Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. today made video game history by announcing the first-ever Xbox 360™ “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® 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.�
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Microsoft, NAMCO BANDAI, Video Game, Xbox 360, Pac-Man, World Campionship, Pac-Man World Championship, Press Release
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