WORLD’S BIGGEST SMALL SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT PHENOMENON COMES TO THE BIG SCREEN IN LEICESTER SQUARE
After taking more money on launch day than any cinema release in history, the small screen entertainment phenomenon that is the Xbox® video game Halo 2 is about to take over the big screen at Vue Cinema in London's Leicester Sqaure.
Following regional competitions on Saturday 4th December when hundreds of local gamers competed in the London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Bristol and Birmingham regional qualifying rounds of a national Halo® 2 competition, the grand final will take place this Saturday 11th December.
In 'real life' Halo 2's main character Master Chief stands 6' 5" tall, but last weekend he was dwarfed as four players in each round at each cinema took control of a giant on-screen Master Chief and fought it out over five minutes in the ultimate big screen gaming experience with epic surround sound.
Three winners will now go forward to the national final, to be fought out on one of the country's biggest cinema screens at Vue Cinema West End in Leicester Square, London, in the heart of Cinemaland. The overall winner will be crowned UK Halo 2 Champion and receive an Xbox video game system and home cinema system with a combined value of £2,000.
The final begins at 3pm on Saturday 11th December at Vue Cinema West End in Leicester Square. Players must be sixteen or over. Gamers can also play on Xbox Live Pods available courtesy of Broadband from BT, demonstrating Halo 2 in its full multiplayer glory. For more info and terms and conditions go online to www.myvue.com.
For more information, please contact:
Ben Dutton or Dan French at The Red Consultancy
020 7025 6500 / firstname.lastname@redconsultancy.com
About Xbox
Xbox (http://www.xbox.com) is the video game system from Microsoft that brings people together for the most exhilarating game and entertainment experiences. Xbox delivers an expansive collection of breakthrough games, powerful hardware and the unified Xbox Live online service. The new tagline, "it's good to play together," captures the spirit of Xbox as the social hub of the new digital entertainment lifestyle. Xbox is now available in Europe for an estimated street price of £99.99.
About Microsoft®
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device.
Xbox Big Screen Battle Terms & Conditions
ELIGIBILITY - This competition is open to UK residents who are 16 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees of Vue Entertainment Ltd, Microsoft Ltd or its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising or promotion agencies are not eligible to enter, nor are members of these employees' families (defined as parents, children, siblings, spouse and life partners). Any person who is aged 16 or 17 must obtain their parent or guardian's permission before entering.
TO ENTER - Regional competition heats will take place at the following 5 Vue cinemas across the UK: Leeds, Bristol Cribbs, Birmingham, London Shepherd's Bush and Edinburgh on Saturday 4 December 2004. The timing of the competition heats at each participating cinema location will be available on the day from cinema and Xbox staff at each of the cinemas. To enter a regional competition heat you must register with a member of Xbox staff between 1000 and 1500 on Saturday December 4th at a participating Vue cinema. You may be required to provide proof of your age. There are 128 available places at each cinema and entry will be awarded on a first come first served basis. Each person may only enter the competition once. Personal data that you provide when you enter this competition will be used for the purposes of this competition only.
Entry constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Terms and Conditions and Microsoft reserve the right to disqualify anyone in breach of these Terms and Conditions.
SELECTION OF WINNER - REGIONAL HEATS - There will be 3 heats at each participating cinema. Entrants in each heat will compete on Halo 2 on Xbox using a different level for each heat set by a representative of Microsoft for a period of five minutes (the level and duration will be the same for all entrants at all participating cinemas). Heat 1 will involve a maximum of 128 entrants. At the end of heat 1, the 32 entrants who have scored the highest number of points based on kills achieved will be identified and invited to participate in heat 2. Heat 2 will follow the same format as heat 1. At the end of heat 2, the 8 entrants who have scored the highest number of points based on kills achieved will be identified and invited to participate in heat 3. Heat 3 will follow the same format as heats 1 and 2. At the end of heat 3, the entrant who has scored the highest number of points based on kills achieved will be the winner and entrant who has scored the next highest number of points based on kills achieved will be the runner up. In the event of a tie, the winners will be selected based on the number of medals collected during the heat.
PRIZE - REGIONAL HEATS - The overall winner of each regional heat will receive an Xbox crystal console, a copy of Halo 2 and a place at the Grand Final, to be held at Vue West End on December 11 at 3.00pm. The runner up at each regional heat will receive a copy of Halo 2 and a place at the Grand Final. The winners will be notified in person at the end of each regional heat and will receive their prizes at the same time. Winners of the competitions may be required to become involved in further publicity or advertising. Winners and runners up who are aged 16 or 17 who attend the Grand Final in London must be accompanied by an adult and will not be permitted to participate unless they are. Microsoft will provide transportation and accommodation for each winner and one guest to attend the final. If the finalist is under 18, the guest must be a parent or guardian. Transport will be a standard class rail ticket to and from London for Leeds, Bristol, London and Birmingham and a standard class flight for Edinburgh. In the event that a winner or runner up is unable to attend the Grand Final, the next highest scoring entrant(s) from heat 3 will be invited to participate in their place.
SELECTION OF WINNER - GRAND FINAL - Participants in the Grand Final will compete on Halo 2 on Xbox using 3 levels set by a representative of Microsoft for a period of 10 minutes per game. The games will be Elimination, Oddball and Slayer. There will be a points based system that will determine the overall winner over the three games. The number of points a player gets will be determined by their position on the leader board at the end of a game. In the event of a tie, the player with the most number of medals collected during that particular round will be deemed as holding the higher position and will take the equivalent points. The winner will be the player who has scored the highest number of points over the three games. The runner up will be the participant who has scored the next highest number of points over the three games.
PRIZE - GRAND FINAL - The overall winner will win a Samsung 42" plasma screen, Home Cinema speakers and a DVD player. The runner up will win an ipod photo. The winner and runner up will be announced at the Grand Final. The winner will be sent its prize by courier within 6 weeks of the date of the Grand Final. The runner up will receive their prize on the day of the event.
All prizes are as stated and are non transferable. The prize does not include food or other expenses. No cash or other alternatives available. Microsoft reserve the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.
WINNERS' LIST - The winners consent to their names and country of residence being made publicly available. The winners' names and counties will be available for a period of 2 months after the closing date by sending an SAE to Big Screen Battle, Kazoo Communications, 87 Lancaster Road, London W11 1QQ, UK.
OTHER - No correspondence will be entered into regarding either this competition or these Terms and Conditions. In the unlikely event of a dispute, Microsoft's decision shall be final. Microsoft reserve the right to amend, modify, cancel or withdraw this competition at any time without notice.
Microsoft cannot guarantee the performance of any third party and shall not be liable for any act or default by a third party. Participants in this competition agree that Microsoft will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, costs, damage or disappointment of any kind resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from participation in this competition. Nothing in this clause shall limit Microsoft's liability in respect of death or personal injury arising out of its negligence or from fraud.
Microsoft, Halo 2, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US and/or other countries. Other company and product names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Promoter: Microsoft Limited, Microsoft Campus, Thames Valley Park, Reading, RG6 1WG, England.