GT Academy Expansion Continues to South Africa

Andrew Evans · · 54 Comments

Hot on the heels of September’s announcement of GT Academy’s Middle East edition, today a new country’s gamers – on a new continent –  were given their chance to turn a gaming hobby into an international racing career.

With the first GT Academy winner and Highcroft Racing Nissan DeltaWing driver Lucas Ordoñez on hand at Zwartkops Raceway on the outskirts of Centurion, Nissan South Africa and PlayStation announced the schedule for the new South African edition of the Academy.

The format will be familiar to all who’ve been involved in GT Academy to date – an initial qualification stage using Gran Turismo, a national final stage and then race camp at Silverstone.

The published schedule is:

15th October 2012 – 10th December 2012
Qualification stage, using an exclusive, free to download qualification programme

January 2013
National finals stage, to be confirmed

March 2013
Race Camp at Silverstone

There are a number of accompanying wildcard events to be held across South Africa during November and December too:

Durban
2nd-4th November 2012 – Gateway Theatre of Shopping

Cape Town
9th-11th November 2012 – Tyger Valley Shopping Centre

Johannesburg
17th November 2012 – Fourways Crossing
23rd-25th November 2012 – Sandton City
2nd December 2012 – Maponya Mall

Pretoria
18th November 2012 – Menlyn Park
1st December 2012 – Mall@Reds

The ultimate prize for the event is a seat in the 2013 Silverstone 24 Hours. More details can be found on a dedicated GT Academy South Africa website, while a discussion thread already exists on our forums.

Thanks to all who brought this to GTPlanet’s attention!

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Comments (54)

  1. Youngun

    They should split off the academy from the game now as even the last academy was a stand alone dlc. Then 2 budgets for 2 things, not time and money being taken from one (GT6) to be put in to the other (GT A). If nissan want drivers, cant they fund it instead of costing PD money which could be put in to the series that needs the money to compete at what it does great.

  2. HuskyGT

    It’s over then… This is what Gran Turismo has turned into now. It’s nice what they are doing for regular people that probably have the necessary skills to be racecar drivers but not the resources to do so. That’s highly appreciated. But what happens with the rest?

    Sometimes I really wish that PD sells the franchise to another game developer that can dedicate all their time and effort to it so they can focus on their real life racing and their GT Academy thing. That or make their staff larger so a part can focus full time on the game and the rest can focus in these events.

    I’m just saying this because Gran Turismo almost feels abandoned or in a lower importance level than GT Academy, Mr. Yamauchi’s races and the partnership with Nissan. I just want GT to be taken care by a serious full time game developer.

    1. Maddens Raiders

      “It’s over then..” “I just want GT to be taken care by a serious fill time game developer.”

      ^ this guy. Why don’t you go develop your own legendary racing game and permanently end any sense of game developer abandonment again? Where do you people come from?

      The people that gripe the most act as if Kaz almost has to hand deliver updates to them along with a free ticket to Disneyland, to ease their *unbearable* 1st world ailment (oh the horror). Grow up.

    2. HuskyGT

      You made me laugh.

      Let us real Gran Turismo enthusiast give our opinion and you go play something else kido ;)

    3. HarVee

      Yeah, GT5 does feel a little abandoned at the moment. I often wonder though, we all want GT6, but what if GT6 is just more of ‘this’?

    4. MuoNiuLa

      @Madden: The only one who needs to grow up is you buddy. Husky has a point. Without fans buying GT games in the first place, Kaz’s precious little dream would never be possible. If Kaz is losing site of making fun racing games for this, it’s quite disappointing to be honest. And stop using the “Make your own game!” argument. It’s pitifully weak.

    5. TokoTurismo

      +1 @MuoNiuLa. And for Kaz’s dream, I dislike it if he can’t work on OUR game making it fun and enjoyable for everyone. You see, I like this GT Academy thing yes, but it being the attention and Kaz and PD not listening to their fans is the whole reason why I started giving up on the GT series in the first place.. They’re just not learning ANYTHING. I really hope the competition totally wipes them out, especially by Protect CARS.

      I’m really founding it funny how some others would still defend them and this game to this day.. >_> Kaz honestly really made me disappointed. @HuskyGT really does have a point too, and I had the same feeling as well. I think it’s time for PD to hand over GT to another developers who actually CARES for the game, not just sitting there to piss everyone off, especially on engine sounds!

    2. AltairAlmualim

      Yeah! Bring it to Asia.

      @ryzno,
      If you’ve heard of somebody winning a GT5 tournament and was picked by Nissan to drive for them as a real life racing driver in Asia, then by that definition, GT Academy came to Asia.

  4. Dean J

    – PD and Nissan should make a GT Academy for Scandinavia… They’re missing out a lot of great drivers here.

    1. BLUNTFACE

      I don’t care what they do.. just keep coming out with seasonal events for the time being and update that online dealership ASAP!

  6. ironman44321

    You know…I like that PD are giving people a chance to be real racing drivers but…when is it enough? I just don’t want it taking time away from the actual game. I am also against there partnership with Nissan anyways so this doesn’t help.

  8. stompa8000

    Bring it down under I have been hanging out for GT Academy in Australia Aussie Aussie Aussie GT GT GT!!! :)

  9. Jiggins

    So they can go get eaten by big lions and leopards, but they are too scared to come to the land of snakes and spiders. :tdown:

    2. RobDoggy05

      Yes because I have a pet lion and catch an elephant to college everyday and sit in lecture rooms made of clay…

    2. another_jakhole

      By that I mean, isn’t SA behind in gaming? For one, aren’t the video game + game console prices too high? Technically, I THINK it’s more expensive than in Australia, even though at the lowest, Australia has close to double the US’s lowest minimum wage. Something like 8.00 USD vs 14.00 AUD or whatever it is. Exchange rate’s between the two is very close.

    4. HuskyGT

      We aren’t behind. The gamer community in Latin America is as strong as in the US and other countries. Developers think that we can’t afford these things so they don’t invest on our territory. We have to rely in fancy non-official stores that sell us games as high as 75 US Dollars (that or buy it through Amazon and having no choice but to wait for it). My new PS3 cost me $500 two years ago; my first one was close to $900(a 40gb fat). Both the basic pakage with no game included.

      So no. We are not behind. Probably just a week after the US maybe, until the new releases are brought in.

  11. tpark103

    GT5 is the Worlds Racers its good to see that almost everybody is getting a chance. Hopefully you that have been missed can see that PD is doing a great job of spreading the challenge to a broad spectrum of the globe and maybe soon it will be coming to a town near you.

  16. Lococurling

    Yes, I hope and really expect that South America should be the next. Many players and good drivers here. Please, make it soon, I’m getting old.)

    1. Pit Crew

      GTAcademy Tibet lol The Scherpas can handle 29,035ft of climbing, but can they Drive at the limit? JKJK Its Mac K fault he started it…

  22. GTPGhost

    Nice to see GT academy going to SA , I wonder as I’m South African but reside in the UK if I could contend for the SA version of Academy even though I qualified for the UK one this year ?

  24. Swagger897

    Does anyone think they implemented those scanners on those cars at the tracks they race at?? Could be how the new tracks maybe put into gt6???

    All I hope for is more LMP 1 and 2….. Especially the R-18’s..!!

  25. Youngun

    Maybe there gonna start a Real GT series with all the new Drivers there creating lol. or A way to dominate a current series.

  26. ed24

    I would like to see this expand to Australia in the future. The team that will run Nissans in V8 Supercars from next year already have a 5th car at the Bathurst 1000 dedicated to winners of a reality TV program, so I’d say that would be a perfect fit to integrate GT Academy into Australia in the future.

    1. jabofu

      A big brand name does not mean that the game will be improve as much as they gain fame. Just look at GT5…

      GT Academy is cool, but most of us want to see a good game.

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