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After 1 million downloads of its first advergame, Microsoft is partnering with Doritos on a new design contest called "Unlock Xbox," with a $50,000 consultancy prize and two finalist concepts made into XBLA games.

Leigh Alexander, Contributor

August 31, 2009

1 Min Read

Doritos and Xbox Live Arcade? Microsoft is partnering with PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division on a second XBLA game design contest called "Unlock Xbox," with a $50,000 consultancy as the ultimate prize. Doritos and Microsoft did a previous iteration of the competition starting in 2007, claiming the first consumer-created XBLA game, Doritos Dash of Destruction, as the result. The companies say it became the fastest XBLA game to reach one million downloads. The competition is open to North American consumers, who will submit game concepts that "embody the big, bold and intense spirit of the Doritos brand." The companies will choose ten quarter finalists to participate in a competitive pitch process at Microsoft Game Studios, plus an online voting round. Two finalists will be developed into XBLA games up for download in Fall 2010, and the fan-favorite grand prize winner gets the game project consultancy with Doritos. "We are always looking for new ways to connect with fans and give them unique opportunities to express their creativity in a way only Doritos and our partners can deliver," said Frito-Lay group VP of marketing Ann Mukherjee. "Many of the people who love Doritos also love gaming, and this innovative program gives our fans a chance to live their dreams." "By bringing their brand to the Xbox Live audience, Doritos has the opportunity to reach a subscriber base of more than 20 million," says Mark Kroese, general manager of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices ad business group. "The first Doritos Dash of Destruction game was a record breaker in terms of first week downloads. We're excited to see what this round of creativity brings."

About the Author(s)

Leigh Alexander

Contributor

Leigh Alexander is Editor At Large for Gamasutra and the site's former News Director. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety, Slate, Paste, Kill Screen, GamePro and numerous other publications. She also blogs regularly about gaming and internet culture at her Sexy Videogameland site. [NOTE: Edited 10/02/2014, this feature-linked bio was outdated.]

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