

“In addition, the brand new graphics engine in Forza Motorsport 5, powered by the Xbox One, will let Forza players get closer than ever to these amazing cars and to really build an appreciation for these masterpieces of race engineering.”

For its part, IndyCar executives believe they have the perfect partnership with Forza and Turn 10 Studios as well.

“IndyCar fans have been asking to see IZOD IndyCar Series cars in a console game for some time, and partnering with industry leaders such as Microsoft and Turn 10 certainly satisfies that wish,” INDYCAR executive vice president of Corporate Business Development Greg Gruning said. “We couldn’t have better partners to showcase our sport to a young, technology-driven demographic than with the platform provided by the Xbox One and ‘Forza Motorsports 5.’”

The 1976 Formula One season cars driven by Niki Lauda and James Hunt will also be available in advance of the Ron Howard film, “Rush.”

An official release date has not been set but the game is expected to be a launch title for the console.