Forza 5 (Xbox One) - Out now

Dan Greenawalt to Eueogamer wrote:It must be a relief in some way to have the game finally ship, but the reaction's been more muted than some other Forza games. What's your take on the initial response, and the first reviews?

Dan Greenawalt: I have to be honest, our team takes great pride in what lights up our players, and community's the heart of what we do. So it's been disappointing. I'm not disappointed in people - people feel how they feel. I'm more disappointed in myself that I've elicited this reaction in people. I think the biggest travesty for me is how people have misread our intentions, because that's just been sad - community's the biggest thing for us, and the whole point is to get people excited about cars and excited about games, so people saying we've changed the economy for this reason and we removed this feature for that reason - I understand it, because perception's reality, and people start believing what they believe, but I know it's not the thought process we went through to make the decisions we made.

With Forza 4 we had car tokens that range from one dollar to three dollars - the most expensive car was ten million credits in game, and it only cost three car tokens which would have been three dollars.
That felt like it was not making the car exclusive enough for those who are willing to pay. So we made car tokens equal to credits - it's not about making more money, it was actually about saving people's time when doing the grind.

emilythestrange wrote:

With Forza 4 we had car tokens that range from one dollar to three dollars - the most expensive car was ten million credits in game, and it only cost three car tokens which would have been three dollars.
That felt like it was not making the car exclusive enough for those who are willing to pay. So we made car tokens equal to credits - it's not about making more money, it was actually about saving people's time when doing the grind.

I'd be really curious to look at how the game is presented, or how intrusive/obvious payment options are? (If I hadn't been told there were transactions in GT6 I'd have never noticed them there in the game itself, it's completely unobtrusive as far as I've played.) I'm mainly surprised that they are surprised by the reaction, the comments on that interview are pretty aggressive. If it is truly not about making more money and is about saving people time, why do the purchases in this game seem to be so much more expensive than previously? The time saving is still there, but at a much bigger cost. Interesting to see they are adapting it to feedback though.

Forza Fans, the first track add-on for Forza Motorsport 5 has arrived: Road America is here! With today’s add-on update, you can now drive on one of the premier road tracks in the world for free if you own or buy Forza Motorsport 5. Longtime home to a host of racing series, Road America is legendary for its high-speed straights and its huge variety of challenging turns, all of which have been brought to life in spectacular detail on Xbox One. In fact, the only things you might miss from the famed Wisconsin-based circuit are the Johnsonville Sausages and some cheese curds.

Road America in Forza 5 will feature the main four-mile, 14-turn main circuit. For the first time in a Forza Motorsport, Road America will also feature four alternate ribbons that will test the limits of each player’s skill. In addition, the circuit has been integrated throughout the Career in Forza Motorsport 5. Players will be able to take part in races on the circuit in both the main Career events as well as Career bonus events which are available after a Mini-Career series is complete. In celebration of the track’s launch, players will also find new Road America-themed events in Rivals Mode and in the multiplayer lobbies.

One of the oldest and most distinguished of all the tracks in North America, Road America is a road course situated near Elkhart Lake in the scenic woodlands of Wisconsin. Much like Laguna Seca, Road America was conceived during a time when racing on public roads was becoming too dangerous to justify. Pressure from race organizers and government officials led to the abandonment of racing on the roads near Elkhart Lake, and ultimately to the construction of Road America in the span of just five months. The course opened in 1955, and the first race was won by legendary driver Phil Hill in a Ferrari Monza, after a hair-raising final lap that was a duel of nerves with fellow racer Sherwood Johnston’s Jaguar D-type — an auspicious sign of the exciting racing that would unfold over the years at the track.

Unlike virtually every course of its age, Road America has managed to maintain its original four-mile, 14-turn layout (except for the addition of a bend used during modern AMA races, which is now playable in Forza 5). Despite a major renovation of the track facilities in 1992, all of the elevation changes and sharp turns have been preserved, making Road America a course that must be carefully studied to master. Highlights includes Turn 6, located under the Corvette Bridge, where a small hill obstructs the view to the blind left-hander beyond, and the steep climb up the final straight that makes overtaking through speed alone a formidable struggle. Road America is host to many different race series, including the Trans-Am series, challenging drivers of a variety of cars and motorcycles with its sharp turns and hilly terrain.

Also releasing today is the Road America Booster Pack, featuring five cars to collect, drive and customize in Forza Motorsport 5. The five cars include the 2006 #2 Audi Sport North America R8, 1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 1968 Ferrari 365 GTB/4, 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, and the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series. This five-car pack will be available at no additional charge to Forza Motorsport 5 Car Pass owners. This bonus pack is available to Car Pass owners in addition to the six monthly DLC packs that Car Pass owners will receive through May 2014.

Ad7 wrote:I swear I played that track a couple of weeks ago

Is there one in it already with a similar name?

Harry Bizzle wrote:Road America is awesome. Couldn't believe they left it out in the first place.

andretmzt wrote:I don't understand how you can quote a racing driver yet have such little knowledge of racing circuits. Last great track? strawberry floating hell....

andretmzt wrote:And that doesn't have an 'e' in either. Aren't you the one who said they had never heard of Mid Ohio?