Play N Trade Franchise, Inc., one of the fastest- growing franchises worldwide, announces the National Guitar Hero III(tm) Tournament at participating stores across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam on Saturday, March 15, 2008.

The Play N Trade National Guitar Hero III Champion will win the grand prize of $2,000 in-store credit. The second place winner will be awarded PlayStation(r) 3 and Guitar Hero III bundles, plus $500 in-store credit,
and the third place winner will receive a Guitar Hero III bundle and a $200 in-store credit.

"Guitar Hero was one of the best-selling titles last year, and our national tournaments are very popular events, so we expect to have more than 1,000 contestants," said Roger Lloyd, CEO of Play N Trade. "Gamers enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and compete for great prizes, and their friends and family have fun watching them play and cheering them on."

In addition to the prizes awarded to tournament players, the Play N Trade store hosting the National Champion will receive $1,000 to be donated to their local school band.

 "At Play N Trade, we are committed to building strong relationships in the community, and we are pleased to make a donation to support school band programs," Lloyd said.

For the first round of competition, contestants will choose their own song, to be played at the "Expert" level. Local winners will be determined by single elimination in the best two out of three matches. The top scoring player from each store will then play "Through the Fire and the Flames" as made famous by Dragonforce, at the "Expert" level on an Xbox 360, and the National Champion will be determined by points.

The Play N Trade National Guitar Hero III Champion, as well as the second and third place winners, will be announced on Monday, March 17, 2008.

Registration is open now at participating stores. Tournament entry fees and start times are determined by each store. For more information on the Play N Trade National Guitar Hero III Tournament, please visit
www.playntrade.com/tournament.