US invited to make up Doritos Xbox Live game

By Tom Bramwell Published 22 June, 2007

To result in free XBLA title.

Microsoft is inviting random men off the street to design Xbox Live Arcade games ("Isn't that what they were doing anyway?" Okay very good MR SMARTEY PANTS).

Unfortunately, the streets they're inviting people off are American ones. Still, you can watch and admire. It's a promotional association with Doritos, which will see applicants submitting Doritos-inspired game ideas to www.snackstrongproductions.com, with five finalists getting to work side by side with dev-teams later in the year to build up playable versions of their game concepts.

Each finalist will get a prize package worth USD 6,000, and then in October/November visitors to the above-linked site will be invited to play working versions of each game and vote for the one they want developed into a full product. The climax, inevitably, will be a full Xbox Live Arcade release in summer 2008 - and it will be offered for free.

"Doritos fans continue to tell us how excited they are to be part of, and personalise, what is important to them," says Frito-Lay vice president of marketing Ann Mukherjee. They do that to us too. They go, "Man, the lights in here are so beautiful, I feel like I can reach out and touch them, and then maybe I can push them together, and rub them on my clothes and, man, I love this song." But back to Ann: "Similar to past Doritos programmes that put consumers in control, we hope 'Unlock Xbox' gives people a chance to express their own creativity, this time in the innovative world of gaming."

Anyway, we can't enter, but that's no reason not to come up with ideas and write them down in the comments so we get more hits.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • captainrentboy #1 5 years ago

    A Doritos based XBL game, so that's why the PS3 is losing out sooo badly, it really needs to get some ace stuff like this in its back catalogue.
    Well at least it's going to be free I suppose, I'm surprised MS didn't charge 1200 points for the privilage of playing this rediculous sounding idea.

  • aldo_14 #2 5 years ago

    Can anyone conceive a Doritos themed title that would get banned by the BBFC?

  • McGeeza #3 5 years ago

    Soggy Dorito?

  • afghan_jones #4 5 years ago

    Frankly, the idea of a Doritos based game is one that i find to be 'unremittingly bleak and callous' and therefore ought to be refused a certificate.

  • Xerx3s #5 5 years ago

    There is such a thing as a dorito fan? o_o

    ...

  • Lagto_Soa #6 5 years ago

    My pitch would be identical to Manhunt 2, but with the main character shouting "DORITOS!!!" every time he saws someone up the arse.

  • SBfistfun #7 5 years ago

    Fat yanks, Roll up, Roll up (literally)

  • dr_shambles #8 5 years ago

    Hmm a game about crisps. Woo hoo! Is this a MMO or first-person shooter I wonder?

    Sounds a bit cheesy to me.

    / grabs coat

  • skillian #9 5 years ago

    "Doritos fans continue to tell us how excited they are to be part of, and personalise, what is important to them,"

    I am constantly amazed that people are able to say things like this with a straight face...

  • Poorandugly #10 5 years ago

    Maybe Bioware can turn it into a rpg.

  • The-Bodybuilder #11 5 years ago

    The american marketing team of MS are so much better, either that or they have a larger budget (I'm sure it's the latter).

  • dredd97 #12 5 years ago

    oh well how long before ms 'teams up' with pizza hut, mcdonalds, and all the other corporate whores and just shovel feeds us this shit until people are so pissed off with games they take up another hobby all together..?

    f**king ad men, they won't be happy until they can beam their shit straight into our dreams...

  • The-Bodybuilder #13 5 years ago

    From a marketing standpoint, this is very good for doritos, whether you pessemistic yobs like it or not. :D

    I want dorito space marine.

  • The-Bodybuilder #14 5 years ago

    Some of you are such freaking whingers it's unbelievable. It must be a brits thing.

    It's a marketing campain for a FREE Live game. They aren't forcing you to buy it, likely they aren't knocking on your door to make you participate.

    Every bloody news report here is just filled with whingers, whinging about everything.

    /notes the irony of whinging about whingers.

  • afghan_jones #15 5 years ago

    They should make a JRPG epic out of it. A young dorito must leave his village andtravel around a steampunk neo-future with a magical lion and loudmouthed sidekick getting into random encounters and levelling up.

    Years from now, it will be hailed as a classic and there will be outrage when the franchise is re-invented as a lightgun shooter and controversially switches the main character form a Dorito to a Wotsit.

  • dredd97 #16 5 years ago

    @bodybuilder

    ms must love you, your the exact demographic they want...

    you never complain about them and just do what they tell you to do...

    time to wake up me thinks..

  • Penguinzoot #17 5 years ago

    @afghan_jones - I'd buy that! ;-)

  • dr_shambles #18 5 years ago

    @bodybuilder

    Of course we love whinging about everything. It's what makes us British, and provides us with superb bullshit detection skills.

  • BadBoyBonner #19 5 years ago

    Doritos Racers.

    Think MotorStorm – but racing on the surface of Doritos in micro machines (buggies bikes etc) in multiplayer 8 people races.

    The tracks borders would be provided by various high mounds of dips laying on the chips – with the bits of Tomatoes/Peppers/Cucumber/Onion arranged to make a funky border. Pure juice from the dips could be laid on the tracks to provide mud like traction and surface. With flavourings providing the dust.

    The Chips surface would be rough and undulating with several racing lines possible, including specifically designed section where one person would jump over the other.

    Initially the race would take place on single Dorito, but this would literally ramp up – whereby the track jumps from one Chip to the next, from the curl of the edge of the chip – having to judge speed to 1) Make the gap 2) Provide the best angle of landing to ensure maximum speed.

    As the game progressed – the harder levels – would result in the chips being picked up – thus affecting the cars gravity – with possibly a streaming sound feed (think GTA style radio) – talking about what people have gotten up to with Doritos – which becomes muffled, as players carry on racing on the chip’s surface as it becomes swallowed an entering the stomach.

    Once in there, races take part on floating Doritos that dissolve randomly with just enough time to change your vehicles direction – from first sighting to dangerous size hole.
    Edited by 2 at 22/06/07 @ 12:10

  • BadBoyBonner #20 5 years ago

    PMSL @ afghan_jones

    Would the mortal enemies of Dorito & Wotsit be the knobbly Nik-Naks and the stinky Scampi-Fry!

  • Fab4 #21 5 years ago

    In other news..."US invited to pay my XBL subscription fee".

  • BadBoyBonner #22 5 years ago

    @Dredd97
    oh well how long before ms 'teams up' with pizza hut, mcdonalds, and all the other corporate whores and just shovel feeds us this shit until people are so pissed off with games they take up another hobby all together..?

    f**king ad men, they won't be happy until they can beam their shit straight into our dreams...

    --------------------------

    Personally I would be much happier if I could satisfy any cravings I have for the above by eating them in my dreams - alowwing me to carrying on being a good lad and eating fresh fruit & veg and as little processed food as possible. (Clearly I know the admen would not be wanting me to eat them in my dreams - just thought I'd point that out).

  • BadBoyBonner #23 5 years ago

    aldo_14
    Can anyone conceive a Doritos themed title that would get banned by the BBFC?

    BBFC application

    Doritos: the eyeball impaler.

    The game is based on the UE3 engine, and revolves around you ensuring peoples eyeballs are blinded, by thrusting razor sharp Doritos into their eyeballs as the masses are not worthy to rest there eyes upon your beauty. Combine different flavourings to compound the affect. That is all you do, there is no fun to be had elsewhere in the game and the pace is relentless, blind them or you die.

    For extra skills points, you can feed them a Dorset Nagu chilli dip at the same time as gouging their eyes out, ensuring they require further hospital treatment.

    Anyone interested in the Dorset Nagu chilli read this.

    [link url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article700700 .ece
    ]http://ww w.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk...[/link]
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/07 @ 12:33

  • mingster #24 5 years ago

    do a dorito snuff pr0n game please someone...

  • Coughthulu #25 5 years ago

    @BadBoyBonner

    After those two suggestions, I'm actually you're actually already an XBL games designer. ;-)

    Whack in some DLC (you know, being able to swap from Doritos to shoving Twiglets up peoples noses and into their brain), and you're set for income!
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/07 @ 13:16

  • Tweakmonkey #26 5 years ago

    My pitch would be identical to Manhunt 2, but with the main character shouting "DORITOS!!!" every time he saws someone up the arse.

    lol

  • BadBoyBonner #27 5 years ago

    @Coughthulu

    While there would be DLC - I feel that it would have to be free - and tied into the launch of a new flavour of Dorito or dip ;-)
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/07 @ 14:59

  • BadBoyBonner #28 5 years ago

    Funny (or not really) how MS do not mind launching free product when they are getting millions for it.

    Where have all the Epic bashing, "it will devalue other products" arguments gone?

  • afghan_jones #29 5 years ago

    I have a Doritos game the BBFC would ban.

    Its based in northern engalnd, possibly Lancashire, in the late 70's. The game is called " Do Ritas".

    Your character is an out of work miner with nothing to do. He travels around on a bicycle, 'doing' women called Rita while their husbands are at work. There are a lot of rythmn action sections based on awkward bunk-ups in the outside privy, and missionary position on the kitchen table.

    The Northern setting is 'unremittingly bleak and callous' and the theme of unattractive people committing adultery should be enough to put off Ninty from letting people use the wiimote to simulate 'three pumps and a squirt' from a grubby northern miner.

    Do Ritas, coming soon to XBLA!

  • BadBoyBonner #30 5 years ago

    @afghan_jones

    Clearly what you are describing there is the prequel to - Do Rita’s, Sue and Bob Two the title of which was altered to Rita, Sue and Bob Too – due to nobody in England having knowledge of Doritos at the time the film went on general release in 1986.

    Obviously in the follow up, the working class Bob had made "good", living in a detached house in Bradford and the bike had become a Rover.

    However the "three pumps and a squirt from a grubby northerner" motif remained intact.
    Edited by 2 at 22/06/07 @ 14:49

  • The-Bodybuilder #31 5 years ago

    @ dredd

    You're an idiot.
    My comment had nothing to do with MS specifically, but to do with people whinging in every news post, whether whinging at MS, sony, ninty, EG, some developer, EA, another publisher, the media, SOMEONE. There's always something to whing at.

    And please tell me, what good reason is there for whinging about a marketing campaign in AMERICA? It's not like it's gonna be on your tv is it?

    @ dr shambles.
    Guess which country I'm in typing this from? Look at the time.

  • dredd97 #32 5 years ago

    cool!...i'm an idiot...

    it's the new smart don't you know ;)

  • DrunKao #33 5 years ago

    Another free XBLA title for the US!!! Woohoo!! Oh wait!!!!!!!

    There's also a free movie coming to the US Live Marketplace soon thanks to McDonald's. Just in case anyone wants more reasons to hate MS and their bias towards the US market. Those f*ckers! Don't they already have enough movies?!?!

    * Free Movie Giveaway Is Coming

    " Stay tuned to BurgerCon on Xbox Live, because McDonald's is going to be doing something great for Xbox Live gamers. We'll be giving away a fantastic feature film that you can download and watch free of charge! You're sure to love it, and it's all courtesy of McDonald's BurgerCon.

    Which movie you ask? You'll have to wait and see... Check back June 22nd."

    * Play and Wins on the way
    -" You've been challenged to...BurgerCon! While BurgerCon is not a game, McDonald's is giving Xbox Live gamers the opportunity to play some great games for a chance to win prizes. No Skills? No Problem, Just register,log on, and play. That's all you'll need to do for a chance to win.

    Stay tuned for more details... Check back June 29th?

    * BurgerCon it's On.... Learn More

    "You've Been Challenged to BurgerCon. Any Time, Any McDonald's... Where people and burgers and burgers and people come together... This is not a game. There are no losers( unless you happen to be a loser to begin with)

    To learn more go to BurgerConItson.com



    Edited by 2 at 22/06/07 @ 21:51

  • The-Bodybuilder #34 5 years ago

    @ dredd

    I was harsh to call you an idiot (although, in fairness, you did deserve it).

    This place changes me. I can't seem to control my temper on this board.

  • chrisjm #35 5 years ago

    europe wont get it anyway, so i hope its a reskin of pacman with doritos instead of dots.

    but if it uses the manhunt engine (not likely!), the main character can be a phsyco dr on a food allergies hospital ward targeting anyone allergic to cheese and corn.