Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Games announced on Wednesday the first-ever Xbox 360 “Pac-Man” World Championship. 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 console, 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.”

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.

The 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.”

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. The 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.