August 20, 2007
PLANO , TX (August 20, 2007) — The Doritos brand announced today that five finalists have been selected from more than 2,300 submissions to the Doritos “Unlock Xbox” challenge. This first-of-its kind opportunity invited fans in the United States to think of an Xbox LIVE® Arcade game idea that brings to life the bold spirit of the Doritos brand. The five finalists will now begin working side-by-side with Xbox LIVE Arcade development teams to build fully playable beta versions of their game concepts which will be available for America to play on www.snackstrongproductions.com at the end of October. Consumer votes will determine the winner, announced in November 2007, to be developed for Xbox 360 into a full scale Xbox LIVE Arcade game. Once released in summer 2008, fans everywhere will be able to download and play the first-ever consumer-created Xbox LIVE Arcade game for free .
“As we continue to put our fans in control of the Doritos brand, their innovative ideas keep setting the creativity bar higher and higher,” said Ann Mukherjee, vice president, marketing. “This time around we asked for bold and intense Xbox LIVE Arcade game ideas, and boy did our fans deliver. Now that we've selected our five finalists, we're turning it over to fans to share their feedback on the ideas, and ultimately to determine which concept wins.”
Consumers who want to weigh-in on the five final game concepts can visit www.snackstrongproductions.com now through October 28, 2007 to share their comments. This fan feedback will be considered by the finalists and Xbox LIVE Arcade development teams as they develop working versions of each game concept.
“With thousands of great ideas to choose from, we really had to ask ourselves, what about this game stands out?" explained Bryan Trussel, director of content and portals, Microsoft Casual Games. “After narrowing it down to entries that met the outlined judging criteria, we embraced the five concepts that we felt would be the most fun for fans to play in Xbox LIVE Arcade on Xbox 360. The finalists' ideas represent such a wide variety of gaming tastes, there really is something out there for everyone to enjoy.”
The Doritos “Unlock Xbox” challenge was met with original Xbox LIVE Arcade game concepts, each embracing the Doritos experience in a unique way. Entrants included everyone from amateur developers looking for a big break, to Doritos fans with a love of gaming and a great idea. The five finalists – determined by a panel of Doritos and Microsoft judges – will receive a prize package for their creativity, valued at over $6,000 and the winner will have his game made into a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game for release in 2008.
The five finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
• “Doritos Dinosaur Dash” by Mike Borland of Sewickley , PA
• “Doritos Presents UDC: Ultimate Dodgeball Champions” by Devan Moore of Panama City , FL
• “Monkeys from Mt. Dorito ” by Juanito Lagasco, III of Algonquin, IL
• “PB's Quest for Flavor” by Jeremy Mattsen of Colorado Springs , CO
• “Rythum Racing” by Kenneth Parker of Warner Robins , GA
Between August 20 and November 18, 2007, fans can also get in the game with an online promotion by visiting www.snackstrongproductions.com for a chance to instantly win great prizes including Xbox 360 consoles, Xbox Live Gold subscriptions and more. Additional details, including rules, will be available on www.snackstrongproductions.com during the promotion period.
Frito-Lay North America is the $10 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo divisions include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana.
