Activision To Showcase Highly Anticipated Slate At Gamescom 2011

Gamescom Fans Have a Chance to Win All-Expense Paid Trip to Los Angeles to Compete in the Call of Duty XP $1 Million Tournament Sponsored by Xbox 360

Posted by Staff
Cologne, Germany – 16th August, 2011 - Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced its plans for gamescom 2011, the world’s largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment, which will be held in Cologne 17th – 21st August.

Attendees will have the opportunity to experience several innovative titles from Activision’s upcoming line up on the show floor (located in booths B20 and B30 in Hall 6) featuring:

· Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3, the most anticipated game of 2011, will bring gamescom attendees one step closer to its highly anticipated worldwide release this 8th November, as fans go hands-on in Special Ops survival co-op mode.

· Call of Duty Elite, the innovative new digital community service built expressly for the 30-million strong Call of Duty fanbase, which will launch this year with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Gamescom fans will get a sneak preview of the new social gaming platform, which offers fans an unrivalled experience by providing ‘always on’ data transfer communications between the service and Call of Duty® from anywhere, anytime via mobile, tablet, web or inside the game itself.

· PROTOTYPE® 2, the sequel to Radical Entertainment’s best-selling 2009 open-world action video game that continues the experience of becoming a deadly shape-shifting weapon, this time following the game’s all-new protagonist Sgt. James Heller as he pursues his ultimate goal – to destroy Alex Mercer!

· GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will make its grand debut on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system for Microsoft for the first time ever. Built on a brand new engine that delivers striking visuals, blistering fast gameplay and the ability to play using the PlayStation®Move with Sharp Shooter peripheral, it is the complete James Bond experience shooter-fans have been waiting for.

Additionally, scores of Call of Duty fans across Germany will have a chance to participate in a qualifier tournament to win an all-expense-paid trip to Call of Duty XP, the ultimate fan celebration for the Call of Duty community that will take place on 2nd – 3rd September 2011 in Los Angeles and a chance to play in the Call of Duty® $1 Million Tournament sponsored by Xbox 360®.

The qualifying championships at gamescom will be held on the show floor, Hall 6, Booth 20, from Wednesday, 18th August to Saturday, 20th August. Teams of four are encouraged to register* at the front desk for the opportunity to showcase their skills on Call of Duty®: Black Ops. Three lucky champion teams from each of the three days of qualifying events will be eligible to participate in the Call of Duty® $1 Million Tournament sponsored by Xbox 360® at Call of Duty XP 2011.

For more information about Call of Duty XP 2011, ticket sales or tournament qualifications, please visit www.callofduty.com/xp.

*Players must be over 18 and meet a set of gaming prerequisites to qualify for the championships detailed on the official tournament website

Thibaud de Saint-Quentin, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of European publishing for Activision commented, “Gamescom continues to be one of the foremost destinations in the world for the interactive games industry and represents a remarkable opportunity for Activision to showcase its upcoming portfolio of titles. We’re thrilled to be able to reach such a devoted audience of consumers and look forward to making a big impact during this year’s show. Excitingly, as a platform for entry into the unprecedented Call of Duty $1 Million Tournament, I urge all local fans to enter the qualifying event on the show floor for a chance to represent this continent on 3rd September in LA.”

Activision welcomes gamescom attendees to visit them on show floor, which can be found in Hall 6, Booth Number B20/30. The opening times for this area are as follows:

Wednesday, 17th August, 2011**
Thursday, 18th August, 2011
Friday, 19th August, 2011
Saturday, 20th August, 2011
Sunday, 21st August, 2011


9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

** Exclusive trade visitor and media day

In addition to the above games, Activision will also showcase the following titles to retailers and media at the Business Centre, Hall 5.2 Booth Number H21/31:

Skylanders Spyro’s AdventureTM - An innovative breakthrough for the videogame and toy industries, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure lets players bring their toys to life through an inventive Portal of Power™ that transports real-world toys into a virtual world of adventure. The game introduces a collectable play experience, that lets kids choose from 30 different Skylanders, each with their own unique and expressive personalities. These “toys with brains” come to life inside the game across multiple gaming platforms, as well as on handheld gaming devices, mobile devices and on the web, remembering achievements and level-ups wherever they go. (Developed by Toys for Bob; Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™, Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Windows PC, mobile devices; not yet rated by the PEGI).

Spider-Man™: Edge of Time - Playing the roles of The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man: Edge of Time propels gamers on a high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled adventure in which the two versions of the heroic web-slinger must urgently work together across time to save each other and prevent a disaster that ultimately leads to the death of The Amazing Spider-Man. Against the backdrop of a rich, tightly crafted narrative by acclaimed Marvel veteran Peter David, the game features two individual timelines evolving in parallel and narratively-driven "cause-and-effect" moments, uniquely utilising "picture-in-picture" moments where the actions of one Spider-Man have immediate effects on the other Spider-Man and his surroundings. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/HeroHQ. (Developed by Beenox for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS™; developed by Other Ocean for Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the PEGI.)

X-Men™ Destiny - In X-Men Destiny, players control the fate of one of three brand-new mutant characters forced to choose between saving humanity or ensuring its destruction. The game allows players to customise the path, powers and development of their character and to decide their role in the mutant cause alongside, or against, some of Marvel’s greatest X-Men franchise characters. Gamers will evolve their mutant skills through a unique upgrade system that allows them to choose how they will mix and match the powers from their favourite X-Men and Brotherhood characters, then engage in fast and furious combat against a variety of opponents bent on defending their beliefs. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/HeroHQ. (Developed by Silicon Knights for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system, and Wii; developed by Other Ocean for Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the PEGI.)

Wappy Dog - The next evolution of virtual pets arrives on the Nintendo DS™ family of handheld systems this autumn in Wappy Dog, a toy puppy that interacts with the player through the Nintendo DS. Wappy Dog engages young gamers to raise their very own puppy in both the real and virtual worlds and teach it cool tricks, play mini-games together and even converse! Each pet is a fully personalised experience, enabling players to determine their pet’s constantly evolving skills with every interaction and customise both the in-game version and physical dog with different colours and accessories. For more information, please visit www.WappyDog.com. (Developed by SEGA TOYS for the Nintendo DS™; not yet rated by the PEGI.)

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing's titles, increased concentration of titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment and market conditions within the video game industry, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences, including in specific genres such as first-person action and preferences among competing hardware platforms, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, changing business models including digital and used games, competition, including from used games and other forms of entertainment, possible declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, litigation risks and associated costs, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality "hit" titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co, MGM International Television Distribution In, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

About EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC

EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family. Danjaq is the US based company that co-owns, with MGM, the copyright in the existing James Bond films and controls the right to produce future James Bond films as well as all worldwide merchandising. EON Productions, an affiliate of Danjaq, is the UK based production company which makes the James Bond films. The 007 franchise is the longest running in film history with twenty-two films produced since 1962. Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the franchise from Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli in 1995 and have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilises its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

About Sega Toys Co., Ltd.

Sega Toys Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. and a toy company of design, manufacture, marketing and selling of edutainment toys, character licensed toys and interactive electronics products including POO-CHI™, Beena™, O-CHA KEN™(Tea Dog), idog™, Brain Trainer™, HOME STAR™, Grand Pianist, BAKUGAN™ and Jewelpet™. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in Tokyo, Japan. More information about SegaToys can be found at www.segatoys.co.jp.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

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Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS are trademarks of Nintendo. ©2011 Nintendo.

MARVEL, Spider-Man, X-Men and all related characters: TM & © 2011 Marvel Entertainment, LLC and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. Games © 2011 Activision Publishing, Inc.

GoldenEye 007 © 2011 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. 007 and related James Bond trademarks © 1962-2011 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. 007 and related James Bond trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC licensed by EON. All Rights Reserved. Game Code © 2011 Activision Publishing, Inc.

Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is a trademark and Activision, Spyro, and Prototype are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.