There is now an actual Snopes debunk for an amusing Forza 6 video that features a Cadillac limo drifting backwards around a track. Why? Some people apparently thought it was real-life footage of Secret Service agents training for "advanced reverse escapes" in the President's heavily armored car, a ridiculously heavy tank-on-wheels nicknamed "The Beast."
Forza 6 is an incredible game and a graphics powerhouse, but this doesn't look even remotely real. Seriously, watch it! But, you know, it's the internet.
The video originates from Forza YouTube celeb Don Joewon Song, who had the Cadillac limo done up in digital Presidential livery. So how did it make the leap from sweet stunt video to absurdity? Snopes points to the Vomitorium Facebook page as one of the biggest offenders, having freebooted the YouTube footage with the caption "Secret Service agents train for advanced reverse escapes." As of this writing, that video has 35 million views. That's not to say every viewer was fooled — if you read through the comments, most aren't — but it's still a little ridiculous.
All that said, there are a couple things I know to be true: one, racing simulators on modern console and PC hardware are getting really realistic, and I'd bet we're only a few generations away from legitimate photorealism that is indistinguishable from real life to the naked eye. (Even then, though, there's the matter of gamers controlling the cars in a realistic way, which is pretty difficult to do.) And secondly, I really want to see a 10-ton armored limo drift in reverse now. For real.
President Obama, sir, you've got a few months left in office. Let's do this.
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