Forza Motorsport

Turn 10 Studios was developing Forza Motorsport, the 8th title in the series. I was brought in as an apprentice to focus on the design work for their muliplayer features

Role

UX Researcher, UX Design,

Timeline

12 Weeks

Tools

Adobe XD

Forza Motorsport (2023) is the latest installment of the critically acclaimed racing simulation series, known for its photorealistic visuals, realistic driving mechanics, and immersive racing environments. As part of the game’s UX design process, my role was to enhance the Spectate and Replay Modes, which are critical features for both competitive players and spectators who enjoy viewing races and re-living exciting moments.

Goals

Spectate and Replay modes have become increasingly important in modern racing games, providing not just a way to watch, but an interactive experience where players can engage with the race post-competition. The goal was to:

Create a Spectator Mode that allows viewers to follow a race in an engaging, intuitive way, with dynamic camera angles and controls to simulate an immersive broadcast-like experience.
Design a Replay Mode that enables players to review their races in creative, customizable ways, while offering tools to capture highlights, analyze performance, and share content easily.

Forza Motorsport (2023) needed to improve the functionality and interactivity of these modes, ensuring they were as compelling as the core gameplay experience.

Spectate Mode

Provide an immersive and customizable viewing experience for players who are not actively racing.
Offer various dynamic camera angles to follow the race from multiple perspectives (e.g., driver’s seat, aerial view, trackside cameras).
Enable seamless switching between drivers, teams, or viewpoints, akin to a professional racing broadcast.
Integrate real-time race data, including lap times, position changes, and key moments, without cluttering the visual experience.

Replay Mode

Allow players to revisit their races with cinematic camera controls, offering freedom to explore the track and capture exciting moments.
Provide tools for detailed analysis, including playback speed adjustments, rewind/fast-forward options, and smooth camera transitions.
Create features that enhance player creativity, like dynamic camera angles, zoom, and slow-motion features.
Ensure ease of access to saved replays and offer sharing tools for players to export and share clips on social media platforms.

Process

Competative Analysis

To understand the strengths and weaknesses of existing racing games in terms of Spectate and Replay modes, I reviewed competitors like Gran Turismo 7 and F1 2022

Stakeholder Surveys

I took time to interview different key stakeholders in different parts of the game to better understand how this modes could support them.

User Flow Creation

For both Spectate and Replay modes, I mapped out the user flows to ensure an easy, intuitive transition between races and the viewing experience

Prototyping & Testing

I created mid-fidelity interactive prototypes using Adobe XD to simulate the user experience, including camera controls, transitions, and the integration of dynamic race data.

Replay

The overall goal with replay was to be able to make it easier for players to retrieve clips of their (or others) races, in order to share highlight reels.

Timeline & Playback Controls: A smooth timeline for navigating the entire race replay, with easy-to-use buttons for pause, play, fast-forward, and rewind.
Cinematic Camera Options: A variety of preset camera angles (e.g., drone shots, tight racing, and pit views), with a manual option for custom angles.
Highlight Clips: A button for players to tag moments they want to save or share. Export options included quick social media sharing and clip downloads.

Spectate

Spectate was a challenge, needing to be more than a way to wait for the next race, so i ultimately proposed these features:

Dynamic Camera Controls: The user interface was kept minimal but intuitive, allowing players to zoom in, adjust the angle, and follow specific cars in real-time.
Race Stats Integration: The race data overlay included live stats like lap times, driver positions, and key race events. This was designed to be unobtrusive, so it wouldn’t distract from the immersive experience.
Instant Replay & Focus Mode: Added functionality for spectators to instantly replay key moments with a button press, and a “Focus Mode” that zoomed into a specific driver.