- Australia included in global GT Academy program from 2014
- Nissan and PlayStation® aim to emulate global success of GT Academy by turning an Australian gamer into a professional racing driver
- VIDEO – 2014 GT Academy Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cBOWGnjZPY
MELBOURNE/SYDNEY, Australia – Nissan Motor Company Australia and Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) are today pleased to announce that the internationally-acclaimed GT Academy program will be racing to Australian shores in 2014.
Following high demand from fans, the nation's virtual racers will get the opportunity to turn their love for car racing into a real life experience by participating in the award winning virtual-to-reality competition, Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy.
To earn their grid position, racing driver hopefuls are asked to demonstrate their skill and determination to keep their name at the top of the Gran Turismo®6 leader board, only possible on PlayStation®3 (PS3™). The top gamers will be invited to compete at a live National Final event, where the best competitors will then be selected and sent to the International finals, hosted at Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom, to represent Australia.
The winner of the International final will get the chance to become a professional race driver, as they're put through an intensive Driver Development Programme to ready them for the chance to compete for Nissan at the Dubai 24 Hours.
Starting the journey from virtual to reality is simple. The nation's top 14 Gran Turismo® gamers will be identified via recording a series of online time trials using pre-selected digital Nissan vehicles available only through PS3 exclusive, Gran Turismo 6. An additional 14 gamers will be selected from live events to be held at V8 Supercars Championship events and other public events around Australia.*
The collective 28 will participate in a National Final event where they will battle in special racing pods during a series of Gran Turismo 6 rounds, driving skill challenges in a real Nissan sports-car, a fitness challenge and a media test.
The top six performers from these National Finals are then invited to take part in the Final Selection Round – an intense Race Camp competition held at the famous Silverstone Circuit.
The Australian finalists will compete against 24 international hopefuls, getting the opportunity to compete in on-track evaluations, driving some of Nissan's best road and race cars.
GT Academy's inaugural winner, Lucas Ordonez, has gone on to become the poster boy for 'virtual to reality' racing. The Spaniard became the Blancpain Endurance Series Pro-Am champion in 2013 and was a podium finisher at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM P2 class in both 2011 and 2013.
Ordonez also got his first taste of a V8 Supercar last year, driving a Nissan Altima V8 Supercar in a test day at Winton.
Another GT Academy graduate, Wolfgang Reip, recently competed in Australia as part of the Nismo Athlete Global Team in the Bathurst 12 Hour alongside Nissan Motorsport driver Rick Kelly in a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 car.
And just last week it was confirmed that 22-year-old Jann Mardenborough, another former GT Academy graduate, will contest the GP3 Series with Arden International in 2014, while also joining an intensive driver development program with Infiniti Red Bull Racing, the most successful Formula One team of recent times. Mardenborough joined Ordonez on the LM P2 podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013.
QUOTES
Peter Jones – Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor Company Australia:
"Innovation and excitement sit at the heart of Nissan and GT Academy is a perfect example of this in action," said Peter Jones.
"This ground-breaking talent search program has been hugely successful overseas. Now that it's in Australia I can't wait for it to unearth and develop our country's next great motor racing star."
Michael Ephraim – Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia:
"The GT franchise continues to be extremely important to PlayStation, and we are proud of our close partnership with Nissan," said Michael Ephraim, Managing Director, SCE Australia.
"GT Academy is an exceptional programme and we look forward to following the journey of the fastest Aussie GT gamers as they transfer their skills to the real-world!"
Darren Cox – Global Motorsport Director, Nissan Motor Company:
"GT Academy is getting huge international interest and the expansion of the programme to the Australian market is a great endorsement of that, especially given their impressive motorsport heritage and current V8 Supercars programme," said Darren Cox.
"Nissan is an international company with global ambitions and it's exciting that GT Academy reflects that."
Rick Kelly – Race Driver and Commercial Director, Nissan Motorsport V8 Supercars Team:
"GT Academy is a concept that has proved to be successful around the world, so it's exciting to have it here in Australia," said Rick Kelly.
"Todd and I were given our shot in motorsport at a young age in a driver development program, and ever since we started our own team, we have wanted to come up with something that delivered the same opportunity for young drivers.
"Without the opportunities that we have had, Todd and I would not have been involved in motorsport.
"We tried a few different initiatives, but for us, GT Academy is exactly the opportunity we've been looking forward to. We're quite excited to be involved from an Australian stand point and to give the young guys a chance at forging a genuine career in the sport."
Note to Editors:
Further Videos:
http://youtu.be/VLgqDio-KCE
http://youtu.be/vSdxqeScVqE
http://youtu.be/a-TiyeNIT9M
http://youtu.be/xw8UbRqMf54
http://youtu.be/sMuzAXlX1Xg
http://youtu.be/5cKtI2vtFqo
* See http://www.facebook.com/NismoAUS for updates and confirmation regarding the scheduling and location of live events.
Follow the official GT Academy http://www.facebook.com/GTAcademy page and NISMO Australia http://www.facebook.com/NismoAUS on Facebook for the latest updates on the competition and status of all GT Academy Champions.
About Nissan PlayStation GT Academy:
- GT Academy is an international virtual-to-reality contest that allows the best Gran Turismo gamers to compete for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a real-life professional race driver. Any player who proves his or her skill in the virtual world has a chance to go wheel-to-wheel in a real race car on a real circuit to achieve the grand prize - a spot on the Nissan racing team, and all the training and licensing needed to race in international events.
- Created in 2008 by Sony Computer Entertainment and Polyphony Digital Inc., in collaboration with Nissan, this competition has grown in popularity all over the world, with GT Academy competitions taking place everywhere from Germany to the USA and Russia to the Middle East. The top Gran Turismo gamers are identified in a series of online time trials or from live events using pre-selected digital Nissan vehicles. Thousands of hopefuls are narrowed down to a select few, who will then participate in a National Final Event where they battle in special racing pods during a series of Gran Turismo rounds, real driving skill challenges, a fitness challenge and a media test.
- The top performers from these National Finals are then invited to take part in the Final Selection Round - an intense Race Camp competition held at the famous Silverstone Racing Circuit in England. Here, the action jumps from the virtual cars of the PS3 game to actual Nissan sports cars, as competitors are tested on their strength, stamina, mental agility and driving skills. Judges look for pure talent, drive, passion and dedication to determine who really has what it takes to become a professional race car driver.
- A television show documenting the intense competition and training for the final GT Academy competitors will be aired on national television channels. Follow the official GT Academy http://www.facebook.com/GTAcademy page and NISMO Australia page www.facebook.com/NismoAUS on Facebook for the latest updates on the competition and status of all GT Academy Champions.
About Nissan Motor Company
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 approximately 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012.
Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.
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 Australia Pty Ltd.
Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). 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.au.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 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®5, the latest iteration of the game, was released on 24 November, 2010 and has sold 10 million units worldwide. Gran Turismo®6 was released in December 2013 taking over the entire city of Ronda to celebrate the occasion.
For more information please visit:
Nissan Australia YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Australia Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Australia Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Nissan_Aus
Nissan Global: http://reports.nissan-global.com/EN/
Nissan Newsroom: http://www.nissan-newsroom.com/EN/
Nissan Channel 23 Blog: http://blog.nissan-global.com/EN/
