Forza Horizon 1 & 2 Are Shutting Their Servers On Xbox This August

Gonna be really cool when this inevitably happens to the reboot and the always online game becomes unplayable, which i guess the people defending that choice are okay with. But why worry about that at this point - just consume product and get excited for next product!

I'm part of that small minority that still plays occasionally. If my wheel/pedal/shifter set worked with everything, I'd still play it regularly. I still dip into 3 somewhat often, and I've been looking for a copy of 2 to complete my collection. In fact I bought a used 360 recently specifically just to play FH1. This is a little disappointing.

@shoeses Here's the thing there's so many games released now with many of us having a never ending backlog that replaying games is something i rarely do now and when i do its usually because its a remaster or remake. I know that's not the point but it is a reason most just shrugg at stuff like this.

The only two Forza Horizon games that are not carbon copies of each other.

FH 3, 4, and 5 are awful games.

Ive played every title in the last 18 months, and I enjoy them all.
The first two were arguably the most inventive titles, with subsequent versions feeling more like updates to the formula. I was surprised and shocked that I could not buy dlc for 1 to 3, and remain puzzled as to why such iconic games are not given longer in the market place before being 'retired'.
Glad to see they can still be played, and imo its still well worth tracking down a disc version of these if you never played them.

I've already played enough of both of these, it's FH3 that I need to go back to and complete 😔

I've never played a Forza game Online - whether that is the Motorsport or the Horizon variants. That being said, I have 'bought' some User Generated Content - such as Liveries and 'tuned' cars in the Auction with 'in-game' currency only but can probably count the amount of times I have on one hand.

As long as the Single Player can still be accessed and isn't really 'negatively' impacted by this, its not too much of an issues to me and I can understand shutting their Servers if its not being utilised enough to justify keeping it open...

I actually had no idea they were still active! I loved Horizon 2. That was my first entry into Forza and sold me on it immediately.

@WallyWest I'm more thinking of it from a games preservation angle than a replay value one. There's no reason for the single player to go away one day, and because of that it just comes off as an anti-consumer choice.

Just a reminder - disc or digital, you buy a licence not a game

I'll say it once and I'll say it again.

Things like Forza need to do a single release, and just provide paid updates overtime.

New graphics? Download. New cars? Download.

I'd dare say a game like Forza, or any game that tend towards those rapid fire releases, should go this model.

It is too exhausting with how fast the games come out to keep up. It's the same reason I stopped playing CoD.

@InterceptorAlpha Basically I think that's what forza motorsport is going do now.

Have such nostalgia for Horizon 2, it's part of the reason I got an Xbox one.

@GuyinPA75 Nope. It is going to some online only BS. What I suggested would allow offline play.

This, as they try to release the upcoming Forza Motorsport as a live-services game where your entire ability to progress in the game is tied to your online connection status.

@shoeses It's sad how the industry genuinely feels that predatory these days. Everyone is just expected to consume new products, and god help it if anyone has any concerns about any of the latest developments and schemes.

I think that's a big part of why it's so hard to get hyped for anything these days, you just know there's going to be something to let you down, and it's going to be aggressively pushed on you regardless.

@Nexozi The Forza franchise is basically why I am was always such a big fan of the Xbox One last gen. It's kinda sad how many people missed out on the GOAT era for Forza games, because you can't even buy these games digitally or purchase their DLC anymore. It also seems like what made that era of Forza games so great is coming to an end, thanks to live services.

Glad I got to enjoy it though, and the games will always have a place on my old Xbox One X.

@JayJ
Forza 6 Apex on PC opened my eyes to the greatness that was Forza 6. It blew me away and now that I have a Series X again I will buy Forza 6 and possibly Horizon 2 on disc just to have them. Especially as I have never played Horizon 2. Does it hold up?

@Moonvalley that's your opinion and it's not true for millions of other players. They've won awards. The games you mentioned are amazing games. End of.

How old are these games. I think MS have done well to keep online at all. Can someone give me their age and then the average time a company keeps these games running. MS normally keep games running for ages. I'm sure they have done here. Other games and companies shut serves off after a few years at times

@BAMozzy never played online? It's 2023. I really can't understand people that don't play online. That was what blew me away with Xbox Live and Halo 2 etc. Online is the best thing about gaming. Playing other humans. It's fantastic. Made new friends etc. I can't imagine not playing nearly any game online now a days. It's also fun to play other humans rather than AI. Just my thought. I'm 39 now and still think online is vital to me at least.

@Ep_13
I'm with BAMozzy on this one. I'm 40 and I prefer playing single player games and in single player mode. The reasons are simple: I work two jobs and do not have a fixed schedule. No way would I be available at specific times to be able to play with a group of friends. Playing with randoms is a mixed bag. In FH4 my experience has been mostly positive, but I still remember being kicked from a server and called names for not clutching the 1 vs 5 enemies on the objective in Insurgency Sandstorm. I play in short bursts and at irregular intervals. Online gaming is seriously at odds with that. Toxicity and pointlessness of it (you could potentially play endlessly the likes of Destiny 2) is another thing. I respect your opinion, but to each their own.

@Ep_13 Im over 50 now and actually enjoy 'online' in 'some' games - like Shooters for example, but that doesn't mean I think EVERY game NEEDS some Online component. I spent thousands and thousands of hours Gaming Online, helping people complete the Destiny Raids for example or countless hours playing CoD...

Halo MP is in my opinion is 'awful' compared to Battlefield or CoD so I never played it. When I bought my OG Xbox for Halo, I bought it for its campaign, MP was some 'bonus' add-on to sell 'Gold' so I never had Gold until the 360 gen.

Point is that I am 'very' selective about what games I play online and games like Forza (Racing games), I don't want to play 'online'. There was a point in the 360 generation when 'online' started to take off on Console so they were 'shoe-horning' in Online to games like BioShock, Assassin's Creed etc and in my opinion, the Single Player suffered.

I'm someone who 'prefers' to play Solo. I'll play 'co-op' Stories Solo with AI 'first' as I hate playing Campaigns with others until I have beaten the story myself.

If my direct family wanted to 'play' Forza/Halo etc (or certain friends), then I would play with them 'online', but its not something I would 'instigate' or would be my 'first' choice, but then its more about socialising with those people than the Game itself.

So I do play 'online' - I've been playing some BF2042 most recently, I prefer to play Solo in general, and certain games (inc Forza) I don't really want to or care about their 'online' gaming. Online User Generated Content is 'OK' in it but not 'essential'.

Last time I tried FH1 there were literally no other players online so it seems pretty reasonable to kill the servers.

I thought it was already dead. I tried to play recently and the servers for the "1000 Club" were constantly down. It's a shame they didn't make that part of the game offline, as it's a single player component and doesn't need online.

Let's see what happens with the new Forza Motorsport in a few years when the licenses expire and we can't even play single player. This is why no one should be OK with always online.

@gollumb82 not sure I agree. I don't get any toxicity. I just play online games. Halo and Battlefield mainly. Are fantastic MP games. I wish you luck. Single player isn't as fun for me personally. The thrill of playing and beating other humans is great or working together etc. I'm nearly 40 I just want to make sure the older chaps don't ditch online. You're all still welcome.

@Ep_13 Pretty sure the remakes of Final Fantasy 7 and Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 won awards too and those games are dog crap.

@gollumb82 Sadly Forza Horizon 2 is the worst aged of the Xbox One Forza Horizon titles, but that said I do still love it, I just haven't played it much in a long time. It's easier to go back to Horizon 3 as it's X enhanced and especially 4 with it's 60fps mode, but that said 2 has some things that can make it appealing over them. I would definitely recommend giving it a go if you have never played it, just keep in mind how it was an early One title.

@gollumb82 Edit: Never mind, it was the first one I had trouble with

Forza Horizon 1 was a game I wasn't sure about but ended up as one of my top 15 favorite Xbox 360 games (no small feat considering the 360's stellar library). FH 2 was one of the games I bought an Xbox One for and didn't regret it. Still one of my favorite racing games of all-time and favorite in the entire Forza series.

@Titntin I don’t know if I would use the word iconic, I was a hard-core gamer from the NES to the Dreamcast, and then I stopped for almost 20 years until I bought a two DS in 2018 then still I had never heard of Forza until I bought my series X and it was the last exclusive until redfall. I had heard people talk about Gran Turismo in need for speed in at 20 years but not one person ever brought up asked me or played forza around me.

@Adol-Bannings 13 games and all of them big sellers, its not at all over stating it to say its an iconic racing series:-
"The Forza series is viewed as one of the most recognized brands of the racing genre. The games sold over 10 million copies by August 2014 and 16 million copies as of April 2021, becoming the sixth best-selling racing franchise." from wikipedia.
Maybe if I hadnt played games for 20 years I wouldn't of heard of it either, but I suspect maybe your friends and colleagues did not game on xbox?

@Titntin “ I was surprised and shocked that I could not buy dlc for 1 to 3, and remain puzzled as to why such iconic games are not given longer in the market place before being 'retired'.”

This is why licensing sucks. Games like this that rely so heavily licensing don’t get a shelf life it deserve since it so costly to maintain licensing. It also why these games tend to keep the price tag high. Forza Horizon 4 came out in 2018 and still cost $30 brand new.

@InterceptorAlpha

There are many games like this that this needs to happen with. I think Madden, FIFA, MLB the Show, F1, Forza, Rainbow Six Sedge, Call of Duty and others need to just give in and become free 2 play, then do season updates and have cosmetic shops.