Playground Games Builds Forza Horizon 6 Japan With 360-Degree Cameras and 3 Years of Cultural Consulting
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 15
Playground Games Builds Forza Horizon 6 Japan With 360-Degree Cameras and 3 Years of Cultural Consulting
4 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 15
360-degree cameras and on-location scans helped Playground Games build its biggest Forza Horizon map yet, using full-environment 2D and 3D captures to model Japan with accurate scale and detail.
3 years of advice from cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita shaped everything from store-sign colors to racing culture, as the studio tried to avoid the stylized Japan familiar from other games and manga.
Iconic street-racing elements made the cut, including touge mountain roads, Daikoku-style car meets and cars such as the Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7.
Tokyo is a major showcase in the condensed map, spanning Shibuya, Akihabara and Tokyo Station; Playground said praise from Japanese streamers who recognized real locations validated its approach.
Japan had been on Playground's shortlist for years, but the studio delayed tackling it until it felt ready for the country's landscape variety and the high expectations attached to depicting it.
Does Forza Horizon 6's obsessive detail capture Japan's soul or just create the world's most beautiful postcard?
Is Forza's delayed PS5 launch a strategic move or a sign the game is too ambitious for cross-platform release?