FH3 livestreams, news, and Twitter alerts

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Server issues December 12
“We are aware of a current issue with the online servers for Forza titles on Xbox 360 and #ForzaHorizon2/#ForzaHorizon3 on Xbox One. Thank you for your patience whilst we work to rectify the problem.”
https://twitter.com/ForzaMotorsport/status/940671799641149443

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#TuesdayDrive December 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/forzamotorsport
“Today on the #TuesdayDrive we visit #thrilltopia in #ForzaHorizon3 and doing skids, racing and some tag in #Forza7. The last #Tuesdaydrive of 2017. Code giveaways for #SamsungOLED and #Doritos Car Packs. Show starts at 1p.m. Pacific on Mixer and Twitch. Forza Motorsport is on Facebook Gaming”

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Drive Australia’s Open Roads in Native 4K with Forza Horizon 3 Xbox One X Enhanced
by Brian Ekberg, Forza Community Manager
Posted on January 15, 2018 at 8:00 am
https://twitter.com/ForzaMotorsport/status/952937692442054657
https://twitter.com/Xbox/status/952933405808734208

Forza Horizon 3 Xbox One X Enhanced Trailer

https://www.forzamotorsport.net/en-us/news/fh3_x1x_announce
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2018/01/15/drive-australias-open-roads-native-4k-forza-horizon-3-xbox-one-x-enhanced

Since its release in 2016, millions of players have been exploring the world of Forza Horizon 3 on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs, the highest-rated Xbox One exclusive. We are pleased to announce that, today, Xbox One X enhancements arrive for Forza Horizon 3, as a free download for players with an Xbox One X.

Forza Horizon 3 on Xbox One X is powered by the same state-of-the art ForzaTech engine at the heart of the Forza franchise, also used to develop Forza Motorsport 7 for Xbox One X which brought native 4K resolution racing to the new platform. Forza Horizon 3 enhancements let players experience the game in native 4K along with a host of additional visual updates, including improved car reflections and shadow resolutions, improved texture detail for road and terrain surfaces, and more. In addition, 4K resolution enhancements will be fully compatible with both Blizzard Mountain and Hot Wheels expansions for Forza Horizon 3. Whether you’re careening across the dunes of the Outback in your favorite off-roader or building up a legion of fans with death-defying stunt driving in the rainforest, the 4K-enhanced version of Forza Horizon 3 is a thrilling blend of fantastic gameplay and cutting-edge visuals.

As part of Xbox’s ongoing Inside Xbox One X Enhanced series, I chatted with Playground Games’ creative director Ralph Fulton for insight into the studio’s work on the enhancements. Enjoy!

What specifically has your team done to enhance Forza Horizon 3 for Xbox One X?
First and foremost, this update enables Forza Horizon 3 to run in native 4K (3840×2160) on a console for the very first time. Forza Horizon 3 has always been a fantastic-looking game but the clarity and detail of native 4K resolution really brings the vast playground of Australia to life like never before. In addition, we’ve made a number of graphical improvements to the game, such as increased shadow resolution, improved visual effects and increased LOD and draw distances, which take advantage of the power of the Xbox One X.

How do these enhancements impact the gaming experience?
These enhancements are all about the visuals. We know that our fans really value great image quality, so we’ve taken this opportunity to deliver that to them with this update on Xbox One X. On top of the obvious enhancement to native 4K, there are a number of other improvements we’ve made which really take advantage of the added definition 4K brings. Reflections are sharper and clearer, environment shadows are crisper and better defined, the quality of motion blur has been increased to make the driving experience significantly smoother, and better anisotropic filtering improves the detail visible in environment textures, particularly on the roads themselves. For me, the biggest improvement is in the combination of 4K and HDR though, especially in Forza Horizon 3‘s dynamic time-lapse skies. The sky is such a huge part of nearly every scene in the game that it affects the feel of the game a great deal, and the improvements we’ve made to reflections and shadows really complement it.

Why did your development team choose to focus on these enhancement areas?
We’ve been positively overwhelmed by the positive feedback we’ve had from the community over the last year about the quality of the gameplay in Forza Horizon 3 and the amount of fun they have with it, and we feel really proud that we’ve been able to keep that going with the high-quality Blizzard Mountain and Hot Wheels expansions, car packs and weekly Forzathon events. This was our opportunity to bring the game to native 4K on console for the first time and make a great-looking game look even better.

How do you expect Forza Horizon 3 fans will respond to seeing and playing it on Xbox One X with these enhancements?
I feel like we’re at the crest of a wave in the transition to 4K – more and more people are trading up to 4K TVs and want native 4K experiences to show what their new TV can do. That was exactly my experience when I upgraded recently and I’ve really enjoyed getting back into some of my favourite games, like the The Witcher 3 for example, as they’ve released their enhanced versions. I hope that will be the case for Forza Horizon 3 fans as well. When I’ve been playing with the update in the studio, I’ve been really blown away by the beauty of the world, like I’m seeing it for the first time and I hope Horizon fans feel the same way too. One of my favourite things about Forza is the incredible photography which comes out of the community. I follow a bunch of Forza photography accounts on Twitter, where the creativity of Forza fans always blows me away, so I’m really looking forward to seeing the community photographs which come out of the enhanced version.

How has the process been to get the game up and running on Xbox One X?
It’s been incredibly straightforward. It took us less than a day from receiving our first Xbox One X kit to get Forza Horizon 3 up and running in 4K, and when we did we still had a lot of spare headroom on both the CPU and the GPU. The Xbox One Development Kit for the Xbox One X is by far the most developer-friendly and powerful dev kit we’ve ever worked with, which makes it a pleasure to develop for.

What enhancement were you most excited about to explore leveraging for Forza Horizon 3 on Xbox One X?
Our goal with this update was to bring Forza Horizon 3 in 4K to console for the first time, and that’s what we’ve delivered. As I mentioned earlier, as one of the first titles which featured HDR on the Xbox One S, we’ve been really excited by the visual combination of native and HDR technology – it is a real, evolutionary leap in graphics.

What does 4K and HDR mean for your game, games in the future and development at your studio?
We know our players value incredible visuals, effects and image quality, and we put a huge amount of effort into delivering them with every title. Native 4K resolution, especially when combined with HDR, is a huge step forward in visual fidelity and as mass adoption of 4K displays continues it will become the standard by which game visuals are judged. For us, as a studio, the power of the Xbox One X, as well as its ease of development and straightforward compatibility across the Xbox One family of devices, has made it the lead development platform for the new title we’re currently working on. This means a couple of things. First, it means we’re developing from the ground up to take advantage of the Xbox One X’s enormous graphical horsepower, an approach which will continue to yield massive advances in visual quality. Secondly, though, it also means you’ll see improvements on Xbox One and Xbox One S as a result – we find that there’s a trickle-down effect when you develop for the most powerful hardware which brings improvements even on the less powerful machines.

Make sure to join us on the official Forza Motorsport channel on Mixer to watch as we show off the Xbox One X version of the game, starting on January 16 at 1 p.m. PST. Stay tuned to ForzaMotorsport.net for updates.

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Xbox One X update

Digital Foundry analysis:
https://www.digitalfoundry.net/2018-01-15-forza-horizon-3-xbox-one-x-vs-pc-graphics-comparison-frame-rate-test
https://twitter.com/digitalfoundry/status/952941838033440768
“Here we compare it to PC at max settings, where the contest is surprisingly close - and with a few major plus points on X hardware.”

Forza Horizon 3: Playground Games Ralph Fulton talks Xbox One X, 4K and great fan-service
By Dom Peppiatt / James Wright
Published 15th January 2018
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/gaming/674263/Forza-Horizon-3-Playground-Games-Ralph-Fulton-Microsoft-Xbox-One-X-4K-Update-Cars

Ahead of the new Xbox One X update, we had time to speak with Playground Games Creative Director Ralph Fulton, a man we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing once before.

On that previous occasion when we had the chance to visit Playground Games studio it became clear that fans of the series were at the heart of everything the studio does and the decisions that make.

And this latest enhancement, thanks to the power of the Xbox One X - currently the world’s most powerful console - feels like another example of Playground putting fan service first.

During our quick chat, Fulton covers everything you need to know about the update, his experience of working with the new Xbox One X ChuckWalla dev kit and also, how the latest update makes Forza Horizon 3 feel (almost) like a brand new game.

Q&A summary:
Is it difficult juicing as much power from the Xbox One X when you need to still ensure that the game is stable on Xbox One and Xbox One S?
Presumably, with Turn 10 working on Forza Motorsport 7 - which was something of a flagship title for Xbox One X - were you able to leverage any of their expertise?
How long was the process for getting these enhancements in place for Forza Horizon 3?
Did that stand you in good stead when you finally got your dev kit?
Was that the main benefit for you and the team?
You’ve mentioned getting it up and running in a morning, which is pretty outstanding, but is there anything else you’ve been surprised by while working on the enhancements?

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Screen darkness - January 18
https://twitter.com/forza_support/status/954077057398575106

We are aware of an issue with the new Forza Horizon 3 Xbox One X Enhanced update, which can cause the screen to be too dark or too bright. This issue affects players on Xbox One X. We have identified the issue and will be releasing a fix; stay tuned for more information.

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February 5 content update for HDR issue

https://twitter.com/forza_support/status/960620335899951104

Today’s #ForzaHorizon3 update (1.0.117.0) addresses HDR exposure issues. Complete list of FH3 Release Notes: bit.ly/2sa5fob

@Nitro Glitter

February 5th 2018

• Fixed the improper exposure calculation in certain situations, which caused the screen to be too dark or too bright.

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FH3 Livestream February 15, 2018

https://twitter.com/ForzaMotorsport/status/964194017985441792

#ForzaHorizon3 returns to the @WatchMixer and @Twitch stream today at 10 a.m. Pacific with @johniwanna Trees Beware! Twitch
Forza Motorsport is on Facebook Gaming

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New livestreams
https://twitter.com/ForzaMotorsport/status/966733164734382080
"Watch some totally intense #forzahorizon3 #forzathon action in the #ThursdayThingo on @WatchMixer and @Twitch starting soon. Forza Motorsport is on Facebook Gaming Twitch "

Johniwanna will be making Thursday livestreams a regular beat, starting at 10am Pacific. He’s also adding a Wheel & Pedal show on Wednesdays at 10am.

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FH3 among the top 20 UK physical/digital game sales in 2017

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-03-07-uk-data-over-20-percent-of-call-of-duty-assassins-creed-and-battlefront-ii-sales-were-digital

FH3: 400,118 sales in the UK in 2017

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Recent FH3 stream VODs:

February 22: Twitch Tweet
March 1: Twitch Tweet
March 8: Twitch Tweet
March 15: Twitch Tweet
March 29: Twitch Tweet
April 5: Twitch Tweet
April 12: Twitch Tweet

April 26: live now Forza Motorsport is on Facebook Gaming
“Happy birthday to @NendoShisu from the #ThursdayThingo. Let’s make him a cake to let him know how much we care today. on @WatchMixer Forza Motorsport is on Facebook Gaming show starts at 10 a.m.”
https://twitter.com/ForzaMotorsport/status/989544919038550016

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New #HeyWatchThis livestream

Verena Mei is live with Johniwanna (started at 10am Pacific) playing FH3 on Forza Motorsport is on Facebook Gaming
https://twitter.com/verenamei/status/1020344087373807618

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Official livestreams July 24 - August 6

Forza Motorsport

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Livestream schedule

“Check out our Forza streaming schedule for the week of July 30”

Forza Motorsport

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Xbox Live Official Club for Forza News

“Buckle up and get ready to put the pedal to the metal – the Official “Forza News” Club is now available to check out on #Xbox. Hope you can join us!”

Forza Motorsport

“Want to stay up to date with your favorite games & developers on #Xbox? Check out the all-new Official Clubs, available today for select titles. They’ll have an official badge & placement within the Xbox Guide and menus.”

Larry Hryb 💫✨

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Summer livestream VODs:

May 10 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Scavenger Hunt
May 17 - Twitch - ThingoThursday
May 24 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Bandit
May 31 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Aussie Rivals
June 7 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Drift Everything
June 12 - Twitch - FH4 demo from E3
June 13 - Twitch - FH4 demo from E3
June 14 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Getting Drifty with the Driftstick
June 21 - Twitch - ThingoThursday The Australian Rally
June 28 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Non-Stop Road Trip
July 19 - Twitch - ThingoThursday Find the roads in Blizzard Mountain
July 20 - Twitch - HeyWatchThis with Verena Mei
July 26 - Redirecting... - ThingoThursday
July 27 - Redirecting... - HeyWatchThis with Verena Mei, Stunts at Blizzard Mountain
August 2 - Redirecting... - ThingoThursday
August 3 - Redirecting... - HeyWatchThis with Verena Mei
August 9 - Redirecting... - ThingoThursday with FH4 stickers
August 10 - Redirecting... - HeyWatchThis with Verena Mei, Nitro Glitter, and Co Pilot
August 12 - https://twitter.com/verenamei/status/1028695119405273088 - Verena Mei and Co Pilot

Week in Review articles with Forzathon images:
May 4 - News - Forza
May 11 - News - Forza - To Australia With Love (Bentley Continental SS)
May 18 - News - Forza - What’s Old is New Again (Lola T70)
May 25 - News - Forza - May Your Reign Never End (Ford F-150 Raptor HE)
June 1 - News - Forza - F is for Friends (Ferrari 599XX)
June 8 - News - Forza - Exceptional Engineering Extravaganza (Nissan Silvia K’s)
June 15 - News - Forza (FH4 at E3)
June 22 - News - Forza - Turbo Charging (Porsche 944 Turbo)
June 29 - News - Forza - Horizon Heats Up (Camaro HE)
July 6 - News - Forza
July 13 - News - Forza
July 20 - News - Forza - Making a Splash (Subaru Brat HE)
July 27 - News - Forza - Drift to Success (BMW M4 HE)
August 3 - News - Forza - Raging Racers (Lambo Huracan HE)
August 10 - News - Forza - The Dark of the Night (Porsche 911 Turbo)

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Forza Week in Review 2-1-19
Brian Ekberg
Friday, February 1, 2019
https://www.forzamotorsport.net/en-us/news/wir_2_1_19

Final FH3 #Forzathon Events
Next week we’re introducing the final set of #Forzathon events into Forza Horizon 3. These events will go live on February 8 and, unlike previous #Forzathon events which rewarded cars, credits or XP in Forza Horizon 3, this final batch of events will award achievements, each worth 125 Gamerscore points. Each #Forzathon event/achievement (and subsequent Gamerscore reward) can only be earned once.

Here’s the list of events:

Name Challenge Reward
#Forzathon Cleaning Up The Festival - Complete 1000 Races or Snowman Skills - 125 GS
#Forzathon See You Horizon Boss - Complete 1500 Races or Kangaroo Skills - 125 GS
#Forzathon The Final Tour - Complete 2000 Races or “Hot Wheels” Skills - 125 GS
#Forzathon And Thanks For All The Drifts - Complete 2500 Races or Ultimate Skills - 125 GS

[ManteoMax]

Forza Discord

Announced during the March 8 Forza Monthly livestream, Forza now has an official Discord server.

Join the Forza Official Discord Server!

There are channels covering topics across the Forza franchise:

Announcements

• Service and Status Updates
• Official Livestreams
• Forzamotorsport Twitter
• Weareplayground Twitter
• Forza Horizon 4*
• FH4 General
• FH4 Multiplayer
• Route Creator
• Car Auctions
• Player-to-player support
• Game Announcements
• Forza Motorsport 7*
• FM7 General
• FM7 Multiplayer
• Car Auctions
• Player-to-player support
• Game Announcements
• Forza Horizon 3*
• FH3 General Chat
• FH3 Multiplayer
• Car Auctions
• Player-to-player support
• Game Announcements
• The Photo Booth*
• Talking Shop - Photos
• Share Your Creations - Photos
• Official Photo Contests
• Community Photo Contests
• The Paint Studio*
• Talking Shop Paints
• Share Your Creations - Paints
• Official Paint Contests
• Community Paint Contests
• The Garage*
• Talking Shop - Tunes
• Share Your Tunes
• Community Content*
• Video
• Livestreaming
• Looking for Game*
• NA
• EU
• LATAM
• Oceania
• Mid-East / Africa
• Team Recruitment
• Racing Team Chat

You can see discussion of the Discord announcement at this timestamp from the Forza Monthly replay video: Forza Monthly | March 2019 - YouTube

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Groove Music / OneDrive support ending March 31, 2019

As noted today in the Groove Music OneDrive Streaming FAQ, as of March 31, 2019, OneDrive music streaming in Groove Music will be retired. Beginning on March 31, streaming your music through Forza Horizon 3 won’t work, and the in-game OneDrive music feature will be turned off. You can keep listening to your music using the OneDrive web player or by downloading your files and playing them in the Groove Music app.

https://www.forzamotorsport.net/en-us/news/wir_3_15_19

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4487598/groove-music-onedrive-streaming-faq

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Game Developers Conference 2017: Time-lapse Skies in FH3
Uploaded: 4 Oct 2019
Session: Spring 2017
Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kquyK8pE81s
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Official_GDC/status/1180144041893285890

In this 2017 GDC session, Playground Games’ Jamie Wood explains how the company developed a technique for shooting high resolution 24 hour HDR time-lapse photography using a custom camera rig, on location, and then projected these evolving sky captures onto the in-game sky of Forza Horizon 3.

[ManteoMax]

End of Life Announced for 9/27/2020

@Morglet_713

A heads up for the Forza community: Forza Horizon 3 will reach ‘end of life’ status on September 27. That means that the game and its associated DLC will no longer be available for purchase. After September 27, players who own Forza Horizon 3 will still be able to download and play the game and its associated content as normal. However, Forza Horizon 3 and its DLC will no longer be for sale.

https://twitter.com/ForzaHorizon/status/1293230709444874240

https://support.forzamotorsport.net/hc/en-us/articles/360052097274-End-of-Life-for-Forza-Horizon-3