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▼ Playground Games Launches Forza Horizon 6 Featuring Japan Car Culture
- Category:Other
Playground Games released its brand-new racing video game, Forza Horizon 6, featuring famed automotive photographer Larry Chen as a major speaking character within the newly introduced Japanese setting.
The open-world racing title brings players to long-awaited Japanese locations, simulating Tokyo, rocky coastlines, dense forests, and snow-covered mountains.
The game also introduces a secondary progression system called "Discover Japan" in the Collection Journal, alongside Easter eggs referencing the iconic street racing manga series Initial D.
Chen, a Canon Explorer of Light, recorded over 300 speaking lines across two voiceover sessions and underwent motion capture scanning in July 2025 to create his realistic digital avatar.
The photographer noted that his friend and fellow Canon ambassador Atiba Jefferson previously appeared in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, but Jefferson's voice lines were replaced by an actor.
"It actually looks like a horror movie because they made me put a bald cap on and they made me put this thing in that spreads my lips so it’s just like my teeth exposed," laughs Larry Chen, Photographer.
The scanning process utilized a specialized rig comprised of 250 Canon consumer DSLR cameras, specifically the EOS 250D models known as the Rebel SL3 in North America.
"It was hilarious. But the rig they used to scan me was super interesting. It was 250 Canon consumer DSLR cameras, so it was funny. It was unintentional that it was Canon, but it was Canon." recalls Larry Chen, Photographer.
The game features real-world drifting hotspots like Mount Haruna and the Hakone Nanamagari route. Players can also unlock a souped-up Toyota AE86 Forza Edition by earning 5,000 points in the Master Explorer tier of the Discover Japan track.
"Not everybody can do what I do," says Larry Chen, Photographer.
The physical car model includes an animated cup of water on the dashboard cupholder that moves under G-forces, referencing the famous driving challenge from the Initial D anime series.
"I mean, a lot of people do. A lot of people do end up going to the same places that I go to and they can photograph these cars in real life. That’s great. I love that." states Larry Chen, Photographer.
The "Discover Japan" journal allows players to earn points by discovering landmarks, finding Bonus Boards, collecting cars, and completing Tokyo City food delivery missions.
"But if you’re just a casual photographer who doesn’t want to spend thousands of dollars to go to Europe or Japan or whatever, then you could do it from home and it kind of gives you the same feeling," says Larry Chen, Photographer.
Progressing through the activities unlocks specific reward tiers, categorized by point thresholds including a Yellow Stamp at 1,250 points, a Green Stamp at 2,500 points, and a Blue Stamp at 5,000 points.
The open-world racing title brings players to long-awaited Japanese locations, simulating Tokyo, rocky coastlines, dense forests, and snow-covered mountains.
The game also introduces a secondary progression system called "Discover Japan" in the Collection Journal, alongside Easter eggs referencing the iconic street racing manga series Initial D.
Chen, a Canon Explorer of Light, recorded over 300 speaking lines across two voiceover sessions and underwent motion capture scanning in July 2025 to create his realistic digital avatar.
The photographer noted that his friend and fellow Canon ambassador Atiba Jefferson previously appeared in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, but Jefferson's voice lines were replaced by an actor.
"It actually looks like a horror movie because they made me put a bald cap on and they made me put this thing in that spreads my lips so it’s just like my teeth exposed," laughs Larry Chen, Photographer.
The scanning process utilized a specialized rig comprised of 250 Canon consumer DSLR cameras, specifically the EOS 250D models known as the Rebel SL3 in North America.
"It was hilarious. But the rig they used to scan me was super interesting. It was 250 Canon consumer DSLR cameras, so it was funny. It was unintentional that it was Canon, but it was Canon." recalls Larry Chen, Photographer.
The game features real-world drifting hotspots like Mount Haruna and the Hakone Nanamagari route. Players can also unlock a souped-up Toyota AE86 Forza Edition by earning 5,000 points in the Master Explorer tier of the Discover Japan track.
"Not everybody can do what I do," says Larry Chen, Photographer.
The physical car model includes an animated cup of water on the dashboard cupholder that moves under G-forces, referencing the famous driving challenge from the Initial D anime series.
"I mean, a lot of people do. A lot of people do end up going to the same places that I go to and they can photograph these cars in real life. That’s great. I love that." states Larry Chen, Photographer.
The "Discover Japan" journal allows players to earn points by discovering landmarks, finding Bonus Boards, collecting cars, and completing Tokyo City food delivery missions.
"But if you’re just a casual photographer who doesn’t want to spend thousands of dollars to go to Europe or Japan or whatever, then you could do it from home and it kind of gives you the same feeling," says Larry Chen, Photographer.
Progressing through the activities unlocks specific reward tiers, categorized by point thresholds including a Yellow Stamp at 1,250 points, a Green Stamp at 2,500 points, and a Blue Stamp at 5,000 points.
- 21/5 17:29
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