Highlights
- Forza Motorsport stands out from its competitors by not including paid microtransactions, allowing players to focus solely on the racing experience.
- The absence of microtransactions in the latest Forza Motorsport entry shows that the franchise has learned from past monetization mistakes, giving it an edge over other racing games.
- While other racing games like Gran Turismo 7 rely heavily on paid content, Forza Motorsport prioritizes the core gameplay experience, offering a refreshing alternative in the genre.
Out of all the key selling points for Turn 10 Studios’ new racing sim, Forza Motorsport, one of the most impressive ones is the conspicuous absence of paid microtransactions. While there are plenty of new features in Forza Motorsport for new fans and series veterans alike to explore as they make their way through the game, popups prompting players to open their wallets aren’t among them. This refreshing lack of microtransactions makes Forza Motorsport stand out from some of its biggest competitors in the racing game market and helps keep players’ eyes focused squarely on the road ahead rather than on their bank balance.
While skipping microtransactions hasn’t always been the case for the nearly two-decade-old series, the decision to remove them from its latest entry is definitely for the best. Letting gamers focus on the track instead of pummeling them with predatory pay-to-win mechanics makes Forza Motorsport play like a throwback to the genre’s past, giving it a focused feeling that’s sometimes absent in other recent racing games. The absence of this sort of paid content in Forza Motorsport shows that the franchise is willing to learn from past mistakes and gives it a competitive edge over its more monetization-focused competitors.
Forza Motorsport Learns From Past Entries’ Monetization Mistakes
Past entries in the Forza Motorsport franchise occasionally courted controversy with what many perceived as aggressive monetization, making its absence in the latest title all the more refreshing. Players can purchase car packs and owners of the Premium Edition of Forza Motorsport unlock a VIP membership that gives them a permanent boost to credit collection, but there’s no option to purchase the game’s Credits or Car Points directly. This makes progression through the campaign mode dependent on players’ skill and persistence rather than their willingness to pay.
This is a far cry from 2013’s Forza Motorsport 5 and its heavy reliance on pay-to-play content. While creative director Dan Greenawalt attempted to defend the microtransactions in Forza Motorsport 5 following its release, many players remained frustrated with the large number of cars locked behind a pay gate. This fan backlash was evidently an eye-opening experience for Greenawalt, now working as General Manager for Forza Motorsport at Turn 10 Studios, as no trace of that game’s over-the-top monetization can be found in Forza Motorsport. This sets it apart from other titles in the genre, many of which depend on microtransactions to keep players paying long after they’ve purchased the game.
The Absence of Microtransactions in Forza Motorsport Sets it Apart from the Competition
When it comes to aggressive monetization, few games are as persistent at pushing players to pay up as Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 7. Although the PlayStation-exclusive racing sim is critically acclaimed for its stunning graphics and precise handling, it’s faced pushback from players for its heavy-handed focus on paid content. Fans upset about Gran Turismo 7’s microtransactions have cited the astronomically high price of cars compared to previous entries as well as the pop-up at the end of every race prompting players to buy additional Gran Turismo Credits, the in-game currency, as reasons for their frustration.
While it may be one of the most high-profile offenders, these sorts of tactics in racing games aren’t limited to Gran Turismo 7. Even kart-racing games like Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled have added paid progression mechanics in recent years. It’s still unknown what role these types of paid additions will play in the upcoming EA Sports WRC when it releases on November 3, but given EA’s use of microtransactions in its other sports titles, it's likely the publisher will follow this familiar playbook with its upcoming rally racing game.
With its gorgeous graphics, massive car selection, and radically revamped career mode, Forza Motorsport has plenty to offer players. By learning from the franchise’s monetization missteps and avoiding industry trends, this Turn 10 Studios title shows that there’s still room for a title where winning races takes priority over wrangling revenue from players.
Forza Motorsport is available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.