The contest will then journey to nine other major US markets, including Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago. The grand-prize winner, to be announced on January 2, 2007, will win an all-expense paid trip to a taping of the American Idol show in Hollywood, Calif.

At each location consumers will register to participate, perform their chosen song from the game and be judged using the game's advanced artificial intelligence system -- which tracks the singer's accuracy and pitch. The top finishers in each market, based on their score, will have videos of their performance posted on the Internet from November 25 - December 22, for a final public voting at the Music In Every Direction web site. The grand prize includes airfare, accommodations and tickets to a taping of the American Idol TV show. Regional winners will win a copy of the game, and all entrants will receive a contest T-shirt, and a coupon for $5.00 off when pre-ordering through http://www.konami.com.

"In the Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Virtual Contest everyone from the millions of American Idol fans to Karaoke buffs everywhere can put their singing skills to the test using one of the holiday season's most anticipated video games," said Matt Knoles, Product Manager at Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "Consumers around the country will get a sneak peek at Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol, which combines the drama and personality of the top-rated television show with the most advanced karaoke video game engine around."

"American Idol has always encouraged people to step forward and live out their superstar dreams," said FremantleMedia's David Luner, Senior Vice President, FLW, North America. "We're pleased to collaborate on something that expands the American Idol experience in such an original way."

The virtual American Idol contest will visit the following locations:

• New York, NY Jacob J. Javits Convention Center October 13-14
• Philadelphia, PA King of Prussia Mall October 21
• Dallas, TX The Parks at Arlington October 22
• Washington D.C. St. Charles Towne Center October 28
• Houston, TX Willowbrook Mall October 28
• Atlanta, GA Lenox Square November 4
• San Francisco, CA Stonestown Galleria November 4
• Boston, MA Northshore Mall November 11
• Los Angeles, CA Glendale Galleria November 11
• Chicago, IL Woodfield Shopping Center November 18

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol allows players to play the part of an American Idol contestant as they audition, earn an invitation to Hollywood and ultimately perform in front of a crowd on center stage at the finale. Players can choose to sing from 40 all-new songs, including hits from the show, and receive verbal feedback on their performance from Idol judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. The evaluation by the game's judges, and the level of popularity with the crowd will affect whether or not they move on to the next round of competition. Players will be able to construct their contestant with new skin tones, clothing, hair styles and accessories in the updated Character Creator mode, creating a specialized look that is sure to catch the attention of the judges and the crowd. Players can also import images of their face with the EyeToy(TM) USB camera (for PS2) to bring themselves directly into the actual competition.

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol is scheduled to launch this winter for PS2.

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