‘Furious 7’ Gets Free ‘Forza Horizon 2’ Stand-Alone Expansion
Video game tie-ins to movies have always proven to be problematic at best due to development timelines. Universal Pictures and Microsoft have found an interesting way to promote the upcoming Furious 7 movie, however. The two announced a partnership Wednesday that brings a free Forza Horizon 2 expansion for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 based on the Fast and Furious franchise, for a limited time.
Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious is the official name of the expansion and will be available to download for free on both the current-gen and last-gen Xbox consoles on March 27, 2015. This free period only lasts two weeks though. The expansion will cost $10 starting April 10. You will not have to pay the $10 if you already downloaded it for free.
Fast. Furious. And coming to #Forza [E10+]. Get the expansion 3/27: http://t.co/FPf1yDGlnV pic.twitter.com/ues1nfB7yF
— Xbox (@Xbox) February 25, 2015
Xbox owners that do download the Forza Horizon 2 expansion will take on a series of Fast & Furious inspired car challenges set in southern France. Tej Parker, voiced by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, will serve as the guide during these missions. Cars from the Fast & Furious franchise will be available to unlock and drive in open world of Forza Horizon 2. Here are some of the vehicles that will be featured in the expansion.
- 1970 Dodge Charger R/T Fast & Furious Edition
- 2012 Nissan GT-R Fast & Furious Edition
- 1998 Toyota Supra Fast & Furious Edition
- 2014 Maserati Ghibli S Fast & Furious Edition
- 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Fast & Furious Edition
- 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Fast & Furious Edition
- 1970 Plymouth Cuda Fast & Furious Edition
- 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Fast & Furious Edition
Find out more about #ForzaHorizon2 Presents Fast & Furious and check out the teaser trailer at this link – http://t.co/FuerS9fyZw
— Forza Motorsport (@ForzaMotorsport) February 25, 2015
It’s an interesting cross-promotion between the movie and video game car franchises. On the one hand, it helps promote the April 3 release of the movie. On the other hand, it gets more Xbox players to try out Forza Horizon 2 and possibly purchase the full game. That’s probably worth the cost of offering it free for two week as seen in the following comments from the official release.
“Forza is synonymous with racing and fun, so it’s only natural for us to work with one of the most celebrated automotive entertainment franchises in the world,” said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. “This is a great way to bring Forza players into the world of Fast & Furious, and in Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, every fan will get a chance to go wheels-first into the exciting action of the Fast & Furious franchise.”
“Furious 7 is the latest installment in our enormously successful franchise, and partnering with the world-class team at Turn 10 Studios offered an exceptional opportunity to thank our fans in an exciting way,” said Bill Kispert, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Digital Platforms, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “In this adventure, fans will experience the thrill of the Fast & Furious series’ most iconic cars through the amazing gameplay of Forza. We can’t think of a better combination for gamers and movie fans alike.”
[Images via Xbox]
