QUALIFYING NOW LIVE FOR NISMO PLAYSTATION® GT ACADEMY
Do you have what it takes to go from Gran Turismo®6 to the real race track?
Nissan and PlayStation looking for next gamer-to-racer star
London & Paris 21 April, 2014: The 2014 season of the NISMO PlayStation® GT Academy competition begins today at 08:00 BST (09:00 CET), giving Gran Turismo®6 virtual racers another opportunity to realise their dreams of becoming a real-life professional racing driver.
GT Academy has successfully challenged the traditional and costly route into professional motorsport and in 2014 gamers have more ways than ever to enter the competition. Anyone in a participating country with Gran Turismo 6 and a PlayStation®3 will be able to enter the free qualifying rounds within the game's automatic online update. Racing driver hopefuls can also get involved via a series of live events and, for the first time, through a Facebook based GT Academy Challenge, which will launch in May.
Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital, is excited to see qualifying begin for GT Academy 2014. "I am very happy that qualifying has now begun for a sixth season of GT Academy, kick starting our search to unearth another gamer with the talent to become a real life racer. Every GT6TM gamer will have the chance to develop their skills in a series of stunning Nissan NISMO vehicles and compare lap times with their friends while competing for a coveted spot at the next stage of the competition."
The successful PlayStation gamers from France, Italy, UK, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Russia, Sweden, Poland and Czech Republic will win a place at a National Final event held in their country. From there, the leading competitors will qualify for the European Race Camp at the world-famous Silverstone Circuit, an established week-long bootcamp where the finalists will be put through their paces on and off the track, to unearth this year's GT Academy champion.
The overall European winner will receive three months' intensive training to prepare them for taking to the track with Nissan at the Dubai 24 Hour race in January 2015. In Dubai they'll go wheel-to-wheel with experienced racing drivers and have the chance to prove themselves worthy of becoming a NISMO Athlete, one of the elite racing drivers competing for Nissan under the banner of its motor sport arm, NISMO.
With qualifying now open, this is the chance for today's GT6 gamers to follow in the footsteps of previous GT Academy winners who have gone from sofa to pro thanks to this innovative collaboration between Nissan and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Last year's champion Miguel Faísca is competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series this season, and Lucas Ordoñez (2008 champion) will be racing alongside Wolfgang Reip (2012 champion) in the mould-breaking Nissan ZEOD RC at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Meanwhile, Jann Mardenborough (2011 champion) now has an eye on a career in Formula One®, having secured a GP3 drive in 2014 with Arden International and being selected to take part in a bespoke Red Bull Racing Driver Development Programme.
"Everyone should enter GT Academy!" encourages NISMO Athlete Mardenborough, who is about to start competing in a Formula One® feeder series less than three years after winning the competition. "It's open for anyone to enter. If you have a PlayStation 3 and a copy of Gran Turismo 6, just see how you go against everyone across Europe - that's all I had in mind the year I won. If being a racing driver was your childhood dream, then the NISMO PlayStation GT Academy is your perfect opportunity to live it!"
The GT Academy qualifying update is available to access now on GT6 and can be played until 07:59 BST (08:59 CET) on 16 June. It is available to anyone with a PSN (PlayStation®Network) ID and a copy of Gran Turismo 6.
Entry details can be found on: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy and http://gran-turismo.com/.
ENDS
For more information, please contact your local PR manager.
Additional notes:
About GT Academy 2014
GT Academy is a collaboration between PlayStation® and Nissan that uses the virtual world of the Gran Turismo®6 game to unearth real-world racing talent. Now in its sixth year, GT Academy includes separate competitions for Europe (France, Italy, UK, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Russia, Sweden, Poland and Czech Republic), Germany, USA and a new International group (Australia, India, Middle East, Mexico and Thailand).
The GT Academy qualification round will be part of a free Gran Turismo®6 update on PlayStation®3 (terms and conditions apply). The fastest gamers in each participating territory gain access to their region's National Final event. A number of competitors can also gain access via a series of Live Gran Turismo events organised locally, and via a Facebook game entry mechanism that leads to a special GT6TM qualifying event. The National Finals add driving, fitness and a media element to the gaming.
From National Finals, the action moves to Silverstone for the legendary Race Camp, where the competitors are put through their paces on track in Nissan sports cars under the watchful eyes of high profile judges and mentors. One winner from each competition will be invited to take part in the intensive Driver Development Programme. They could qualify for an international race license and race for Nissan at the Dubai 24 Hours in January 2015, before potentially joining Nissan's elite NISMO Athletes.
Previous winners of GT Academy are now regular racing drivers. In 2014, Jann Mardenborough (UK, winner in 2011) will be racing in GP3, a feeder series to Formula One, with the championship-winning Arden International team. Lucas Ordoñez (Spain, winner in 2008) will be racing in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year in the innovative Nisan ZEOD RC, alongside Wolfgang Reip (Belgium, winner in 2012). In 2013, Lucas won the Pro-Am Drivers Championship in the Blancpain Endurance Series. The 2013 Champions, Stanislav Aksenov (Russia), Miguel Faísca (Europe), Nick McMillen (USA) and Florian Strauss (Germany) are competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series with the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN.
News and views on GT Academy 2014 and the progress of all the GT Academy drivers can be followed on various platforms including: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy | www.twitter.com/GTAcademy | www.youtube.com/gtacademyeurope | http://track.crash.net/y.z?l=http%3a%2f%2fwww.flickr.com%2fphotos%2fgtacademyeurope&r=3331433782&d=822324&p=1&t=h.
About the Gran Turismo® Franchise
Gran Turismo® celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2013, having first appeared internationally in 1998. The multi-award-winning franchise has been the most successful ever for PlayStation®, and in 2013 it also surpassed worldwide sales of 70 million units. Various iterations of Gran Turismo have been created for PlayStation® , PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 and PSP (PlayStation® Portable), and have always been regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulators ever created due to true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design. Since the inception of Gran Turismo, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the most realistic driving simulation in the industry and a unique medium for automotive manufacturers to showcase their products. Gran Turismo®6, the latest iteration of the game, was released on 6 December, 2013.
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®4 (PS4®) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system, PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and PSN software and hardware in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE has revolutionised home entertainment since they launched PlayStation® in 1994. PlayStation®4 redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalisation and deeply integrated social capabilities. PS Vita is an ultimate portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. PS3® is an advanced computer system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PSP® is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. SCEE also delivers the PlayStation® experience to open operating systems through PlayStation®Mobile, a cross device platform. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories.
More information about PlayStation® products can be found at http://www.playstation.com/www.playstation.com/oblocked::http:/www.playstation.com/www.playstation.com.
PlayStation®, PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSP are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 14,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 695,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Asian brand in Europe.
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