Round 1 of GT Academy, the ground-breaking competition that will turn one Gran Turismo 5 player into a professional race car driver, is now open!
If you haven’t heard about GT Academy, it’s an online competition within GT5
that takes the top 32 players in the United States, based on time trial
events, to a national finals event where they will compete for one of
16 spots in the GT Academy boot camp. At the boot camp, the finalists’
strength, stamina, mental agility, and driving skills will be pushed to
the limits and beyond. Only one champion will ultimately go on to train
to become a professional race driver and compete in a real endurance
race. This unique competition will be documented in a GT Academy reality
show that will air on the SPEED channel and PlayStation Network.
Round 1 is now open and runs through January 23, 2011. To enter, register at the GT website,
then compete in the three online GT Academy time trial events. Your
best lap time for each track will be posted to the rankings. Keep
practicing, and if you beat your previous best lap time, your new best
lap time will be posted and possibly move you up in the rankings.
All players who enter and race will earn rewards just for
participating. A piece of free exclusive digital content will be awarded
each week for the five weeks of Round 1 to everyone who logs in and
races GT Academy events. Content includes exclusive PS3 themes and an exclusive GT Academy racing suit for PlayStation HOME. Round 1 prizes will be awarded after the close of Round 1.
Prizes will also be awarded for the top 20 national leaders (combined
lap time) as of the end of each of the five weeks during Round 1,
ending on January 23, 2011. The top 20 will each receive a Gran Turismo
poster, the top five will each receive a Logitech Driving Force GT
steering controller (plus a poster for being in the top 20), and the
number one player will receive a Playseat Revolution (Gran Turismo 5
Edition) racing seat (plus a Logitech Driving Force GT steering
controller for being in the top 5 and a GT5 poster for being in the top
20). However, if you win one of the prizes, you will be ineligible to
receive the same thing in later weeks. So even if the same person
maintains that top spot through all five weeks, four other players will
have a chance to win one of the weekly 1st place prizes.
At the end of Round 1, the top 128 players per region will each get a voucher for Gran Turismo (PSP)
and move on to round 2. The top 16 winners per region at the end of
Round 2 will each receive a Gran Turismo 5 Collector’s Edition. And the
top eight winners per region in Round 3 win seats at the GT Academy
National Finals event for a chance at joining the GT Academy boot camp,
where the grand prize winner will be determined. For more information
about how the tournament works, visit the official GT Academy FAQ.
And with the arrival of GT Academy, Gran Turismo 5 has received a
sizable update to add more content and improve the overall gameplay
experience. Here are some highlights to look forward to:
- Seasonal Events
The Seasonal Events area has been added to the main GT Life screen. From
here you can participate in official online events that will be open
for a limited time only. Each event has specific entry and race
conditions, and completing events earns you rewards and experience
points. Compete here to see how you stack up to the rest of the world on
the global leaderboards in the time trials and drift trial events.
- Online Race Rewards and Experience
When you complete a race in the [Open Lobby] or [My Lounge], you will now gain rewards and experience.
Even if you are focused more on playing online, you’ll still be able to
gain rewards and levels that you need to progress in [GT Life].
- Hot Car Dealer
A new specialized dealership has also been added to the main GT Life
screen, making it much easier to find popular and rare used cars
compared to the standard Used Car Dealer.
- Distance Driven and Number of Wins in Online Races
Your total distance driven online, and the number of wins you achieve in
Open Lobby and My Lounge will now add to your Profile and Garage stats.
- Improved Rewards for Playing
Earn increased rewards for winning races in both A-Spec and B-Spec mode
through the end of January only. Now’s the perfect chance to rack up
points, build up your garage, and get ahead in the game.
See you online in Gran Turismo 5!
source