Basketball fans eager to test their hardwood gaming skills against the best players in the country can now sign up to participate in the NBA 2K9 All-Star Challenge Presented by T-Mobile. The All-Star Challenge will be available exclusively on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft through Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. After the qualification period, and advancing through the online playoffs, the four finalists will be flown to Phoenix, Arizona to compete in the championship tournament held at the 2009 NBA Jam Session during NBA All-Star Weekend on February 15, 2009. All four finalists may bring a guest to the championships and will receive a 2K Sports video game library. The All-Star Challenge champion will walk away with the incredible grand prize of $25,000. Interested participants can sign up starting today at http://nba2k9allstar.2ksports.com.
After registering for the tournament, participants must qualify and check-in to participate in the online playoffs. During the qualification period, all ranked games played online will count towards an entrant's qualification ranking. The leaderboard will track player rankings, which will be displayed and updated daily on the dedicated tournament website. Rankings are calculated using an ELO rating system, which is a mathematical equation used to rank players based on the results of matches they have played. The 60 tournament participants with the highest ELO rating, as determined by 2K Sports, who have checked-in with at least 15 completed games during the qualification period will advance to the online playoffs. For more information on rules and other details, please visit the dedicated tournament website at http://nba2k9allstar.2ksports.com.
Following are the key dates for the NBA 2K9 All-Star Challenge Presented by T-Mobile:
§ 10/30/08: Registration and qualification period begins
§ 12/19/08: Registration period ends, 11:59 p.m. EST
§ 12/20/08: Check-in date
§ 12/20/08: Qualification ends
§ 1/10/09-1/19/09: Online playoffs
§ 2/15/09: Championship Finals (champion crowned)
Back for its 10th season, NBA 2K9 is the latest edition of the NBA 2K series and the #1 selling current gen basketball video game* that has also been the #1 rated NBA simulation for eight years in a row**. NBA 2K9 is the premier basketball game for serious players, and delivers the most realistic and feature-rich simulation experience ever available in the NBA 2K franchise – from gameplay and graphics to presentation and online features. If it happens during the regular NBA season, it will happen in NBA 2K9. For more information about NBA 2K9, please visit http://www.2ksports.com/games/nba2k9.
Xbox LIVE is the first and most comprehensive unified online entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360 system. Xbox LIVE connects millions of members across 25 countries to enjoy hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360, free and premium playable game demos, music videos, TV shows and movies in the United States as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for all their favorite retail games. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.
According to NPD Funworld estimates of U.S. retail video game sales of Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 NBA titles for the period from September 2007 to August 2008.
** The NBA 2K series developed by Visual Concepts outranked competitors based on GameRankings.com average scores of 2001-2008 NBA video games.
