First new "Pac-Man" mazes in 26 years – only on Xbox 360

New "Pac-Man Championship Edition" unveiled and played for the first time in the world at the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship

The year was 1981: Big hair, high-waisted jeans and fluoro leotards were popular fashions, Trevor Chappell was bowling underarm, "A Country Practice" first graced our TV screens, "Shaddup You Face" was still at #1 in the singles chart, and everyone was saving up twenty-cent coins to play the latest video games. One such game by game designer Toru Iwatani at NAMCO LTD. (currently NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.) hit arcades around the world and would soon become a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most beloved games of all time.

That game was "Pac-Man", and today Microsoft Corp. and NAMCO BANDAI Games made video game history by unveiling the "Pac-Man Championship Edition" — featuring the first new Pac-Man mazes in more than 26 years — available only on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. This brand new game was introduced today in New York City at the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. As a special surprise from Iwatani and NAMCO BANDAI Games, the 10 tournament competitors became the first in the world to play and compete on the "Pac-Man Championship Edition".

Launching in Australia at 6.00pm EST on June 6, 2007, only on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the "Pac-Man Championship Edition" is the same beloved "Pac-Man" game played in the arcades of the '80s but is updated with new features that former "Pac-Man" fanatics and new generations of fans alike will love. It includes new mazes that dynamically change shape during gameplay, six new timed game modes, new soundtracks and high-definition (HD) graphics*. "Pac-Man Championship Edition" will be available for 800 Microsoft Points.

"Pac-Man Championship Edition" made its official debut during today's New York City finals for the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. The ten participants from four continents and eight countries around the world – Austria, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the US – competed at The Supper Club in New York City's Times Square. To advance to the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship finals, each participant had to earn the highest "Pac-Man" score in their respective home country during the qualifying rounds that took place from May 4 through May 10, 2007.

In an exciting finale, these top players competed on the new "Pac-Man Championship Edition" several hours before its upcoming launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade. The event was capped off with Iwatani crowning the first Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion — Carlos Daniel Borrego, a 27-year-old man from Pachuca, Mexico.

"It feels great to be the first Pac-Man World Champion," said Borrego, who has been playing "Pac-Man" since 1985 and achieved a final score of 222,160. "It is a thrill to hold the title and to have won it by playing on the brand-new game. This is amazing!"

"I'm deeply honoured that people view 'Pac-Man' as my lasting legacy and am so excited to come full circle by releasing the 'Pac-Man Championship Edition' with its exciting new mazes and modes on Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360," said Iwatani, creator of "Pac-Man" and currently a professor at Tokyo Polytechnic University. "It gives me great joy to know that my final contributions in my corporate career were to crown the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion and to leave the world with an amazing new 'Pac-Man' game for generations to enjoy."

Since launching in 1980 in Japan and in 1981 around the world, "Pac-Man," its host of ghosts and its 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 1980s, while the launch of Xbox LIVE in 2002 was a key factor behind the rapid growth in popularity of online gaming. Today, the Xbox LIVE Arcade service is the premier online destination for digitally distributed HD games offering fans around the globe a great opportunity to connect, compete, and enjoy the fun.