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Car maker Ford has used the first day of video games show Gamescom to unveil a new pick-up truck that will also appear in a popular racing simulation.
The new Ranger Raptor will appear in upcoming racing game Forza Horizon 4, the company said, as it looks to appeal to both real world and virtual drivers.
The car giant said that with a more than a third of the world’s population playing video games, engaging with gamers was a viable strategy.
Ford vice president of marketing in Europe Roelant de Waard said: “There’s a genuine fun factor about this unique vehicle, a rally-style pick-up that will bring smiles to drivers and gamers across the world.
“It’s also a stunning addition to the virtual Ford garage that already includes some of the most driven vehicles on Forza, and we hope gamers everywhere enjoy all the on and off-road thrills Ranger Raptor has to offer.”
Two of the new cars will be on display at the Ford booth during Gamescom, the largest video games convention in Europe, which opened in Cologne on Tuesday.
It is the first time a vehicle has been introduced at the show.
Dan Greenawalt, creative director of the Forza racing gaming franchise, said Ford cars were already popular in the game and he expected this to continue with the new addition.
“Since the Ford GT graced the cover of Forza Motorsport 6 in 2015, millions of gamers have driven Ford performance cars on Forza’s virtual roads, experiencing these impressive cars at their limits in Forza’s world-class simulation engine,” he said.
“Almost 700,000 unique Forza drivers already added the F-150 Raptor to their virtual garage, and there’s little doubt the Ranger Raptor will be just as coveted.”
The five-day event will be visited by more than 300,000 people, who will have the chance to play the latest video games – including the new Fifa and Call Of Duty titles – before their release.
The convention is also used to showcase the latest in gaming technology, including new virtual reality experiences.
