Forza Motorsport Is Officially Available In Early Access On Xbox & PC

"Early Access" aka standard release date. Still not sure why Sony don't do the same and call the release of Spiderman 2 as "early access" before the inevitable PS Plus release 3 years down the line?
And yes I'm bitter having to wait those 5 days for my "get it on release on GP" game while others play and discuss the game and make me jealous.

If I hadn't already done EA on Starfield (which I haven't even played for over a week now), I would've been tempted with this one, but I can wait another five days for this.

Is that thumbnail a screenshot from the game? That Diablo model looks like something out of a mobile game.

@BRT15 I was thinking something similar lol, very unflattering

@themightyant To go to a lawyer war with Microsoft isn't the smartest fight sadly. The wording of early access implies that for an extra fee you get earlier access to the game, while the game's real and original "normal access" release date is also when it is available on GP. I have often played games several months after release with no harm or spoiler. 5 days isn't going to change much. This is also partially a bait for dozens of content creators that want to get their hands on it early to make content out of it.

Can't wait, and thanks to the Beta testers getting it 5 days early to iron out any bugs.

@themightyant Yeah, I am totally with you on those early access posts on Instagram and Twitter about "that scene" in every game. It is annoying and disappointing and clickbait-y. But once again it is something from masses of content creators, at this point gaming landscape has 4 groups, developers + publisher, player, journalists, content creators. The interaction and behaviour of each group towards the other one can at times get really messy.

@Sifi so MS are charging early access and then Gamepass @£150.

So what’s your point?

@Sifi I'm confused. Isn't that what MS are doing? You don't have to buy it twice? Either pay release day -1000 or wait for day 1 release 3 years later as part of £120 plus?

Why do people whine so much? Why does it matter if it’s called “early access” or “release date”? Just pay if you can’t wait or don’t pay if you can wait. I couldn’t care less whether others can play it now while I wait 5 more days.

@themightyant
Or you can touch grass for the next 5 days if you have no interest in the Premium edition. You act like they are making you wait 6 months for non-premium players to gain access.

@themightyant
How about if you don't want something spoiled for you in a story driven game don't look up gaming videos for 5 days until your gamepass copy lets you play. Easy

@BrilliantBill
Yes content creators enjoy making their early release videos and there are fans of certain games who use to buy the $99+ Premium editions for the early access and VIP pass before Gamepass and I am now pleased I still get to do that but $70 of it is taken care of by Gamepass

I played for about 3-4 hours. Really enjoying my time and it's been my best experience with wheel racing yet. Really want to take these next few days off work though.

@StonyKL nope, you have a choice of paying £30 extra for a version that amongst other things gives you access 5 days early.
Or you simply wait 5 days for the official release and get it on Gamepass day one 1, that's it no strings attached.
That's nothing like having no choice but to buy a game full price retail day one or wait 2 or 3 years for a Plus version.

Im loving it so far. I played 7 quite recently and I do notice the increased granularity over that. Also really like the concept of earning XP in live time, although having to level up every single car to unlock parts and things seems a bit excessive to me. I'm not sure that encourages people to try every vehicle, I'd be more inclined to pick the best in class and max them out instead.

Blows my mind that people are willing to spend £30 to play a game 5 days early, is there that little to play that this seems like a good idea??

@Deljo
It blows my mind that people can't read up on what the Premium upgrade actually is. Yes you get 5 day early access but you also get extra cards and the VIP pass (even more cars and unlockables)

@Darude84 that's a fair point right now.

But like everything else, this is just the beginning of another money making swizz. The real 'release' date is set by MS, so games on Gamepass will now be held up by 5 days to accommodate early access buy ins. MS get to pick the naming conventions, dates and cost of inclusion.

It is 'early access' because Microsoft says so. Not because it is. It's release date was actually today.

As for the future. This could get worse. Maybe withholding the gamepass version for a fortnight or a month. Longer maybe in a few years time. Saddle that alongside 'xp level boosters', season passes and mobile tosh and its not the gaming we knew and loved. Dishonest marketing scams haven't really coexisted with games until the last 10 years. Now we are gazumped by spokespeople more suited for the honourable occupation of double glazing salesman.

It's not that bad right now.

@themcnoisy Fair point as well. I wouldn’t mind that scenario too much though. It would mean I can still play AAA games within a month of release date against a ridiculously low price. Plus, if an early access deal comes with a physical element such as the Starfield steelbook it makes it extra interesting for me.

@Darude84 'It would mean I can still play AAA games within a month of release date against a ridiculously low price'

How ridiculously low are we talking though? It's £150 a year for gp ultimate. Value for money, but for how long? Asking for early access money devalues the service. Having every game come with a mobile esque store, devalues the service. Keeping key parts of the game tied to paid dlc or addons, devalues the service.

I'm a big advocate of gamepass. And bought into it, as both a cost cutting measure and to play a variety of games. It's not that cheap when you add the Ryanair extras on top. But like Ryanair, you don't need luggage, leg space or an onboard meal - you just need to fly - dehydrated, crippled and naked in the middle of Spain.

@themcnoisy I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t pay even close to that amount, since I used the “convert Gold to GP option” Microsoft offers.

@themcnoisy
I think $30 premium upgrades per game that includes goodies and 5 day or even a week early access is a better option that raising the price of Gamepass. Us who are willing to pay the $30 on games we are excited about keeps the overall monthly price down for those who can't afford the extra charge

@Darude84
I get my Xbox Ultimate for $90/year