Polyphony Digital Inc and FIA form long-term partnership
Gran Turismo®6 to feature FIA-certified content
New FIA Online Championship to be created in 2015
SYDNEY, 26th July 2014 – Polyphony Digital Inc (PDI), creators of PlayStation®’s highly-acclaimed Gran Turismo® games, have this week announced plans for an innovative partnership with the governing body of world motor sport, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The FIA represents almost 80 million road and track users from 141 countries on five continents, while global sales of the Gran Turismo franchise, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, stand at over 70 million. The partnership will look to grow the direct relationship between these millions of Gran Turismo fans and the real-world of motor sport.
To mark the start of this collaboration, Gran Turismo®6 for PlayStation®3 will become the first-ever video game to feature FIA-certified content. The FIA has granted certification to four of the game’s world-famous tracks. The intricately recreated virtual versions of real circuits were inspected by FIA officials at PDI’s Tokyo studio and were accurately compared to FIA standards. Other tracks included in the game will be subject to inspection in the near future.
A second exciting strand of the partnership will see the FIA and Polyphony launch an official FIA Online Championship by 2015. The all-new virtual championship will offer the Gran Turismo community and motor sport fans around the world the opportunity to engage with real motor sport.
Jean Todt, President of the FIA said: “This innovative new partnership will ensure that millions of Gran Turismo and motor sport fans can race on even more detailed tracks at home. The Gran Turismo series has played an important role in helping to attract a new fan base to motor sport. With the input of FIA in the development of the upcoming FIA Online Championship, Gran Turismo 6 will now offer an experience even closer to the real world of motor sport. We are also excited to be working closely with Polyphony Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment in the future to find new ways to continue to make motor sport more accessible to millions of fans that share a passion for racing.”
Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc and creator of the Gran Turismo franchise, explains: “We are incredibly proud for the Gran Turismo Series to be officially certified by the governing body of world motorsports. In the over 15 year history of Gran Turismo, this has to be the biggest accolade we have ever received. I believe this will be a major step to forward our mission to connect our virtual and real racing worlds in a full circle, thereby expanding the population of car and motorsports enthusiasts in the world.”
Jacques Berger, Head of Safety at the FIA said: “It was not until we completed the tests between our track data and the game’s track data that we fully appreciated the level of work and attention to detail that goes into the development of Gran Turismo 6. It was not just the tracks that have been precisely mapped out, but also the surrounding landscapes such as the run-off areas, grandstands and buildings.”
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