Pirates secure an early launch for Forza Horizon 5 before its official date.
Pirates secure an early launch for Forza Horizon 5 before its official date.
You're a regular fan who pre-ordered the $60 edition to try it out on November 9th. Those who bought the $100 bundle got an early start, with pirates quickly fixing the game a day ahead of schedule—showing they can deliver better than developers sometimes. A photo shows someone bragging about cracking it. This reminds us of Gabe Newell's advice: stopping piracy isn't just about tech, but offering something better than what pirates offer. I've refunded my copy on Steam because I won't back developers who give early access at a $40 price and plan to play on Game Pass.
This version offers a superior experience compared to what the developers intended. The cracked format prevents online play with features like the Eliminator, which limits its appeal. Up until now, the developers have delivered exactly what they promised. The full game launch is scheduled for the 9th, and it’s already available for Premium purchasers. I’ve been using it for over a day and found it to be excellent. Are you considering the pirated version?
Charging more for early access is pretty stupid for a number of reasons. It's a racing game. There's not really much incentive to play it a few days early, like you may have with a story driven game that you may be invested in and want to see how it unfolds, or a game where you might get an advantage by starting a few days early like an MMORPG. Since one of the key features of Forza is online play with your friends getting in earlier than other people seems like a negative thing not a positive. Game launches are usually marred by the first few days being full of bugs ruining the game which are then patched over the next few days. By paying more for early access you're basically just paying to be a beta tester (I'm not aware of Forza Horizon 5's current state at release, but a buggy mess is fairly typical of AAA launches). ... Why? Most popular titles get cracked, often early after release or sometimes even leaking before official release. It seems weird that you would have been happy to pay the $60-$100 for the game and then decided to refund it just because other people are pirating it. That's how buying things work. "It's unfair I have to buy this loaf of bread when other people just shoplift". If you think the $60 price is too expensive simply don't buy it. Wait for a sale - or as you are doing get it through game pass instead. Edited November 6, 2021 by Spotty
You’re getting most of the value from the experience. You were the first to pay a regular price for a game. I’m not too concerned since I can’t play the battle royale mode. I refunded it because I prefer Xbox Game Pass over buying it on Steam and supporting the developers. I think their licensing agreement isn’t as profitable as a $60 purchase. Also, charging $40 extra just to play four days early seems unfair to me. I was glad to pay $60, but I’d rather not spend $100.
I've been testing the game for a few days now, and overall it's been quite seamless. I've only found a few small issues, but they haven't affected the experience much. Edit: I meant to emphasize that this is my personal perspective. I had some problems with FH4, so I wasn't very confident about FH5's launch. The Premium edition (the early access version) doesn't charge extra just for the access itself. Besides early access, you also receive a welcome pack, a VIP membership ($20 separately), the Car Pass, and two expansions. See what I mentioned earlier. Early access isn't the sole benefit of the Premium bundle.
The release went well overall. Check the attached files—they cover all the aspects I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. I wouldn’t have purchased these anyway. The DLC vehicles and the new Lego expansion are fine with me.
I was referring to my own experience with FH5, especially since I had problems with FH4. I wasn’t very confident about FH5 launching properly, but it turned out great. Nice then that the $60 version fits you well. For your situation—since you didn’t want any of the Premium extras—it doesn’t make sense to pay the extra $40 just to start early. I’ve been playing Forza Horizon for a while, so I was happy to get bonus features now.