Facebook fans given chance to race for real with Nismo Playstation® GT Academy
* GT Academy Challenge on Facebook offers entry to gamer-to-racer competition
* Top scorers will win a place at Gran Turismo®6 qualifying day
London & Paris 22 May, 2014: Nissan and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have begun their search for the next virtual-to-reality racer, with gamers around the world aiming to perfect their laps on Gran Turismo®6 and progress to the next round of the NISMO PlayStation® GT Academy competition. The GT Academy Challenge on Facebook now gives racing driver hopefuls a new route to stake their claim to make the transition from gamer to racer.
Available to play exclusively on Facebook, the GT Academy Challenge 2014 is a fun game that tests reactions and driving skills. A leaderboard will show the highest scores, and the eligible top performers in each country will be invited to an exclusive Gran Turismo 6 qualifying day where they will go head-to-head on the highly acclaimed driving simulator game. Those who perform best will win a place at their local National Final, joined by the top qualifiers from the in-game qualification round on GT6TM as well as those who earned their place in a local Live Event competition, and they will all be challenged on gaming, driving, media and fitness.
And that could be just the beginning. Those who progress from the National Final will go on to the European Race Camp, which takes place at Silverstone Circuit, the iconic home of British motorsport. The finalists will be put through their paces on and off the track, with this year's GT Academy champion crowned at the end of the week-long challenge. There's a lot at stake, as the overall winner will be given the chance to become a real-life racing driver for Nissan. They 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.
GT Academy graduates have gone on to great things as NISMO Athletes with Nissan's motorsport backing, and 2014 is shaping up to be another exciting year. Nissan recently announced that its Le Mans 24 Hours line-up features not less than four former GT Academy winners. One of them is 2011 champion Jann Mardenborough, who is also racing in the GP3 Championship on the Formula 1® calendar. Inaugural Academy-winner Lucas Ordoñez is currently racing in Japan's Super GT series.
Usama Al-Qassab, Vice President Product Marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said, "GT Academy is all about finding real racing talent from among the vast pool of superfast gamers. However, we know that not all the gamers out there will have a copy of Gran Turismo 6 and so this is a chance for them to enter by an alternative route, as well as being a lot of fun. They'll still have to prove themselves on GT6, however, to make it to the next stage."
The GT Academy Challenge is available for anyone to play on Facebook until 16 June. Eligible winners will be notified via Facebook shortly after the closing date and will be invited to an exclusive gaming qualification day held within the country in [month].
Anyone with a copy of Gran Turismo 6 can also aim to qualify for their National Final via the qualifying round on GT6 (available as part of update 1.06). Qualifying on GT6 is open until 07:59 BST on 16 June (08:59 CET on 16 June) and is available to anyone with a PSN (PlayStation®Network) ID and a copy of Gran Turismo 6.
To take part in the GT Academy Challenge, visit www.facebook.com/GTAcademy
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 | www.flickr.com/photos/gtacademyeurope
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:
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.
About NISMO
For the full NISMO story please click here
For NISMO's GT Academy story click here
