The Main Reason why Horizon 4 is set in the UK

[FT-1]

I am not sure if this has been posted already, but I reckon it deserves its own thread to create awareness.

Around 4 years ago, an article was posted on CarThrottle about a tax relief system for UK gaming developers. The way it works is that the more British a game is, the more tax game developers would be able to reclaim (see chart below):

When this was announced, development for Horizon 3 in Australia was already underway so it would make sense for the next game to take place in the UK to take advantage of this tax relief. It also explains why there are so many more British cars and could point towards the "Horizon Life" being themed around British culture.

If anyone wants to post this on Reddit to educate the disappointing lot wishing for a game set in Asia, go ahead.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Should also be mentioned that in this interview with IGN, Ralph Fulton basically said that employees pitched their ideas for locations for FH4, and a couple of staffers made a pretty passionate bid for the UK, which won out.

 

[Robin]

Yet with all that tax relief you rarely see a very British videogame, last ones I can think of which were very British were The Getaway.

 

[Populuxe]

Should also be mentioned that in this interview with IGN, Ralph Fulton basically said that employees pitched their ideas for locations for FH4, and a couple of staffers made a pretty passionate bid for the UK, which won out.

I'm sure they did, but I'm guessing it was more along the lines of "Pitch me a game set in Britain so good that fans won't lynch us for not setting it in Japan so we can get all that sweet tax relief money."

 

[lancia delta hf]

Yet with all that tax relief you rarely see a very British videogame, last ones I can think of which were very British were The Getaway.

Ah man I yearn so much for another Getaway game.

 

[ClydeYellow]

Pretty sure the reason FH4 is set in the UK is that it is the area that makes more sense for the vision they had for the game (they really wanted to implement seasons, by the looks of it, and any country with only one or two would have been a poor choice). Also...

...FH4 would've met those requisites even if it was set in Kyrgyzstan. Ralph Fulton Extraction alone is British enough to win them all 4 pts in Section B with his customary E3 talk.

 

[Robin]

Ah man I yearn so much for another Getaway game.

Yeah, so close but sadly no dice

 

[VBR]

Yet with all that tax relief you rarely see a very British videogame, last ones I can think of which were very British were The Getaway.

Ah man I yearn so much for another Getaway game.

YOU SHLAGS! The Getaway was one of my favourite PS2 games, & I played it through several times. It was a rough diamond for sure, but was so cinematic & awesome.

This Forza Horizon 4 game looks fun, not my cup of tea, but am enjoying learning about it.

 

[inCloud]

for the vision they had for the game

Well, they can do all what they do in UK with Japan setting. Actually, there isnt any reason to set game in UK, aside from general laziness.

 

[Northstar]

Well, they can do all what they do in UK with Japan setting. Actually, there isnt any reason to set game in UK, aside from general laziness.

Wouldn’t going with the obvious choice be the lazy option?

 

[PzR Slim]

Well, they can do all what they do in UK with Japan setting. Actually, there isnt any reason to set game in UK, aside from general laziness.

Don't be so ridiculous. I'm so fed up of the stupid, entitled attitude that surrounds this hobby.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Well, they can do all what they do in UK with Japan setting. Actually, there isnt any reason to set game in UK, aside from general laziness.

lol, yeah, because building a game world that they are proud of and is based on their homeland is considered 'lazy'

should probably stay in the crew 2 section, bud.

 

[crooky369]

I actually think the great British A road, is a most over looked locale for racing games. Seems obvious as well to set a game where the passion for cars is so big.

Plus who can forget the classic London Racer for Playstation that featured the great British roads?

 

[PzR Slim]

Honestly I just don't get why people don't see this as a great choice. Why do you think Britain has such a huge culture of motorbikes? It's because when you get out into the countryside we have some absolutely stonking roads to ride them on. I can drive 15 mins from the reasonably large city I live in and find some absolutely joyful roads to drive on. And that's the case for the vast majority of people in this country. Personally I think it's an inspired choice and by choosing their home country the devs are really going to have wanted to do it justice. I think it's going to be extremely special. I was watching a stream before and Mechberg asked one of the devs what his favourite road in the game was, he replied a series of hairpins in the lake district area.

 

[AudiMan2011]

Honestly I just don't get why people don't see this as a great choice. Why do you think Britain has such a huge culture of motorbikes? It's because when you get out into the countryside we have some absolutely stonking roads to ride them on. I can drive 15 mins from the reasonably large city I live in and find some absolutely joyful roads to drive on. And that's the case for the vast majority of people in this country. Personally I think it's an inspired choice and by choosing their home country the devs are really going to have wanted to do it justice. I think it's going to be extremely special. I was watching a stream before and Mechberg asked one of the devs what his favourite road in the game was, he replied a series of hairpins in the lake district area.

Because people believe Japan is the only area that matters to them.

 

[Populuxe]

Honestly I just don't get why people don't see this as a great choice. Why do you think Britain has such a huge culture of motorbikes? It's because when you get out into the countryside we have some absolutely stonking roads to ride them on. I can drive 15 mins from the reasonably large city I live in and find some absolutely joyful roads to drive on. And that's the case for the vast majority of people in this country. Personally I think it's an inspired choice and by choosing their home country the devs are really going to have wanted to do it justice. I think it's going to be extremely special. I was watching a stream before and Mechberg asked one of the devs what his favourite road in the game was, he replied a series of hairpins in the lake district area.

When I lived in England in the early '80s, I had a Kawasaki 250 and an Austin Maxi. Driving/riding on A and B roads and single-track roads was so much fun. Based on my own experiences in England and PG's track record with Horizon, my expectations are high for a great game.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Because people believe Japan is the only area that matters to them.

Goes back to what I was saying earlier:

There's a part of me that wonders if it's because they don't want their words misconstrued, like how people are still bitching about it not being Japan when there was absolutely *NOTHING* to confirm that it was a location other then it was on a short list.

Like, when are people going to let it go that Japan was never really in the cards? The minute the thumbnails were leaked in FM7, it should have been the smoking gun that the UK was going to be the location. But no, people still believed it was going to be Japan, and rumor mills were trying to lead onto people that Japan was going to be the location, and Toyota would have a thunderous return (lol)

Like, at some point people have to let the Japan thing go and accept that this is what we are getting.

 

[Populuxe]

Like, at some point people have to let the Japan thing go and accept that this is what we are getting.

I'd like Japan to be the location for FH5 just so we can have three RHD countries in a row.

 

[TokoTurismo]

Honestly I just don't get why people don't see this as a great choice. Why do you think Britain has such a huge culture of motorbikes? It's because when you get out into the countryside we have some absolutely stonking roads to ride them on. I can drive 15 mins from the reasonably large city I live in and find some absolutely joyful roads to drive on. And that's the case for the vast majority of people in this country. Personally I think it's an inspired choice and by choosing their home country the devs are really going to have wanted to do it justice. I think it's going to be extremely special. I was watching a stream before and Mechberg asked one of the devs what his favourite road in the game was, he replied a series of hairpins in the lake district area.

But but JDM, DRIFT, and TOUGE bro!! Seriously, I respect the decision PG made by selecting UK to be the next location and not Japan. Besides, if it were Japan, people will still find something to cry about regardless (like Toyota for example). So it's GOOD Japan wasn't the next location.

 

[ClydeYellow]

Well, they can do all what they do in UK with Japan setting. Actually, there isnt any reason to set game in UK, aside from general laziness.

You do realize that in order to have a game set in Japan, they would have to send a crew there to collect all the necessary references, and that those would have to be extensive, considering that a FH game set in Japan would undoubtedly need to feature a large city, and a ton of hard-to-license JDM cars, in order to be believable?

Honestly I just don't get why people don't see this as a great choice. Why do you think Britain has such a huge culture of motorbikes?

...and more relevant to a car game, a huge culture of rally racing. But "MUH TOUGE", scream the motorized weeaboos, like the Japanese were the only people to ever think of building a road in the mountains. Sad.

 

[inCloud]

You do realize that in order to have a game set in Japan, they would have to send a crew there to collect all the necessary references, and that those would have to be extensive, considering that a FH game set in Japan would undoubtedly need to feature a large city, and a ton of hard-to-license JDM cars, in order to be believable?

That what I'm talking about.

lol, yeah, because building a game world that they are proud of and is based on their homeland is considered 'lazy'

Well, its much cheaper and dont need so much resources as other option, so yeah, its laziness. Or greediness.

Honestly I just don't get why people don't see this as a great choice.

Cause, its too similar to previous settings. Japan, Korea, China could be much better choice, but not another European country.

into the countryside we have some absolutely stonking roads to ride them on

Yeah, but PG will put those awfull 6-lane roads Its videogame, after all, you can put any type of roads in any setting.

 

[Silver Arrows]

That what I'm talking about.


Well, its much cheaper and dont need so much resources as other option, so yeah, its laziness. Or greediness.


Cause, its too similar to previous settings. Japan, Korea, China could be much better choice, but not another European country.


Yeah, but PG will put those awfull 6-lane roads Its videogame, after all, you can put any type of roads in any setting.

Again, how is it lazy to build a game environment that is close to their home, one that has been barely represented in video games?

Your idea of 'laziness' truly is warped. And how is the UK similar to the only other European locale they have done in the Mediterranean? I didn't realize that the UK was a relatively breezy and sunny locale.

 

[VXR]

Anyone who believes the UK - an extant northern island - is in anyway similar to somewhere along the Mediterranean coastline is just being asinine.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Anyone who believes the UK - an extant northern island - is in anyway similar to somewhere along the Mediterranean coastline is just being asinine.

Exactly. Then again, this is the same person that is a fan of a game that didn't change it's environment in the slightest from the first game to the sequel, only touching it up and making it look better. And look, I'm a fan of The Crew 2. But what inCloud is saying is just...asinine. Stupid, really.

 

[PzR Slim]

That what I'm talking about.


Well, its much cheaper and dont need so much resources as other option, so yeah, its laziness. Or greediness.


Cause, its too similar to previous settings. Japan, Korea, China could be much better choice, but not another European country.


Yeah, but PG will put those awfull 6-lane roads Its videogame, after all, you can put any type of roads in any setting.

What a load of tosh!

 

[inCloud]

how is it lazy to build a game environment that is close to their home, one that has been barely represented in video games

its much cheaper and dont need so much resources as other option

how is the UK similar to the only other European locale they have done in the Mediterranean

Flora and architecture fairly similar, especially if you compare them with Japanese.

this is the same person that is a fan of a game that didn't change it's environment in the slightest from the first game to the sequel, only touching it up and making it look better.

I am fan of both series, maybe even more of a Forza. That's why I think UK setting is a lazy move for PG, especially after such exotic setting as Australia.

 

[Silver Arrows]

Again, Mediterranean France/Italy and the UK are nothing alike when it comes to flora. You're just being obtuse about this now.

 

[Populuxe]

I am fan of both series, maybe even more of a Forza. That's why I think UK setting is a lazy move for PG, especially after such exotic setting as Australia.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. It's not PG that's being lazy. It's your argument that's lazy.

 

[ClydeYellow]

Well, its much cheaper and dont need so much resources as other option, so yeah, its laziness. Or greediness.

Or maybe it's "they don't have an infinite pool of manpower and economic resources to invest into making the next Forza game"?

Also, are you trying to imply Italy and UK are even similar? I'd suggest you think twice before answering "yes".

 

[MXH]

Again, Mediterranean France/Italy and the UK are nothing alike when it comes to flora. You're just being obtuse about this now.

Precisely. It’s just a mossy rock in comparison to the Mediterranean. I’m surprised they managed to make it habitable in the first place.

/s