So Forza Motorsport had posted a tweet seemingly looking for player opinions about IndyCar-style innovations such as that aero screen for driver protection. The replies, however, were less than what one would have expected. I suppose the official account hoped for some productive technical discussion around racing safety; instead, a massive community meltdown broke loose, focused on topics around game updates, missing contents, and the next wave of console exclusivity wars. Truly, a classic one for game communities.
Now talking more about that aero screen. For those who do not know, it is a sort of protective barrier affixed atop the IndyCars after some ghastly accidents. On the surface,” with the idea of this elaborate explanation, it could be considered as a windshield for a sort of protection for drivers against debris and the like.” Some players really recognized its value as a great safety improvement. User pseudokings called it an “excellent safety advancement,” which I think is just stating the obvious. Then they complained about how IndyCars ought to have more horsepower, all the time, and not just during the Indy 500 qualifying because, well… gamer’s got to have it all the time. They want to go fast, all the time.
Here’s where the messy part starts. In many of the replies, users outright ignored the question on the racing topic and began demanding for updates for Forza Motorsport itself. TheHowlingBrown asked, “How about you get a new team in and finish the game or at least keep it alive until you can pull your fingers out and deliver.” Ouch. There is some frustration for you! REKMMotorsports went even straighter to the point: “Indy cars are shit…. give us an update with more races, more cars and more tracks!!! Dont let the game die just like that!!!” That desperation is really clear with all the caps and exclamation marks.
And here comes the drama about console exclusivity. SensaiGaia1 straight-up asked, “When can we get forza motorsport on PS5?” which, come on man, that’s never happening. It’s Xbox exclusive. Bogie9th answered with “You can’t. Get an Xbox.” and then Darkpet1981: “Try to sell your rare items and buy a Xbox Series X or S.” Apparently, the console wars are very much alive. BRay4ever restored some semblance of reality by suggesting that PlayStation already has Gran Turismo and EA’s F1 games, so perhaps Forza on PS5 isn’t too much of a consideration.
Still, some decent racing discussions made it to the surface. pseudokings (the really active participant in the thread) started talking about the technicalities of braking systems, comparing F1’s insane 70-meter braking from 220mph against IndyCar’s 275-meter braking from 175mph. There’s some serious number crunching for a Twitter thread. VirtuaMcPolygon inquired why push-to-pass is not in the game, which is, at least, a real question about racing mechanics.
We saw a couple of language variations, as well. Soloisaac117 asked in Spanish, “Contenido nuevo para cuando? No dejen morir el juego aún 👎🏻,” which means, “New content for when? Don’t let the game die yet.” The thumbs-down emoji says it all. Mellkizedek asked in Portuguese, “Quando sai uma nova atualização do Forza Motosport?” meaning, “When does a new update for Forza Motorsport come out?” International frustration is real.
The real giveaway is that many people are worried about the game getting abandoned. Commentators imploring others to not let the game die; asking for updates; for more content. There is clearly some concern about support for Forza Motorsport. Caniac16 asked, somewhat bluntly, “Is NASCAR done now?” which might imply that content has been removed or just not being updated.
Appreciative of the graphics at least were some of those scattered among all the chaos. NkamiNkuna said, “What thoughts, I am loving the graphics.” So, slightly positive I guess. Then Darkpet1981 says, “the IndyCar Series is really fun on road course and oval tracks,” so at least some people are really having a blast with the limited race content.
So overall, that tweet really opened the floodgates for all the lakes of frustration the Forza community has been feeling. It is much less about IndyCar innovations and more about game players wanting more support, more content, and more transparent communication from the developers. That aero-screen question was just a lightning rod for their calls about the game’s future.
What is interesting with this is how it in turn reflects the state of racing games at the moment. Players want follow-up updates, follow-up content, and they’re really not shy about making some demands. The ever-changing relationships of finished titles with live-as-a-service models have anything in the players’ mindset about continual support; hence, a lack of support is answered with a loud cry from the community-so loud.
So, as awesome as that aero screen is for the sake of driver safety, what the racers are really asking is for their favorite games to continue their evolution and polish. Real cars getting updated is good, but racing games getting updated is more important to players from behind the controllers. And right now, those guys from the Forza community are out there with their hands out for a little more of that game tech.
Away from all the racing talks now; maybe Turn 10 might see all these comments and get dropped with a surprise update or something. Or maybe they just keep talking about indie car features while players keep asking for content. Round and round we go.
