Forza 5 requires mandatory download before playing

Forza 5 will require gamers to install a mandatory day one DLC pack from Xbox Live in order to play the game.

Released as an exclusive launch title for the Xbox One, players will have to connect to Xbox Live before playing in order to get the full Forza 5 features.

Dan Greenawalt, head of Turn 10 Studios, has confirmed that the game will be unplayable without the free day one download, which will equip players with the new Drivatar AI system and a host of other content.

“So when you first boot up the game, we’re going to ask you to log in,” said Greenawalt. “And when you log in you’re going to get the Drivatars and you’re also going to get a whole bunch of content: tracks and cars.”

Greenawalt explains that Turn 10 is deliberately delaying the addition of the content in order to give it time to finish everything and give it that extra bit of polish. What is published on the disc won’t be the full game, instead all that additional content will be available on Xbox Live.

“Our production schedule is such that we are putting them in as late as possible and that means making them free as downloadable content on Day One. [However,] that is required content to play the game. We basically have designed the game to work with all that content no matter how late it is coming in, in order to make the biggest game possible.”

This mandatory online connection before playing is a fairly strange move from Turn 10, especially as Microsoft made that stunning climbdown on Xbox One DRM and online check-ins meaning gamers won’t have connect to Xbox Live daily.

However, Turn 10 has said gamers will still be able to play offline after this initial download, but will find themselves wanting to connect to update the cloud-based Drivatar system.

“You do have to connect the game in order to get the latest Drivatars, because we need as many people training them as possible. And so rather than having just a launch-day set that was created by us, every day that people race is going to make the Drivatar set that much more accurate, that much more diverse, that much more interesting.”

At least Forza 5 players will now be able to take advantage of Microsoft’s latest announcement, that the Xbox One will have the play-as-you-download feature to match PS4.

Next, read our Xbox One vs PS4 comparison.

Via: IGN