Microsoft announces that it will together with Pepsi's Mountain Dew soft drink give away an Xbox 360 every 10 minutes starting August 28th. Yes that is before the official launch date.

Mountain Dew, Pepsi's intense citrus soft drink, and Xbox® will select a winner of an Xbox 360 console every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for nine weeks straight in the "Every 10 Minutes" promotion. If I did the math right Microsoft will hand out 9,072 free Xbox 360 consoles.

10 lucky people at the E3 2005 expo will also be able to win a Xbox 360 in a special Mountain Dew Peel-to-Play contest at the show.

To play, consumers will collect codes found under the caps of Mountain Dew and other participating Pepsi products, and enter codes in a personal online account at www.every10minutes.com. Participants will be able to choose which 10-minute drawing to enter, and can spread codes across different drawings or stockpile codes and put them all toward one drawing. In addition, codes entered will automatically earn the participants points toward obtaining collectible merchandise and gear.

Gaming industry executives attending this year's E3 in Los Angeles will get an exclusive opportunity to be among the first 10 people with a chance to win an Xbox 360 console through a special Peel-to-Play contest. Free 20-oz. bottles of Mountain Dew containing game pieces produced exclusively for the event will be distributed to expo attendees on Wednesday, May 18 and Thursday, May 19. In addition to the 10 Xbox 360 consoles, winning game pieces will be good for a chance to win Xbox games, Mountain Dew T-shirts, hats and other prizes.
More details in Microsoft press-release.