Doritos and Microsoft Announce 'Avatar Crash Course' and 'Harm's Way' Finalists of Unlock Xbox Competition

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Doritos brand today announced that "Avatar Crash Course" and "Harm's Way," unique game concepts created by Jill Robertson of Raleigh, NC and Justin Carpenter of Ogden, Utah, respectively, are the two remaining finalists of the Doritos "Unlock Xbox" challenge.  The games now will be developed into full Xbox LIVE® Arcade games, expected to be released in fall 2010 where they will compete head-to-head for the contest's grand prize -- a $50,000 cash reward and an opportunity to consult with Doritos on gaming.

This marks the second time PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division has brokered a partnership between the Doritos brand and Microsoft to provide video game enthusiasts the creative challenge of a lifetime and the opportunity to play a lead role in developing a video game based on their own ideas and inspiration.

Robertson and Carpenter now will collaborate with Xbox 360 and a renowned development team to turn their visions into reality.  Once both games are completed, they will become available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the premier destination for downloadable games, where one grand prize winner will be crowned based on the number of votes they receive.  The entire process will be turned into an online documentary video series that fans will be able to watch by visiting www.UnlockXbox.com.

"We continue to be amazed by the creativity of Doritos fans and feel like we are once again on the brink of creating blockbuster gaming experiences that we hope Xbox fans will enjoy," said Rudy Wilson, vice president, marketing, Frito-Lay.  "It was incredible to see the consumer voting community rally around a wide range of innovative game ideas, and we are thrilled to offer our fans a chance to live their dream and create their own Xbox LIVE Arcade game."

Both games, along with runner-up game "Thrown," a concept by Jason Santa Maria of San Diego, CA, were narrowed down from 1,500 unique game ideas submitted in the fall of 2009.  Eight quarter-finalists were selected and fans voted online for their favorites based on video pitches made to Microsoft.  In early January, the field was narrowed to the top-three contenders, who then traveled to Seattle for one final pitch to executives from Microsoft and Doritos, where the selection of the final two was made.

Robertson's "Avatar Crash Course" is high-energy fun for everyone.  Full of comical mishaps, players maneuver their avatars through ruthless obstacles and crazy levels as they battle to be number one. Great as a casual party game, "Avatar Crash Course" also can be enjoyed in multiplayer mode with up to four friends.  Or, go for the challenge of playing solo and try to level up and beat your best times through the campaign, fighting to achieve the best time and get the gold.  Either way, you'll have a chance to get great power-ups, such as shoes to run faster and a belt that improves balance.

Carpenter's "Harms Way" is a fast-paced, action-packed race that pairs up drivers and snipers, offering various game modes to choose from.  As a sniper, players will help their driver win by any means necessary doing anything from blocking an opponent's path to creating shortcuts that earn nitrous.  When you're the driver, players will want to be aggressive and ram the other cars off the road.  Enjoy four-player split screens, online play and plenty of explosions.

Unlock Xbox is one of many ways the Doritos brand continues to turn control over to consumers.  The brand's commitment to fan-empowerment began with the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" program, which started in 2007 and has turned the brand's Super Bowl advertising over to its fans every year.  In addition, the brand has put consumers in control through a variety of other exciting opportunities, including the Doritos "X-13D Flavor Experiment," where consumers had a chance to name a new mysterious flavor of chips; "THE QUEST," which engaged fans in a multi-faceted online and real-world adventure of challenges; and "Doritos Late Night," which provided Doritos fans ground-breaking virtual musical performances by blink-182 and Big Boi through the power of augmented reality technology where fans could enjoy and control the performances in the palm of their hand.

Frito-Lay North America is the $12 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY.  In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/ , the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fritolay.\

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.  Our main businesses -- Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade -- also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries.  With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose.

By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide.  For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America