Burger King Characters Take the Lead in 5 Million Xbox Games

Burger King is adding video games to its menu as part of a new promotion to sell three original Xbox video game titles that feature the King and other restaurant characters.

Starting. Nov. 19, Burger King will sell game titles, Pocketbike Racer, Big Bumpin’ and Sneak King, playable on Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. Each game will sell for $3.99 with the purchase of a value meal.

U.K.-based Blitz Games, one of Xbox’s top development partners, created the Burger King games. The games, which are based on top racing genres (racing, action and adventure), are rated “E,” for everyone, including young children. The video games take a step beyond in-game advertising and feature Burger King icons, including the King and Subservient Chicken, in the gaming experience.

Burger King manufactured about 5 million copies of the video games, which will be available in the U.S., Canada and border territories in Mexico until supplies last, Burger King spokesperson Adrienne Hayes said.

In Pocketbike Racer, players race the King and his miniature motorbike crew through five speedways. Each track varies in the level of difficulty. Customization options let players select a bike and driver and chose their track. Big Bumpin’ puts gamers in a carnival bumper ride where they must navigate big hazards, including surprise saws, bottomless pits, and power up items that let gamers shell out thunderous bumps. Sneak King lets player step into the King’s shoes and use their wits to sneak up on unsuspecting people to give them a Burger King meal. The goal behind the game is to surprise hungry people in the game and give them Burger King menu items before they pass out from hunger.

“Burger King and Xbox are two brands that share many similarities, but operate in two distinctly different industries,” Russ Klein, president of global marketing, strategy and innovation, Burger King Corp., said in a statement. “We’ve chosen to join forces this holiday season in an industry first to provide our customers with an entertaining, affordable holiday treat. We have plenty of experience integrating Burger King content into top-selling video game franchises, and now we’re taking brand integration to the next level by creating customized, highly interactive, engaging and relevant long-format consumer entertainment.”

It’s not the first time Burger King has been integrated into a video game. The King icon is in Fight Night 3 and Need for Speed 3, Hayes said.

To hype up the promotion, Burger King is giving consumers a sneak preview of the games at the MTVU Gamorz Ball college campus gaming tour beginning Oct. 24. In addition, The Burger King No. 00 Dodge will hit the racetrack on Nov. 19—the day the games debut—with a new design featuring the BK Xbox games in the season-ending NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A dedicated microsite, yet to be announced, will also support the video games’ launch.

TV spots, online materials, print ads and P-O-P will support. Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami, FL, will handle TV spots. Wunderman, Chicago, handles P-O-P.

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