- Nissan and PlayStation Australia announce 2016 GT Academy competition dates
- Chance to drive Nissan cars in pre-release version of Gran Turismo Sport on PlayStation 4 ahead of game release on 16 November 2016
- Live Events to be held in Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast
MELBOURNE / SYDNEY, Australia – Nissan and PlayStation Australia are pleased to announce the dates and locations for this year's Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy live events, where Australian gamers will have their chance to follow in the footsteps of 2015 GT Academy winner Matt Simmons in making the transition from gamer to racer.
Live Events will take place at Federation Square in Melbourne, the Red Rooster SuperSprint at Sydney Motorsport Park (Event 9 of the 2016 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship) and at Warner Brothers Movie World on the Gold Coast. In 2016, Live Events will use a pre-release edition of Gran Turismo Sport™ and are the only opportunity for Australian gamers to enter the competition.
Following the live GT Academy qualifying events, 20 participants will be selected to compete at the 2016 Australian National Final, also held at Warner Bros Movie World. The finalists will be tested in gaming using Nissan cars Gran Turismo Sport, as well as fitness tests, and media conference and driving challenges using Nissan sports cars. The six best contestants flown to the famous Silverstone circuit in England to compete against the world's best at the 2016 GT Academy International Race Camp. The overall 2016 GT Academy International winner will then undertake the intensive Nissan Driver Development Program (NDDP) to qualify them for an International Race Licence.
Last year's GT Academy International winner, Australian Matt Simmons, has experienced first-hand how the competition can change people's lives.
"It's been an amazing journey from delivering parcels for Australia Post and playing Gran Turismo in my lounge room to now travelling the globe and racing a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in some of the biggest sportcar races in the world," said Simmons.
"I can't wait to see what this year's competition will hold and I hope we can find our next Australian GT Academy champion."
This year's GT Academy events will be raced on the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, Gran Turismo Sport, with competitors being among the first in the world to race on the new title before
it launches on 16 November 2016. The next iteration of PlayStation's best-selling franchise forges a new standard for the racing genre and empowers gamers to develop their virtual careers on the track.
Simmons has already sampled GT Sport and believes that it will bring a new element to this year's competition.
"The realism and attention to detail on the physics in GT Sport has taken racing simulation to the next level," said Simmons.
"Players will see that having GT Sport ready to go for this year's GT Academy will lift the competition beyond what we've seen in the past."
2016 Nissan PlayStation GT Academy – Australian Live Event Dates & Locations
- 14th August Federation Square, Melbourne
- 26th – 28th August Red Rooster Sydney SuperSprint at Sydney Motorsport Park*
- 7th – 9th September Warner Bros Movie World on the Gold Coast*
More information on how to enter, live event locations, dates, terms and conditions can be found at http://www.nissan.com.au/Discover/GT-Academy
*Paid entry required for Red Rooster Sydney SuperSprint and Warner Brother Movie World events
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe:
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, PSP™ (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 www.playstation.com.
PlayStation®, PS4, PS3, PS2, PSP, and DUALSHOCK are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
For more information please visit:
Nissan Australia YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Australia Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Nissan_Aus
Nissan Australia Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Nissan
NISMO Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NISMO
NISMO Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/NISMO
NISMO Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NISMO
Nissan Global Newsroom: https://newsroom.nissan-global.com/
