Pepsi-Cola North America has just the thing for gamers who plan to be glued to their Xbox 360s come Sept. 25 when the eagerly awaited video game Halo 3 hits the market: Mountain Dew Game Fuel.

Created in conjunction with the Microsoft Xbox 360's exclusive title, Game Fuel has the same Mountain Dew flavor with a blast of citrus cherry and 30 percent more caffeine for a unique and invigorating taste.  Game Fuel is arriving on store shelves this week and will be available in 20-ounce bottles, 2-liter bottles and 12-packs of 12-oz cans through November.

"This is the first time we've created a beverage for an entertainment property, in fact, we believe this is the first time a soft drink has been created specifically for a video game," says Frank Cooper, VP of marketing for Mountain Dew. "Microsoft's Halo 3 is more than just a video game, it's become a cultural phenomenon that deserves its own special Mountain Dew extension."

Mountain Dew Game Fuel will be supported with a marketing campaign led by a national TV commercial produced by BBDO New York.  The TV ad debuts today and features a short clip from Halo 3.  In addition, an online campaign directs consumers to the Game Fuel site (www.mountaindew.com/gamefuel) for more information on the product and Halo 3.    

"The upcoming launch of Halo 3 promises to be the biggest entertainment event of the year," said Chris Di Cesare, director of creative marketing at Microsoft. "With Pepsi's launch of Game Fuel, we're seeing unprecedented support from one of the world's strongest consumer brands, and it's a testament to the strength of the Halo franchise."

"Halo 3," the final chapter in the groundbreaking "Halo" trilogy, is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25. Created by legendary developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, "Halo 3" will set a new standard for interactive storytelling and social gaming by engaging consumers worldwide in the epic battle of Master Chief to save humankind.

In November 2004, the world's view of video games changed forever with the release of "Halo 2," which generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft's Xbox LIVE online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.