IT Masala

Who's the best Pac-Man player of all times? Certainly Billy Mitchell, who in 1999 played the world's first perfect game of Pac-Man, eating every fruit, all four ghosts with every power pellet and beating all 256 levels of the game without losing a life.

Microsoft and Namco Bandai have announced the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship (presented by Quiznos). The best-scoring players from seven regions around the world (as well as one particularly rabid Pac-fan) will be flown to New York City for a final showdown, with the eventual champion to be crowned by Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani.

If you haven't been paying attention so far, here's a complete timeline, as provided by Microsoft:

Gamers who want to start practicing can download Pac-Man"(400 Microsoft Points) now from Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360.

Starting April 25, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. GMT (April 24, 2007, at 5:01 p.m. PDT), gamers can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com to register and review full eligibility criteria, regulations and rules.

Also on April 25, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. GMT (April 24, 2007, at 5:01 p.m. PDT), the worldwide competition will officially kick off on Xbox Live Arcade.

Previous leaderboard scores for Pac-Man will be deleted to provide a clean and fair slate for all gamers participating in the Xbox 360 "Pac-Man" World Championship.

Concurrently, Pac-Man fans in the United States and Canada can also enter the Pac-Man FANatic contest and receive an invitation to compete in the finals in New York City. Starting April 25, 2007, they can visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com for more information on how to submit a creative video that best illustrates their love for Pac-Man.

On May 9, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. GMT (4:59 p.m. PDT), the competition will officially cease and nine finalists from the identified regions, based on the top leaderboard scores,* will advance to the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship.

Before June 1, 2007, the top nine finalists will be announced.

The nine finalists will also be joined in New York City by the winner of the Pac-Man FANatic contest, and compete for the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship title on June 5, 2007, in New York City.

  All the Best !

[ Xbox Live ]