The USARPS League releases Barack Paper Scissors, the game. (copy 1)

Los Angeles, CA, March 10, 2008--The USARPS League, the official governing body of Rock, Paper, Scissors in the US, has entered the 2008 Presidential race with the release of a new online game available exclusively on the League web site, www.USARPS.com. The interactive Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) application pits Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama against five opponents on his way to the Oval Office.

Players control the actions of Barack Obama as he competes against President George W. Bush, Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (let’s see how his foreign policy holds up…) and of course, Senator John McCain.

In an effort to promote both the sport and the democratic process, players can both hone their RPS skills ahead of the 2008 USARPS Bud Light Championship, as well as register to vote in the general election by following a link in the game.

“No sport in the world is as closely linked to democracy as Rock Paper Scissors,” declared Matti Leshem, Commissioner of the USARPS League. “Every game of RPS is like its own mini election where players assert their freedom by choosing the throw that’s right for them. And there’s never a need for a recount… though it is possible to tie!”

While the name of the game does relate specifically to one of the candidates, the league itself is not committing to an endorsement.

“For us, it’s about finding the best way to promote democracy. Mr. and Mrs. Obama were kind enough to incorporate one of our throws in their son’s name,” added Leshem, “Frankly if ‘John McScissors’ or ‘Papery Clinton’ were running, we could easily have chosen them as the protagonist of the game.”

Unlike standard RPS play where victory is determined simply by beating your opponents throw, in Barack Paper Scissors, players will earn points based on their speed of play and their ability to win by throwing combinations like an “Avalanche” (three consecutive rocks) or “Confetti” (three papers in a row). However, no bonus points will be given for throwing a “Hanging Chad,” which is an illegal move where a player claims to throw a paper, but does not complete their arm rotation. Registered members will be ranked on a leader board.

USA Rock Paper Scissors League (www.usarps.com) is the governing body of the sport in the U.S. The league was founded in 2005 by Matti Leshem and Andrew Golder to bring rules and structure to the sport in the U.S. and has hundreds of members and affiliate Rock Paper Scissor cells nationwide

For more information on the game go to www.usarps.com