Avatar Crash Course Fighters May Unlock Xbox

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.

“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.