TGS: XBLA Pac-Man World Championship in '07
by Christopher Grant 
{ Sep 20th 2006 at 5:30AM }
Microsoft and Toru Iwatani (he's the creator of Pac-Man) announced plans for a World Championship where the top 10 Xbox Live Arcade ranked Pac-Man players in the world will be flown to New York City to do battle. There'll be cherries and pretzels flying everywhere folks, it won't be pretty. There's not much info yet except that the contest will begin in "early 2007" and will presumably be won by someone with a lot of free time and abnormal reflexes.Initial response: Will players be allowed to use their own controllers? What if the one of the top 10 players was rocking something like this, and the others weren't? It's no secret that the otherwise stellar Xbox 360 gamepad has a serious weakness in the D-pad department. Weak D-pad or not, just make sure Billy Mitchell (pictured) doesn't get his robotic mitts on an Xbox 360 between now and then, or you can kiss your chances of winning goodbye. Perfect. Score.
Microsoft's TGS press briefing:
XBLA hits Tokyo with Contra and friends
Xbox 360 to add 1080p support, PS3 to lose bullet point
HD-DVD add-on hits Japan Nov. 17th for ¥19,800
Blue Dragon hits Japan this holiday
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
R4B @ Sep 20th 2006 7:16AM
Billy Mitchell is a mass murderer. Maybe he doesn't know yet. Look at him...
Crackjaw @ Sep 20th 2006 8:58AM
Billy Mitchell looks like Christen Bale
KR @ Sep 20th 2006 9:09AM
He'd probably get his ass handed to him trying to use the XBox pad to play it.
Go back to slingin' hotsauce, you forgotten trivia question! Gotta love that tie though.
Ryan @ Sep 20th 2006 11:13AM
Phil Ivey would make a good showing at a tournament like that. There was a video on CardPlayer a while back where he scored an outrageous Pac-Man score with just one life or something.
flyNN @ Sep 20th 2006 6:04PM
I don't understand the challenge here... after about the 5th level there is a pattern that, if followed precisely, will let you win every single level after the 5th level.
Heretic @ Sep 20th 2006 9:39PM
I hate pacman, but game tournies are sexy.
raindog @ Sep 21st 2006 1:37AM
I think Billy actually looks like Tom "Scientolojesus" Cruise circa "Born on the Fourth of July". Either that, or some member of ".38 Special".
Heeeeeee's dreeeeeeeamy.....
robert welkner @ Sep 21st 2006 5:57AM
Billy doesn't use a pattern - that is one of the things that makes his achievements so special!
Todd @ Sep 21st 2006 5:26PM
This guy looks like a straight version of Tom Cruise.