Green Light For Sixth Edition of NISMO PLAYSTATION® GT ACADEMY

2014/04/14

 GREEN LIGHT FOR SIXTH EDITION OF NISMO PLAYSTATION® GT ACADEMY

• Gran Turismo®6 gamers have the chance to become a Nissan NISMO racing driver
• Previous GT Academy champions now racing in GP3 and Le Mans 24 Hours

London & Paris 14 April, 2014: Nissan and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe have announced that gamer-to-real-racer competition the NISMO PlayStation® GT Academy returns for a sixth instalment in 2014. Online qualifying on PlayStation's Gran Turismo®6 game begins on April 21st.

The GT Academy competition has attracted over three million entries since its inception in 2008, with gamers and motor sport fans battling it out for the chance to become the next NISMO Athlet e, one of the elite racing drivers competing for Nissan under the banner of its motor sport arm, NISMO.

Proof of the success of the virtual-to-reality competition can be seen in the stunning on-track results of its graduates. Briton Jann Mardenborough, a Le Mans 24-hour podium finisher, will compete in Formula One^TM feeder series GP3 in 2014. His meteoric rise since winning GT Academy in 2011 sees him racing for Arden International while also undertaking a Red Bull Racing Driver Development Programme.

Meanwhile, inaugural-winner, Spaniard Lucas Ordoñez takes his talents overseas in 2014 to race for NISMO in the competitive Japanese Super GT Championship. Lucas and 2012 GT Academy champion Wolfgang Reip (Belgium) will also contest this summer's Le Mans 24 Hour race in Nissan's fascinating ZEOD RC ‘Garage 56' entry.

Fuelled by this success, GT Academy's global footprint continues to grow. Champions will be selected in 2014 from competitions in Europe, Germany, USA and a new International GT Academy comprising Australia, India, Middle East, Mexico and Thailand. After completing an intensive three-month Driver Development Programme, rated among the best in the world, the five global GT Academy 2014 champions will qualify for the ultimate prize  - driving a Nissan in the gruelling Dubai 24 Hour race in January next year.

NISMO's Global Head of Brand Marketing and Sales, Darren Cox, commented, "Nissan and NISMO are proud to launch the sixth instalment of GT Academy with our friends at PlayStation and Polyphony Digital. Six years ago this innovative approach was seen as a risk, but it is now a firmly established route to professional motorsport. GT Academy started in Europe but is now expanding globally with new editions being launched in several emerging markets. To highlight the global nature, our European winners have become NISMO Athletes and are racing across the globe in several top level championships. We are looking forward to discovering even more new stars in 2014. Anyone who thinks they have what it takes should give GT Academy a go. Not everyone can win, but the experience is hugely rewarding at every stage of the competition."

Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital, explained: "I am very proud that GT Academy has returned for its sixth season, and that Gran Turismo together with Nissan will once again serve as the platform for the development of new racing drivers, whom otherwise would not have had the chance to pursue their dreams. Even if you don't make it through to the next round of GT Academy, the GT6 qualifying challenge will improve your skills as a driver and all players taking part will be rewarded with in-game credits to enhance their experience."

As well as entering GT Academy via Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation®3, racing driver hopefuls can also get involved via a series of live events and for the first time, through a Facebook based challenge. 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, 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 an Facebook game entry mechanism that leads to a special GT6^TM 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 Faisca (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, PSP^TM (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.

About NISMO
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