Mountain Dew and Microsoft to Give Away an Xbox 360 System Every 10 Minutes This Fall

Promotion to win it before you can buy it kicks off Aug. 28.

LOS ANGELES - May 17, 2005 - Today at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2005, Microsoft Corp. and Pepsi-Cola North America announced a U.S. promotion to put the Xbox 360 TM next-generation video game and entertainment system from Microsoft into the hands of thousands of lucky people before the console hits store shelves. Beginning Aug. 28, Mountain Dew, Pepsi's intense citrus soft drink, and Xbox® will select a winner of an Xbox 360 console every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for nine weeks straight in the "Every 10 Minutes" promotion.

To play, consumers will collect codes found under the caps of Mountain Dew and other participating Pepsi products, and enter codes in a personal online account at http://www.every10minutes.com. Participants will be able to choose which 10-minute drawing to enter, and can spread codes across different drawings or stockpile codes and put them all toward one drawing. In addition, codes entered will automatically earn the participants points toward obtaining collectible merchandise and gear.

Gaming industry executives attending this year's E3 in Los Angeles will get an exclusive opportunity to be among the first 10 people with a chance to win an Xbox 360 console through a special Peel-to-Play contest. Free 20-oz. bottles of Mountain Dew containing game pieces produced exclusively for the event will be distributed to expo attendees on Wednesday, May 18 and Thursday, May 19. In addition to the 10 Xbox 360 consoles, winning game pieces will be good for a chance to win Xbox games, Mountain Dew T-shirts, hats and other prizes.

"The launch of the Xbox 360 system is the most anticipated event that will happen in gaming this year," said Dave Burwick, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Pepsi-Cola North America. "We are thrilled to partner with Microsoft and reward our loyal Mountain Dew consumers with the hottest new gaming technology before anyone can buy it in stores, in a way that only Dew can do it."

"We are excited about teaming up with Pepsi-Cola to turn up the volume on the Xbox 360 excitement," said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president of Worldwide Retail Sales for Xbox. "Our co-marketing relationship is based on our commitment to deliver entertaining, top-of-the-line promotions to our customers."