Microsoft may have confirmed the location of Forza Horizon 5 and we didn't know it

Following the review trailer, Microsoft may have revealed the location.

[Father__Merrin]

Mexico

[Smok91]

Mexico lol

[sinspirit]

Please be somewhere like Hong Kong or Japan. I was hoping FH4 was gonna have a more drastic change in scenery

[darthv72]

Mexico

[gamer7804]

Same here , Mexico is fine but japan or Hong Kong would have been amazing

[alb1899]

Nice!!

[TheColbertinator]

Disappointed if it is really not Japan.

[rakentaja]

Imagine it's Japan and after that you will be disappointed forever. Think about what you just said. It can be only Japan once and then what? The rest of locations absolutely no-no?

[HOLDERofFOOD]

How does this make any sense. If he was hoping it’s Japan and it isn’t then he can be disappointed, there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t understand your point at all.

[TheColbertinator]

So? I will live.

Just want it to be the next location. Playground gave us Australia and that was the most fun I've had in any open world racing game. Japan is so ideal it is not even up for debate.

[Smok91]

Rakentaja,

So you’re saying if a game came out with a location you wanted to play you wouldn’t be happy by that you’d be sad it won’t be released in the future because it’s here now? If so lmfaoooo. If not, your writing is terrible.

[BenRC01]

If its Japan I'm buying a sx. Microsoft simply suck as a console gaming company but forza horizon is the one game I'd dump £450 on, especially if it's jdm focused.

[Firebird360]

Walls are effective is an inappropriate comment? Wtf is everyone so soft for.

[Deathdeliverer]

I have to admit... not having to buy any first party exclusives from Microsoft is pretty crazy. Game pass is definitely a good deal, but how long will it really be sustainable? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad and that’s more money in my pocket. But I can’t help but wonder if they were expecting that $50 price hike to be accepted and that would offset things. Like drug dealers. Let you have Gamepass for a while at the cheap, then say hey we are putting all first part games on there free... wait a bit and say guess what ea play too.... wait a while then double the price. You’re addicted so they were hoping for that yes instead of a resounding no. Either way, my series X will be ready day one. I’ve been buying Horizon games day one since the first one.

[sawoosevens]

idea is that they will have a constant stream of income from more people, rather than just a few people buying a game for $60. if they play their cards right, they can ride the train for atleast 15 years. This just my opinion through observation of course.

[King_Noctis]

There's a reason why services like Spotify, Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ exist and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

[Deathdeliverer]

@ Noctis
Dude.... that’s totally different. There’s a reason those movies go to “the movies” first, then Redbox, and pay per view style rentals, THEN finally down the line Netflix and so on. HBO Max was/is taking advantage of the Covid situation and is undoubtably taking loses for the sake of gaining viewers a that will hopefully stay once the pandemic has passed. Also why up until fairly recently Microsoft wasn’t getting any new games on game pass. It was just like PlayStation now. They needed a differentiator. They upped the payouts to something that made some kind of sense to the few developers that agreed to it. It wasn’t enough though so they threw their own studios in the gamepass pot. The newer the game, the more they paid for it same as HBO max and any movie not made by WB which I think they own. Games simply make more money for devs bought the traditional way unless Microsoft pays out the butt to get a game faster on the service, hence why I say it can’t be sustainable for long, especially since the price hike failed.

[Chevalier]

"Xbox Series X/S launch and Game Pass push Microsoft’s quarterly gaming revenue past $5 billion"

Did you actually read the article? They lumped in all their services together which totalled $3.5 billion so we literally have no idea how much Gamepass was. That's all their Xbox Live Gold and other digital sales with Gamepass bundled into the calculation. Another big portion is selling the new consoles. So even the article you posted doesn't even really support anything you said. I literally said there's no breakdown for anything related to Gamepass and your article LITERALLY proves what I said.

If you think that quarter was huge then just look at Playstations
Quarter.

https://www.kitguru.net/gam...

That's just shy of $8.5 billion and is not only the Quarterly record the whole of 2020 also was an industry wide record.

[HOLDERofFOOD]

I mean $180 a year ($15/month) is three brand new releases every year. Idk about you but I rarely buy 3 games at full price a year on Xbox these days considering they haven’t even had 3 AAA exclusives the past few years, so it could kind of make sense. Not to mention that there will still be tons and tons of 3rd party games not on Gamepass that MS still takes a %30 cut out of so it actually kind of makes sense. Guaranteed 3 full price first party games worth sold every year from every subscriber. I bet that beats the average for them the past few years with basically just forza and gears.

[Deathdeliverer]

@Holder
Sadly your scenario does make sense as far as Microsoft games stand this far. Let’s be honest, they haven’t really released in house games at an alarming rate. Hell, there’s been barely any first party games per year for years. You think about gamepass like that and you’re over paying. Thing is there’s a lot more games than just first party on game pass and I’m guessing their taking a Apple Music kind of approach where the downloads and plays gets money for the devs. That being said it’s a lot of “potential” ways for this money to go. Also I think Microsoft reduced its cut to get more people to do business with them. Maybe that was just digitally though. Anyway, all I was saying is it seems like they must have really thought sliding that extra $50 was going to work. Not that it didn’t I wonder if they will just try to increase the price incrementally instead of all at once. They want that money. They tried that for a reason and they will try it again someway, somehow. Just a matter of when.

[King_Noctis]

“ There’s a reason those movies go to “the movies” first, then Redbox, and pay per view style rentals, THEN finally down the line Netflix and so on.”

You do know Netflix had been making original contents like Stranger Things, The Witcher, and Shadow and Bone since forever right?

“ hence why I say it can’t be sustainable for long, especially since the price hike failed.”

If it can’t be substantial for long then MS would have cut their loss a long time ago similar to what Google did with Stadia (by closing all first party studios). They see profit in this and their success with Gamepass has shown that.

[Chevalier]

I really think you are clueless about how the model works. 1st of all Aaron Greenburg already said somewhat recently that they aren't making profit. It's likely a long term project and will take awhile till it profits.

2nd you bring up Netflix which has been streaming since 2007 and has not once pulled in profit. In fact Netflix will finally be pulling profit this year end and that's with 200 million subscribers a month! And we're talking available everywhere. So I fail to see how you think after like 3 years Gamepass is turning a profit when it's taken Netflix 14 years to start profiting. 200 million >>>>>>> 30 million. Unlike Gamepass, Netflix doesn't do $1 promotions or any 50% off 3 month passes.

Seriously get a clue. You have no idea what any numbers mean since nothing concrete has ever been given. How many of the subscribers used the free trial and stopped subbing? How many are on $1 specials? How many full priced? Ultimate gamepass? Upgrade from gold?

[King_Noctis]

“ 1st of all Aaron Greenburg already said somewhat recently that they aren't making profit. It's likely a long term project and will take awhile till it profits. ”

Didn’t I say “ If it can’t be substantial for long then MS would have cut their loss a long time ago similar to what Google did with Stadia” ? I think you should read what I had written first before jumping the gun.

“ Seriously get a clue. You have no idea what any numbers mean since nothing concrete has ever been given.”

Xbox Series X/S launch and Game Pass push Microsoft’s quarterly gaming revenue past $5 billion
https://www.geekwire.com/20...

[parjas]

I thought it would be in newzealand:)

[MasterChief3624]

Interesting if it really does end up being Mexico. I'm having the same feeling as the other location reveals, "Meh. I can't see the geography or location being anywhere near the variety and fun that a game like this needs to keep my attention."

But that response always leads to me eventually loving the heck out of every location because they surprise the heck out of me. Australia especially was so amazing. I loved the distinct biomes and sheer variety of locales. Britain was great, too, but I think it suffered from a lack of variety. Still beautiful and fun to drive around in, though. I do think their "seasons" thing was a poor attempt at giving the game a superficial variety that legitimately didn't change anything other than the visuals and a couple icier areas.

I am interested to see if the same thing happens for me with a Mexico locale!

[BenRC01]

Uk was a massive let down after Australia

[aaronaton]

If it's Mexico, why would you want the game to be set in a 3rd world desolate country?

[ChiefofLoliPolice]

Don't be so narrow minded. Mexico has alot of varying climates and locations. From the beaches to the east and the west, the crowded urban jungle streets of Mexico City, the lush tropical rainforest in the south with ancient architectural ruins, to the Sonoran desert strewn across Northern Mexico and part of Baja California, to the mountains of Sierra Madre.

It's a great location for Horizon.

[aaronaton]

The Mexican tourist board sends their regards.

[yeahokwhatever]

Imagine dodging gunfire from the cartels and then going off-roading to dodge drug mules and caravans of illegal aliens.

[BenRC01]

Be fun plowing through weed fields while being shot at.

[spwittbold]

Forza Horizon is just too good of a game series. Can't wait.

[Rocosaurus]

Mexico is a good choice. Underrepresented location in games.

[DaniMacYo]

Mars.

[anast]

This is the IP that is going to blow everyone's minds.

[Azraeia]

I'll play it anyway cause I love the series (and it will be on the pass so why not). When 4 was being rumoured I was hoping for a Japan setting so I can recreate Tokyo Drift. Mexico I never thought about but I will be something new I suppose. As much as 4 is good the map isn't the best in the series. Plus I just have to go outside to see the same roads and buildings so doesn't make the map seem special.