Game On!

WAKKA ... WAKKA ... WAKKA (this reminds me of Fozzy Bear - Matt)
>
> Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Create Video Game History With First-Ever
> Xbox 360 "Pac-Man(r)" World Championship
>
> "Pac-Man" fans to compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade for chance to be world's
> best "Pac-Man" player.
>
> NEW YORK - April 18, 2007 - Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
> today made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360(tm)
> "Pac-Man" World Championship, presented by Quiznos. From April 25 to May
> 9, fans of one of the world's most beloved video games of all time will
> compete on the classic arcade game via Xbox LIVE(r) Arcade on the Xbox
> 360 video game and entertainment system, evolving "Pac-Man" gameplay
> from the local pizza parlors and arcades of the '80s to the Xbox 360 and
> its online gaming community with more than 6 million members. The top
> finalists from participating countries around the world will be flown to
> New York City for the finals on June 5, with the winner being crowned
> the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion by Toru Iwatani, the creator of
> "Pac-Man."
>
> Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world,
> "Pac-Man," its host of ghosts and the famous "wakka wakka wakka" sound
> have become global pop culture icons. This arcade game played an
> instrumental role in establishing the video game industry in the '80s,
> while the launch of Xbox LIVE in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid
> growth in popularity of online gaming. Today, Xbox LIVE Arcade is the
> premier online destination for digitally distributed, high-definition
> games - with more than 25 million downloads - offering fans of "Pac-Man"
> across the globe a great opportunity to connect, compete and enjoy the
> fun through the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.
>
> "NAMCO BANDAI Games and I are proud to partner with Microsoft on the
> Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship, which celebrates how popular
> 'Pac-Man' remains to this day," said Toru Iwatani, creator of "Pac-Man"
> and currently a professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University. "The success
> of "Pac-Man" stems from its fun gameplay and host of characters that
> have been enjoyed by families for generations. It will be exciting to
> see 'Pac-Man' fans from around the world compete on Xbox LIVE Arcade to
> become the first-ever 'Pac-Man' World Champion."
>
> "'Pac-Man' reached an iconic status in the '80s across multiple
> generations and cultures, so the Xbox 360 'Pac-Man' World Championship
> provides a great incentive for fans old and new to fall in love with the
> game all over again," added Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of
> Global Marketing for Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business. "We
> are thrilled to be partnering with NAMCO BANDAI Games and our sponsor,
> Quiznos, to invite 'Pac-Man' players from around the globe to join in
> the fun."
>
> A total of nine finalists in the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship
> will advance to the finals based upon the highest Xbox LIVE Arcade
> leaderboard scores. There will be one finalist from each of the
> following countries and geographic areas: Asia, Australia/New Zealand,
> Canada, Japan and Mexico; and two finalists from Europe and the United
> States. This group will also be joined by the winner of the "Pac-Man"
> FANatic contest, a competition that will encourage "Pac-Man" fans from
> the United States and Canada to submit a video that demonstrates why
> they are the ultimate "Pac-Man" fan. The winning entry will be flown to
> New York as a wildcard entrant in the final round of the tournament.
> Details are available online at http://www.xboxlivetournament.com
> starting April 25, 2007.
>
> The Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion will receive worldwide acclaim
> from being the first-ever Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Champion and gain a
> place in gaming history. The winner of the finals will also receive
> other great prizes, including 26 years of free Quiznos toasted subs (one
> sandwich a week for 26 years, a $13,520 (U.S.) value), 100,000 Microsoft
> Points for games, movies and other fun content available on Xbox LIVE,
> and a one-of-a-kind Xbox 360 featuring a special design inspired by
> "Pac-Man."
>
> "Great food and entertainment go hand in hand, and we expect
> international gamers to connect with Quiznos food with the same passion
> that they bring to their gaming," said Steve Provost, executive vice
> president and chief marketing officer for Quiznos. "The Xbox 360
> 'Pac-Man' World Championship promises to be a milestone moment in video
> game history, and we're thrilled that we can help make it into a
> reality."
>
> Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, Presented by Quiznos
>
> Participation Information and Timeline:
>
> * Gamers who want to start practicing can download "Pac-Man"
> (400 Microsoft Points) now from Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360.
>
> * Starting April 25, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. GMT (April 24, 2007, at
> 5:01 p.m. PDT), gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com to
> register and review full eligibility criteria, regulations and rules.
>
> * Also on April 25, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. GMT (April 24, 2007, at
> 5:01 p.m. PDT), the worldwide competition will officially kick off on
> Xbox LIVE Arcade.
>
> * Previous leaderboard scores for "Pac-Man" will be deleted to
> provide a clean and fair slate for all gamers participating in the Xbox
> 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.
>
> * Concurrently, "Pac-Man" fans in the United States and Canada
> can also enter the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest and receive an invitation
> to compete in the finals in New York City. Starting April 25, 2007, they
> can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com for more information on how
> to submit a creative video that best illustrates their love for
> "Pac-Man."
>
> * On May 9, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. GMT (4:59 p.m. PDT), the
> competition will officially cease and nine finalists from the identified
> regions, based on the top leaderboard scores,* will advance to the Xbox
> 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.
>
> * Before June 1, 2007, the top nine finalists will be announced.
>
> * The nine finalists will also be joined in New York City by the
> winner of the "Pac-Man" FANatic contest, and compete for the Xbox 360
> "Pac-Man" World Championship title on June 5, 2007, in New York City.
>
> For a complete list of participating countries and country-specific
> eligibility criteria, rules and regulations and to sign up for the Xbox
> 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship, gamers can visit
> http://www.xboxlivetournament.com starting April 25, 2007.
>
> To help Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship participants get even more
> into the "Pac-Man" spirit, Xbox LIVE is also launching the animated
> series "Pac-Man" on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Xbox LIVE is the only place
> in the world where people can watch this popular cartoon and Warner
> Bros.-owned series that ran in the United States from 1982 to 1984. The
> series has been pulled out of the archives in honor of the Xbox 360
> "Pac-Man" World Championship and will be available in the U.S. for 160
> Microsoft Points per episode starting April 25 at 12:01 a.m. GMT (April
> 24 at 5:01 p.m. PDT) on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
>
> About Pac-Man
>
> As the story goes, one day in 1979, Namco developer Toru Iwatani removed
> a single slice of pizza and, after looking down upon the rest of the
> pie, saw what was to become one of the most popular characters in gaming
> history. The release of Pac-Man to arcades a year later (1980) lead to
> the beginning of "Pac-Mania," in which over the next few years would
> yield everything from character-based board games and breakfast cereal
> to a top 40 song and popular Saturday-morning cartoon. Namco Bandai
> Games estimates that the original Pac-Man arcade title has been played
> more than ten billion times in its 27-year history.
>
> PAC-MAN(r) & (c) 1980 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
>
> About Toru Iwatani
>
> Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1955, Toru Iwatani joined Namco in 1977. As a
> game designer, he created Pac-Man in 1980. Among its many achievements,
> Pac-Man was recognized in the Guinness Books of Records in 2005. As of
> April 2007, Iwatani serves as a professor of a game course in the
> Faculty of Arts at the Tokyo Polytechnic University. Iwatani also acts
> as a fellow (special advisor) for NAMCO BANDAI Games, Inc.
>
> About Quiznos
>
> Celebrating its 26th anniversary in 2007, Denver-based Quiznos is a
> national chain designed for today's busy consumers who are looking for a
> tasty, fresher alternative to traditional fast food restaurants. Using
> only premium quality, real ingredients, Quiznos restaurants offer
> creative, chef-inspired recipes for sandwiches, soups and salads. With
> more than 5,000 franchise restaurants, Quiznos is one of the
> fastest-growing quick service restaurant chains.
>
> In June 2006, Nation's Restaurant News ranked Quiznos in its Top 100
> Restaurant Chains as the #1 restaurant chain in growth in number of
> units - five years in a row. Entrepreneur magazine in January 2006
> ranked Quiznos in its annual Top Franchise 500 as the #2 Best Overall
> Franchise and QSR magazine ranked the chain in its Top 50 Chains in
> August 2005 as #3 by change in system wide sales. For more information,
> visit http://www.quiznos.com.
>
> About Xbox LIVE Arcade
>
> Xbox LIVE Arcade on Xbox 360 is the premier destination for digitally
> distributed high-definition games. Xbox LIVE Arcade is a fast-growing
> phenomenon with more than 25 million game downloads and a diverse
> library of original development and classic titles from the world's best
> independent and established developers and publishers. With a
> dynamically updated library and free** trials for every title, Xbox LIVE
> Arcade makes it easy for every type of gamer - from casual to hard-core
> - to get instantly immersed in the fun. Xbox LIVE Arcade also lets
> friends connect and play these incredible games either from the same
> room or from around the world via the Xbox LIVE online entertainment
> network. More information can be found online at
> http://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/livearcade.
>
> About Xbox 360
>
> Xbox 360 is the most powerful video game and entertainment system,
> delivering the best games, the next generation of the premier Xbox LIVE
> online gaming network and unique digital entertainment experiences that
> revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a catalog of more than 160
> high-definition games and is available in 37 countries. More information
> can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360
> .
>
> About Microsoft
>
> Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
> software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
> their full potential.

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