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Forza Motorsport Will Require An Internet Connection For Any Progression

Story progression in any mode in Forza Motorsport will be stored on Forza servers, requiring an internet connection.

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Forza Motorsport has made some very smart decisions when designing progression in its career mode, but it comes with a catch--to progress in the game, you'll have to be connected to the internet.

While Free Play will be available offline, progression in any mode will have to be stored on Forza servers, Forza Motorsport creative director Chris Esaki revealed in the latest Forza Monthly update, as picked up on Resetera.

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Now Playing: Forza Motorsport Impressions

"The game has been designed to easily adjust and add content over time," Esaki explained when asked about online requirements. "It's really to ensure a fair and secure experience anywhere in the game. So any progression in the game will be stored on our servers to support the integrity of the overall game experience."

"There are options for playing offline," Esaki added. "So things like Free Play [are] always available, but any progression requires an online connection."

While the server-side progression makes sense for the more serious simulation style Forza Motorsport is aiming for, some fans expressed disappointment in the announcement. Resetera users speculated on whether the game would be left unplayable in the future once the developer shuts down servers in favor of newer titles, or if Forza Motorsport would later be patched to support offline career mode play.

Forza Motorsport releases on October 10 for Xbox Series X|S and PC.

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kejigoto

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After watching countless games be unavailable at various periods due to server issues you'd think the consumer would wise up to this instead of going to bat for the billion dollar corporations pulling these stunts.

Microsoft already has a terrible history of maintaining support for Forza and won't even pay to upkeep licenses on their latest release. Just go try to buy Forza Motorsport 7 right now. You can't. It's been delisted since September 15th 2021. It launched October 3rd 2017. It barely made it four years on the market before Microsoft was done paying licensing fees and the product got yanked.

Need a more recent example? Microsoft claimed Flight Simulator 2020 would be supported for 10 years. Next year the sequel launches and support is being moved there. But your microtransaction purchases carry over! You just need a whole new base game if you want to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest.

Feels like everything Microsoft has announced that I was excited for has something like this attached which makes me not want to support it. I shouldn't be forced to play online for single player nor should I worry if a $70 game is going to exist in a few years.

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cboye18

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Edited By cboye18

@kejigoto: Wait, you're serious about not being able to buy the older games?

Edit: Yeah you're right. I just checked it. LOL wtf.

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kejigoto

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@cboye18: Yup, only Forza Horizon 4 and 5 are available right now and I'm honestly surprised 4 hasn't been taken off the market yet considering it launched on September 28th, 2018. Still says a lot by how many Forza games there are yet how few are actually available to purchase unless you go the used route.

Sounds like a recipe to get burned in under 5 years in favor of the next iteration. Like they've always done.

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cboye18

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cboye18

@kejigoto: I think Horizon 3 was located in Australia, which is the one I've always wanted to try one day because of its location. How or why is this even allowed?

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kejigoto

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@cboye18:

Comes down to car licensing fees. Microsoft gets the license for a limited time, typically about 5 years-ish depending, and then either has to renew those licenses or yank the product from store shelves.

Microsoft goes with yanking the product from store shelves and delisting it.

Even with Gran Turismo the older games you'll have a tough time finding but Sony does a much better job at maintaining the recent ones for each platform. Like Gran Turismo Sport released one month after Forza Motorsport 7 and is only on PS4 yet you can still purchase it digitally through PSN. Considering Gran Turismo 6 came out in December 2013 exclusively for PS3 shouldn't shock anyone that it isn't listed anymore.

But the last mainline Forza Motorsport hasn't been available for over two years by the time the sequel comes out. That's insane for a company that talks up backwards compatibility as much as Microsoft does.

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MoogleStar

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Won't likely affect too many people, but I can understand the disappointment.

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kejigoto

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@mooglestar:

It'll impact plenty of folks when servers don't function, go offline, earn rates get changed, and the game shuts down in a few years as the team moves onto the next game.

And if you don't think that will happen just remember Forza Motorsport 7 was delisted in September 2021. Barely made it four years on the market. But sure let's pretend like making the next Forza game always-online won't have any real issues for most people.

Meanwhile one of the top articles on the site is how Blizzard keeps screwing with Diablo IV earn rates and such because players are leveling up too fast. Gotta love always-online manipulation.

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GreatQuantum

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Derp derp FINAL STRAW derp derp she’ll of it’s former blah blah blah. ALWAYS ONLINE!!! But I have have internet everywhere except for the little area surrounding my Xbox.🤪🤪 I can only play video games in an abandoned Ford Pinto in the woods near the interstate. Durrrrr!!!!

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kejigoto

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@greatquantum:

Der derp! Servers never go offline! Derp derp!! Microsoft totally doesn't delist Forza games after a few years der derp derp!!! No way earn rates will be tinkered with because people find better ways to earn funds/car points derp derp derp derp derp DERP!!! And it totally isn't like always-online games stop existing when the servers go offline DERP DERP BLAH BLAH BLAH!!

Clearly every server will always function until the end of the time and nothing bad happens when a game can't be played fully offline! DDDDDDDDDDDUUUUUURRRRRR!!

But you go on about how you personally don't have internet problems like a total genius. Then you lords of mental superiority will be the first to cry you can't play day one because of server issues or that your favorite race set had earn rates tanked or your limited time to play at night was canceled because of server maintenance or something like that which has nothing to do with you not having access to the internet and everything to do with the game not having able to connect to the servers despite you spending $70 on the game... or if you're really a sucker you're on Game Pass hook, line, and sinker for monthly subs.

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GreatQuantum

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@kejigoto: I guess we’ll see who’s superior when you’re playing Starfield and I’m eating eating pork knuckles and jacking-it on a busy street corner in Jacksonville, Florida won’t we?

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