Sony will replicate NB man’s muscle car for PlayStation game
Philip Koenen’s masterwork, a 1970 Mustang Trans-Cammer, is getting the virtual treatment for inclusion in the latest entry of the popular video-game franchise, Gran Turismo. Soon, millions will be racing his creation on their Sony PlayStation 3s.
Koenen began building the car from the ground up in Anaheim, Calif., about five years ago for a Hong Kong client, before relocating his race-car fabrication business, Grand Touring Garage, to North Bend about two years ago.
On Saturday, 10 video-game impresarios from Japan spent the afternoon in town, capturing in intricate detail images of the car — from its bold bodywork, right down to the stitching on its seat covers. They recorded its sounds — from the guttural purr of its Ford 427 single overhead cam engine, to the distinctive click of its door locks.
“These are car aficionados, so they want to make sure they are truly capturing the essence of the vehicle,” said Sony official Chris Hinojosa-Miranda, of Los Angeles.
He was in North Bend assisting Polyphony Digital, a Japan-based software developer, with the data-capturing process. The Polyphony team was tight-lipped about the technology, referring to the process only as a “photo shoot.” (They don’t want trade secrets published.)
Developers of Sony’s flagship racing title aren’t content to whip up images out of thin air. They travel the globe to image thousands of vehicles and racing tracks, and then painstakingly transfer that data to a digital environment to give the player an authentic “driving” experience, Hinojosa-Miranda explained.
“They are able to take that level of realism,” he said, “and put that into the game.”
Hinojosa-Miranda, who works for Sony’s North America arm, described his role as that of a liaison to the Big Three auto manufacturers.
“We just basically have our ears to the ground listening to what’s happening in North America, trying to see what’s cool and what should be added to the game,” he said.
They discovered Koenen’s car at a big-deal auto show last month in Las Vegas. The blacker-than-black bruiser was indeed cool and they figured it should drive in Gran Turismo 5, due out this summer.
“It’s a global game, so we want to make sure it has a global appeal,” Hinojosa-Miranda said. “This car itself, the culture it (exudes), is appealing worldwide.”
Besides that, “It’s pretty sweet,” he added.
The computer-entertainment giant regularly sends scouts to the SEMA show, an automotive industry trade event at the Las Vegas Convention Center, to peruse cars and select one worthy of video game stardom.
Koenen didn’t expect his entry to capture the attention of Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi. Before attending SEMA — his first — a couple of his associates encouraged him to register for the PlayStation award. In fact, these same hot rod builders — AM Morrison Enterprises, based in Washington — did some work on the Mustang and have had a car of theirs featured in a previous installment of Gran Turismo.
Koenen signed up, but his sights were set on nabbing the Mothers Polish Shine Award, which is given vehicles with the best finish.
Despite its mirror-finish gleam, the show snubbed the Mustang.
“We went back to the hotel and I told my wife, ‘We missed the boat here. That car is good enough for one of those nominations,’” Koenen said.
Then he heard from Sony.
Disappointment quickly dissipated, when Sony officials invited Koenen to a party at the Palm Hotel. They announced before 3,000 people that his entry won best-of in the hot rod category, which included about 250 contenders.
Then the kicker: Yamauchi himself handed a shocked Koenen a gold-cast PlayStation 3 for the best-in-show award, making the muscled-up Mustang available to gamers.
“It just totally caught me by surprise,” Koenen said. “It was just something else.”
He passed the gold gaming system along to the client for whom he’s building the car, but kept the award for best hot rod — a handheld gaming device called the PlayStation Portable — for himself.
The Mustang is receiving the finishing touches in his immaculate 6,000-square-foot facility. There, garage associate Jeff “J.D.” Yost, of Orange County Calif., watched as a cadre of tech-wizards photographed the vehicle.
He has been involved in building the car, which started as just a body shell, from day one. Asked if he ever thought he’d see the day it would be recreated in a game, he shook his head.
“No, especially in a game I play all the time,” Yost said. “I can’t wait for the new one to come out with this car.”
Though Koenen wasn’t awarded prize money, being featured in what will likely be a blockbuster racing game is something of a marketing coupe for his business. The car will be available for download as a Grand Touring Garage Mustang, he said.
“It’s something I’m still trying to wrap my brain around, just how huge this is,” said Gail Koenen.
She and her husband have never played Gran Turismo, but “we certainly will now,” she enthused. “We can’t wait!”
Source: Sony will replicate NB man’s muscle car for PlayStation game
Koenen began building the car from the ground up in Anaheim, Calif., about five years ago for a Hong Kong client, before relocating his race-car fabrication business, Grand Touring Garage, to North Bend about two years ago.
On Saturday, 10 video-game impresarios from Japan spent the afternoon in town, capturing in intricate detail images of the car — from its bold bodywork, right down to the stitching on its seat covers. They recorded its sounds — from the guttural purr of its Ford 427 single overhead cam engine, to the distinctive click of its door locks.
“These are car aficionados, so they want to make sure they are truly capturing the essence of the vehicle,” said Sony official Chris Hinojosa-Miranda, of Los Angeles.
He was in North Bend assisting Polyphony Digital, a Japan-based software developer, with the data-capturing process. The Polyphony team was tight-lipped about the technology, referring to the process only as a “photo shoot.” (They don’t want trade secrets published.)
Developers of Sony’s flagship racing title aren’t content to whip up images out of thin air. They travel the globe to image thousands of vehicles and racing tracks, and then painstakingly transfer that data to a digital environment to give the player an authentic “driving” experience, Hinojosa-Miranda explained.
“They are able to take that level of realism,” he said, “and put that into the game.”
Hinojosa-Miranda, who works for Sony’s North America arm, described his role as that of a liaison to the Big Three auto manufacturers.
“We just basically have our ears to the ground listening to what’s happening in North America, trying to see what’s cool and what should be added to the game,” he said.
They discovered Koenen’s car at a big-deal auto show last month in Las Vegas. The blacker-than-black bruiser was indeed cool and they figured it should drive in Gran Turismo 5, due out this summer.
“It’s a global game, so we want to make sure it has a global appeal,” Hinojosa-Miranda said. “This car itself, the culture it (exudes), is appealing worldwide.”
Besides that, “It’s pretty sweet,” he added.
The computer-entertainment giant regularly sends scouts to the SEMA show, an automotive industry trade event at the Las Vegas Convention Center, to peruse cars and select one worthy of video game stardom.
Koenen didn’t expect his entry to capture the attention of Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi. Before attending SEMA — his first — a couple of his associates encouraged him to register for the PlayStation award. In fact, these same hot rod builders — AM Morrison Enterprises, based in Washington — did some work on the Mustang and have had a car of theirs featured in a previous installment of Gran Turismo.
Koenen signed up, but his sights were set on nabbing the Mothers Polish Shine Award, which is given vehicles with the best finish.
Despite its mirror-finish gleam, the show snubbed the Mustang.
“We went back to the hotel and I told my wife, ‘We missed the boat here. That car is good enough for one of those nominations,’” Koenen said.
Then he heard from Sony.
Disappointment quickly dissipated, when Sony officials invited Koenen to a party at the Palm Hotel. They announced before 3,000 people that his entry won best-of in the hot rod category, which included about 250 contenders.
Then the kicker: Yamauchi himself handed a shocked Koenen a gold-cast PlayStation 3 for the best-in-show award, making the muscled-up Mustang available to gamers.
“It just totally caught me by surprise,” Koenen said. “It was just something else.”
He passed the gold gaming system along to the client for whom he’s building the car, but kept the award for best hot rod — a handheld gaming device called the PlayStation Portable — for himself.
The Mustang is receiving the finishing touches in his immaculate 6,000-square-foot facility. There, garage associate Jeff “J.D.” Yost, of Orange County Calif., watched as a cadre of tech-wizards photographed the vehicle.
He has been involved in building the car, which started as just a body shell, from day one. Asked if he ever thought he’d see the day it would be recreated in a game, he shook his head.
“No, especially in a game I play all the time,” Yost said. “I can’t wait for the new one to come out with this car.”
Though Koenen wasn’t awarded prize money, being featured in what will likely be a blockbuster racing game is something of a marketing coupe for his business. The car will be available for download as a Grand Touring Garage Mustang, he said.
“It’s something I’m still trying to wrap my brain around, just how huge this is,” said Gail Koenen.
She and her husband have never played Gran Turismo, but “we certainly will now,” she enthused. “We can’t wait!”
Source: Sony will replicate NB man’s muscle car for PlayStation game
