Activision Teams With Pro vs. GI Joe to Support Troops Through Video Games
SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 15, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Pro vs. GI Joe announced today a new partnership to host the "Activision Showdown," a series of video game competitions bringing together active duty troops with some of the world's most popular professional athletes for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Featuring blockbuster franchises, including Guitar Hero(R) and Call of Duty(R), the Showdown series offers service members a chance to not only square-off online in friendly exhibitions playing the hottest video games, but also have the chance to connect with families back home via video conference.
Activision's Showdown kicks-off next week Friday, July 24, prior to the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with members of the Indiana National Guard, currently stationed in Kuwait and Iraq, facing-off in a match of Guitar Hero Smash Hits against NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 1 Guitar Hero Smash Hits Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The troops' families will also be in attendance to participate and spend time online with their loved ones abroad.
"Giving back to our troops in such a fun-filled and entertaining way presents an opportunity like never before," said Mike Griffith, president & CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. "With organizations such as Pro vs. GI Joe leading the way, we can celebrate the men and women, who have made such a tremendous commitment of themselves by bringing them together with the biggest names in sports and pop culture through video games."
"We started Pro vs. GI Joe two years ago to give our troops serving all over the world an opportunity to have fun battling the 'pros' and as a way to keep in touch with the people they love," said Greg Zinone, founder of Pro vs. GI Joe. "We've been overwhelmed at the support from 'pros' we have worked with so far, and are extremely excited that Activision is joining our team to help keep our mission possible."
"I cannot say enough about what this opportunity means to me, "said Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 1 Guitar Hero Smash Hits Chevy for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. "NASCAR's fans and drivers alike are known throughout the country for supporting the men and women of our nation's military, and I'm thrilled that my relationship with Activision's Guitar Hero franchise has given me the chance to take part in this event honoring our troops and their families."
The Activision Showdown series with Pro vs. GI Joe continues Activision's on-going support of America's service members. In 2008, Activision partnered with the USO to provide copies of the top-selling video game Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock for use in USO gaming lounges and mobile USO fleets on U.S. military bases across the globe. Activision also continues an initiative, which began last year, dedicated to hiring veterans once they return home in a variety of positions.
For more information, please visit www.provsgijoe.org.
About Pro vs. GI Joe
Pro vs. GI Joe, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is changing the way our troops stay connected! Pro vs. GI Joe provides America's heroes with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities by pitting them against their favorite professional athletes and celebrities in heated yet fun video game competitions via the Internet and in person, when applicable! Not only do we connect the Pro and the GI Joe, but we also create lasting memories for families by inviting the participating troops' loved ones to our events to reunite with them via webcam. Through our partnership with the USO, Pro vs. GI Joe brings these amazing opportunities to troops in combat zones and remote locations around the world. We aim to do something no other morale boosting organization does: use the best of today's modern technology to make virtual connections via video games and webcams, simultaneously, across the miles. Please visit www.provsgijoe.org to learn more!
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, Russia, Japan, 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.
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, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors, licensees, licensors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard's success in completing the integration of the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section 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.
(C) 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.
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