Doritos and Microsoft team up for Unlock Xbox competition

Doritos is to team up with Microsoft to once again offer aspiring game designers the chance to have their ideas made into an Xbox Live Arcade game.

The contest, which began in 2007, comes with a grand prize of USD 50,000 and also gives its winner a game consultancy position with Doritos as well as the chance to see their idea made into a full XBLA downloadable game.

"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 Ann Mukherjee, group vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay. "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." added Mark Kroese, general manager of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Advertising 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."

The submission stage of the competition has just opened, requiring entrants submit a two minute video of their pitch. From these submissions, two will ultimately be chosen and given the opportunity to produce their game into a full XBLA title, which will be made available for download over the service. The one with the most votes at the end of the process will win the overall prize.

Last year's consumer-created winner became the fastest XBLA title to reach one million downloads. Entry to the competition is only open to those in North America and will close on October 4.