Activision Builds Next-Generation Buzz At Gamescom 2013
Line-up Includes Call of Duty®: Ghosts, Destiny™ and Skylanders SWAP Force™
London, UK – 16th August, 2013 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is building the buzz around the next-generation of gaming at Gamescom 2013, with a stellar line-up of some of the most highly-anticipated games of the year. Call of Duty®: Ghosts and Destiny™ will both be featured in the Activision booth, located in Hall 7.1 and Skylanders SWAP Force™ will be featured in SONY Computer Entertainment Deutschland booth, located in 7.1 in the Koelnmesse GmbH Exhibition Centre in Cologne, Germany from 21st – 25th August, 2013.
“With the next-generation of consoles on the horizon, this is obviously an exciting time for gamers.” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “And there’s no better place to share the incredible slate of games we have coming than Gamescom, where our fans can get hands on with the games and really experience them. With Call of Duty: Ghosts, Destiny and Skylanders Swap Force on our slate, we think we're going to have some of the most talked about and anticipated games at the show."
The Activision booth will feature an interactive “Show Mode” experience that will display video and gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Ghosts, Destiny and Skylanders SWAP Force in a stunning panoramic 190° cinematic theatre experience.
Activision’s Gamescom slate includes:
Call of Duty®: Ghosts
Published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty: Ghosts ushers in the next generation of gaming for the record-setting franchise. Gamescom 2013 will see the largest ever presence at the annual European show for Call of Duty®, with an innovative booth designed to give fans of the franchise the most immersive experience of the new game.
Hot on the heels of the Call of Duty: Ghosts Global Multiplayer Reveal in Los Angeles on 14th August, Gamescom 2013 will feature the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer hands on world premiere, just for consumers. The massive footprint of stations is built for show attendees to get the first global opportunity to play the most anticipated game of the year.
In partnership with Xbox and Twitch TV, Activision will deliver a Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Showcase event that will be live streamed from 18.00 CET on Wednesday 21st August. Hosted by Aceybongos and Major Nelson from Xbox, the live stream will feature live Call of Duty: Ghosts gameplay from among some of the best pro players across Europe, interviews with the developers from Infinity Ward, and key details into some of the new features coming to Call of Duty this November. Tune in on the Xbox 360 dashboard or at http://www.twitch.tv/callofdutyghosts for all the live action.
Call of Duty: Ghosts features an all-new world, setting and cast of characters, all powered by a new, next-generation engine. Thanks to the game’s new tech, Call of Duty: Ghosts not only showcases what’s possible on next gen, but will also deliver the best looking current gen version of the game possible. The game is expected to release on 5th November, 2013 for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 (PS3) computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii U™ and Windows® PC. The title will also release on the Xbox One™ and PlayStation® 4 (PS4) at a date to be named.
Destiny
Activision, in partnership with Bungie, will showcase Destiny, the next evolution in interactive entertainment that brings first-person action gamers together in a shared, persistent online world filled with sweeping adventures.
To match the epic feel of Destiny, the demo-theatre will be the biggest ever built in Gamescom history – 72ft in length, 43ft wide, and the height of a 3-storey house at 26ft high and with 192 seats and will showcase a seven-player live-demo set in Old Russia, bringing the buzz and experience from E3 straight to German fans for the first time. The theatre will be accompanied by a custom-built ‘Fallen’ statue, offering visitors to the booth a chance to create and upload their very own Destiny photo moment and the GameStop info booth will be offering limited edition Destiny t-shirts. Fans will also be able to get their hands on a series of exclusive Destiny trading cards by tracking down the giveaway points across the show, which includes the GameStop info booth and the Destiny theatre. On the first day of the consumer show, Activision and Bungie will release a new ViDoc entitled “Out Here in the Wild” that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access to the creators of Destiny’s rich universe.
In a story-driven universe, the Destiny saga unfolds through epic tales and adventures by immersing players in an ambitiously-connected new universe filled with cooperative, competitive, public and social activities. Developed for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. For more information, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com. For exclusive updates, follow the official Destiny social channels at www.facebook.com/DestinyTheGame and @DestinyTheGame on Twitter and interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net. Pre-order the game now at select retailers around the world.
Skylanders SWAP Force™
The next iteration in Activision’s number one selling game for the first half of 2013[1] is delivering a whole new world of innovation with Skylanders SWAP Force, which introduces the groundbreaking new feature — dynamic swapability. The pioneers of the toys-to-life genre are presenting kids and gamers with unprecedented levels of choice in how they explore Skylands and battle Kaos by swapping the top and bottom halves of the toys to transform 16 SWAP ForceTM characters into more than 250 unique combinations2. Gamescom attendees visiting the Showmode in the Activision booth will have the chance to get hold of one of three exclusive T-shirts created especially for Gamescom. Visitors to SONY Computer Entertainment Deutschland booth in hall 7.1. will be able to play Skylanders SWAP Force on PS3 and PS4.
Set in a richly detailed next generation world, Skylanders SWAP Force takes kids on an all-new adventure with 32 brand new heroic characters that each offer unique powers and personalities. The game also features new abilities – such as flying, climbing and teleporting – which can be used in special areas of Skylands. Additionally, fans can play with their entire collection of 100+, forward-compatible toys from both Skylanders Spyro’s AdventureTM and Skylanders Giants™. Skylanders SWAP Force is set to release in North America on 13th October, Australia on 16th October and Europe on 18th October. Developed for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the Wii U™ and Wii™ systems from Nintendo and Nintendo 3DS™ and is rated PEGI 7.
Angry BirdsTM Star Wars® – Activision will be showing the classic Angry Birds Star Wars game, which brings together the fun and adventure of two legendary, award-winning franchises for new audiences to enjoy on home and handheld gaming consoles. Combining the engaging gameplay of Angry Birds with the beloved lore of the Star Wars™ universe, Angry Birds Star Wars delivers an epic saga featuring a ragtag group of familiar, feathered faces, iconic environments. Angry Birds Star Wars can be seen live on the Microsoft Xbox Booth.
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, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
[1] Based on revenue including toys and accessory packs, according to The NPD Group and Gfk Chart-Track and Activision internal estimates.
[2] Requires purchase of all 16 SWAP Force figures.
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, including expected launch dates for new products, that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. 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 unanticipated product delays and 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.
###
Halo is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft is not the publisher of Destiny. Activision has no affiliation with Halo.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo. © 2013 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Destiny, the Destiny Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are among the trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Activision. ACTIVISION, SKYLANDERS SPYRO'S ADVENTURE, SKYLANDERS SWAP FORCE, SKYLANDERS GIANTS, SWAP FORCE, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE, and CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.
Angry Birds is a trademark of Rovio Entertainment Ltd. Copyright 2009-2013 Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
STAR WARS™ and all characters, names, logos and related indicia are trademarks of and © 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
LucasArts, the LucasArts logo and STAR WARS are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2013 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. and ® or ™ as indicated. All Rights Reserved.
All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
“With the next-generation of consoles on the horizon, this is obviously an exciting time for gamers.” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “And there’s no better place to share the incredible slate of games we have coming than Gamescom, where our fans can get hands on with the games and really experience them. With Call of Duty: Ghosts, Destiny and Skylanders Swap Force on our slate, we think we're going to have some of the most talked about and anticipated games at the show."
The Activision booth will feature an interactive “Show Mode” experience that will display video and gameplay footage from Call of Duty: Ghosts, Destiny and Skylanders SWAP Force in a stunning panoramic 190° cinematic theatre experience.
Activision’s Gamescom slate includes:
Call of Duty®: Ghosts
Published by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty: Ghosts ushers in the next generation of gaming for the record-setting franchise. Gamescom 2013 will see the largest ever presence at the annual European show for Call of Duty®, with an innovative booth designed to give fans of the franchise the most immersive experience of the new game.
Hot on the heels of the Call of Duty: Ghosts Global Multiplayer Reveal in Los Angeles on 14th August, Gamescom 2013 will feature the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer hands on world premiere, just for consumers. The massive footprint of stations is built for show attendees to get the first global opportunity to play the most anticipated game of the year.
In partnership with Xbox and Twitch TV, Activision will deliver a Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Showcase event that will be live streamed from 18.00 CET on Wednesday 21st August. Hosted by Aceybongos and Major Nelson from Xbox, the live stream will feature live Call of Duty: Ghosts gameplay from among some of the best pro players across Europe, interviews with the developers from Infinity Ward, and key details into some of the new features coming to Call of Duty this November. Tune in on the Xbox 360 dashboard or at http://www.twitch.tv/callofdutyghosts for all the live action.
Call of Duty: Ghosts features an all-new world, setting and cast of characters, all powered by a new, next-generation engine. Thanks to the game’s new tech, Call of Duty: Ghosts not only showcases what’s possible on next gen, but will also deliver the best looking current gen version of the game possible. The game is expected to release on 5th November, 2013 for the Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 (PS3) computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii U™ and Windows® PC. The title will also release on the Xbox One™ and PlayStation® 4 (PS4) at a date to be named.
Destiny
Activision, in partnership with Bungie, will showcase Destiny, the next evolution in interactive entertainment that brings first-person action gamers together in a shared, persistent online world filled with sweeping adventures.
To match the epic feel of Destiny, the demo-theatre will be the biggest ever built in Gamescom history – 72ft in length, 43ft wide, and the height of a 3-storey house at 26ft high and with 192 seats and will showcase a seven-player live-demo set in Old Russia, bringing the buzz and experience from E3 straight to German fans for the first time. The theatre will be accompanied by a custom-built ‘Fallen’ statue, offering visitors to the booth a chance to create and upload their very own Destiny photo moment and the GameStop info booth will be offering limited edition Destiny t-shirts. Fans will also be able to get their hands on a series of exclusive Destiny trading cards by tracking down the giveaway points across the show, which includes the GameStop info booth and the Destiny theatre. On the first day of the consumer show, Activision and Bungie will release a new ViDoc entitled “Out Here in the Wild” that gives viewers behind-the-scenes access to the creators of Destiny’s rich universe.
In a story-driven universe, the Destiny saga unfolds through epic tales and adventures by immersing players in an ambitiously-connected new universe filled with cooperative, competitive, public and social activities. Developed for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. For more information, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com. For exclusive updates, follow the official Destiny social channels at www.facebook.com/DestinyTheGame and @DestinyTheGame on Twitter and interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net. Pre-order the game now at select retailers around the world.
Skylanders SWAP Force™
The next iteration in Activision’s number one selling game for the first half of 2013[1] is delivering a whole new world of innovation with Skylanders SWAP Force, which introduces the groundbreaking new feature — dynamic swapability. The pioneers of the toys-to-life genre are presenting kids and gamers with unprecedented levels of choice in how they explore Skylands and battle Kaos by swapping the top and bottom halves of the toys to transform 16 SWAP ForceTM characters into more than 250 unique combinations2. Gamescom attendees visiting the Showmode in the Activision booth will have the chance to get hold of one of three exclusive T-shirts created especially for Gamescom. Visitors to SONY Computer Entertainment Deutschland booth in hall 7.1. will be able to play Skylanders SWAP Force on PS3 and PS4.
Set in a richly detailed next generation world, Skylanders SWAP Force takes kids on an all-new adventure with 32 brand new heroic characters that each offer unique powers and personalities. The game also features new abilities – such as flying, climbing and teleporting – which can be used in special areas of Skylands. Additionally, fans can play with their entire collection of 100+, forward-compatible toys from both Skylanders Spyro’s AdventureTM and Skylanders Giants™. Skylanders SWAP Force is set to release in North America on 13th October, Australia on 16th October and Europe on 18th October. Developed for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the Wii U™ and Wii™ systems from Nintendo and Nintendo 3DS™ and is rated PEGI 7.
Angry BirdsTM Star Wars® – Activision will be showing the classic Angry Birds Star Wars game, which brings together the fun and adventure of two legendary, award-winning franchises for new audiences to enjoy on home and handheld gaming consoles. Combining the engaging gameplay of Angry Birds with the beloved lore of the Star Wars™ universe, Angry Birds Star Wars delivers an epic saga featuring a ragtag group of familiar, feathered faces, iconic environments. Angry Birds Star Wars can be seen live on the Microsoft Xbox Booth.
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, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
[1] Based on revenue including toys and accessory packs, according to The NPD Group and Gfk Chart-Track and Activision internal estimates.
[2] Requires purchase of all 16 SWAP Force figures.
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, including expected launch dates for new products, that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. 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 unanticipated product delays and 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.
###
Halo is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft is not the publisher of Destiny. Activision has no affiliation with Halo.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo. © 2013 Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. Destiny, the Destiny Logo, Bungie and the Bungie Logo are among the trademarks of Bungie, Inc. Published and distributed by Activision. ACTIVISION, SKYLANDERS SPYRO'S ADVENTURE, SKYLANDERS SWAP FORCE, SKYLANDERS GIANTS, SWAP FORCE, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE, and CALL OF DUTY GHOSTS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.
Angry Birds is a trademark of Rovio Entertainment Ltd. Copyright 2009-2013 Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
STAR WARS™ and all characters, names, logos and related indicia are trademarks of and © 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
LucasArts, the LucasArts logo and STAR WARS are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2013 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. and ® or ™ as indicated. All Rights Reserved.
All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
Companies:
Activision Blizzard