Well, where do I begin with this one?
Let me preface my little rambling by saying that I've generally been quite positive about Forza. Moreso than Gran Turismo, to the point that some might have considered me a Forza fanboy when I took part in the corresponding threads - which I refrain from, these days, but whatever. So, don't take any negative thoughts or expressions about Forza as mindless bashing. It isn't.
Personally, I don't think a bi-anual development cycle is very healthy for the game. Especially now that it launches a new console. It's a bit of a missed opportunity. I know that Microsoft needs as many high profile titles in their line-up at the release of the XBOne, especially now that some of Sony's launch titles have been released. Having exclusives such as Halo and FM might help them out when they need it the most. That still does not change my opinion about the game just needing a bit more time. Frankly, cutting staple tracks and adding them in via DLC later on, that's something that does tell me that a bit more time spend on developing the game would've been a good idea. People have been asking for day and night transitioning or at least night racing since it was removed from FM1 - and it never made a return. I'm quite sure, however, that it would've made it into Forza if it wasn't released every other year. That just doesn't help with getting the game evolved. Scratching other features because the majority of players doesn't care doesn't help, either.
See, I don't mind the DLC structure myself. I don't mind paying a huge wad of cash on a game that it thouroughly enjoy. A game like Forza 4 being supported for half the time it takes until the successor comes out is a great thing in and off itself, so that's actually a plus in my book. So, yeah, I am okay with that, but I still find it hard to argue against the idea that it is quite a money grab. There isn't much I can say to make people rethink their position when they're calling it out as such because, quite simply, whether I perceive it as decent value or not, it probably is.
Would I, personally, still get FM5? Yes, I would. If it wasn't on the XBOne, I'd definitely be preordering it, even. That's the dealbreaker for me, none of the 'small' stuff. But I do fully understand why it is rubbing people the wrong way that there's certains tuff that we've come to expect from Forza are missing. To be quite honest, I do feel a little bit like Turn10 could go the way of Slightly Mad Studios, in that their publisher's decison making starts to negatively affect their games.
