Forza Horizon will be supporting Microsoft’s Kinect when it launches on the Xbox One according to Playground Games creative director Ralph Fulton in conversation with Examiner. This will manifest in the form of an AI digital assistant named ANNA.
“Kinect will be involved with a feature called ANNA. She is your digital personal assistant and navigation in the game. She is also very intelligent and will suggest things to do in the game and give you a recap when you return to the games. She will also alert you when friends are online.” So it seems that ANNA will function in a rather non-intrusive way, with voice commands to be used whenever she requires feedback.
Perhaps more interestingly, Fulton talked about how Forza Horizon doesn’t have a story. “We understand there are lots of players like that. What we don’t have is a story, per say. There is a really strong structure set up around the festival and the Drivatars. They really are the characters in the game. You form your own narratives with real people, friends, and family you know.”
Forza Horizon 2 will be out on September 30th for Xbox One and Xbox 360.