Forza Horizon 4's stream-to-earn function is Microsoft's latest attempt to push Mixer
Players will earn in-game currency purely by streaming their gameplay session to platform holder's Twitch rival
Microsoft continues to experiment with new incentives to get Xbox users broadcasting with its own streaming service Mixer.
Ars Technica reports that Forza Horizon 4 will be the first Xbox title to use a 'stream-to-earn' system. Speaking to Playground Games' art director Benjamin Penrose, the site reports that players will be able to earn in-game currency by "streaming your gameplay on Mixer."
This currency can then be used to purchase cars or upgrade the various Horizon Festival sites, thus unlocking more races and events. There's also the possibility other rewards may be granted for those using this system.
Penrose did not specify how quickly credits stack up while broadcasting, nor whether this will work with Mixer's rivals. GamesIndustry.biz has contacted Playground for clarification.
If the system proves to be popular and has a marked impact on Mixer's userbase, it's likely Microsoft will integrate something similar into future title (or even developing ones, like Sea of Thieves).
The choice of Forza Horizon 4 for this experiment makes sense. Not only is it the biggest first-party title in the Xbox line-up this Q4, Playground is also now officially part of Microsoft, having been one of the four surprise acquisitions the firm announced at E3.
Meanwhile, the shift away from AI-driven Drivatars to a shared online world where every car you encounter is another player lends itself to streaming, since online multiplayer games consistently prove to be the most popular titles on sites such as Mixer and Twitch.
Mixer was originally known as Beam, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2016 and rebranded the following year. Since then, the platform holder has been working hard to establish it in the same space as leading services such as Twitch and YouTube. However, it has some considerable catching up to do given the vast userbases for those two sites.
Microsoft's efforts to draw attention to Mixer have ranged from securing exclusive esports coverage to E3 giveaways for anyone using the service to watch the firm's press conference. The latter was first attempted at E3 2017 and continued this year, with the E3 MixPot even giving away free pre-orders for unreleased games such as Outer Wilds.
At the show itself, Mixer represented Microsoft's main presence within the Los Angeles Convention Centre, thanks to a large booth in the South Hall. All other Xbox presence, meanwhile, was across the road at the Microsoft Theatre.