Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 Storms Into Retail Stores
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 10, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- It's time to gear up for all-out, high-speed action and epic combat, as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that the most anticipated game of the year, developer Infinity Ward's Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2 is now available at retail stores everywhere. Following a record-setting number of North American midnight openings, Modern Warfare 2 has begun to unleash a new threat upon the world, putting gamers on the front lines of an epic, global battle that has advanced onto American soil, proving that no one is safe from an impending invasion.
"From day one the goal was to bring our fans around the world the most riveting and authentic experience we've ever created in Modern Warfare 2," said Vince Zampella, CEO of Infinity Ward. "Every design from the smallest detail was crafted to place gamers in the center of their own epic, action movie -- with the suspense, excitement and adrenaline as if they were starring themselves."
"By all indicators, we anticipate Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be the biggest entertainment launch of all time. As of today, the number of pre-order reservations we've taken for the game is the highest for any title we've ever sold in our 6,200 store network," said Tony Bartel, executive vice president, merchandising and marketing, GameStop Corp.
Following an unprecedented number of pre-order reservations across the globe, the sequel to the best selling first person action game in history kicked-off its worldwide invasion earlier today with a series of midnight celebrations from Sydney to London, Paris to New York. In the U.S., more than 10,000 retail outlets opened doors precisely at midnight to sell the much sought-after title.
Picking up following the historic events of Call of Duty(R) 4: Modern Warfare(R), Modern Warfare 2 completely immerses players in one of the most intense storylines, filled with unexpected plot twists and death-defying battles set in exotic locales across the globe. As gamers fight to save the world from annihilation, the soundtrack of Academy Award(R), Golden Globe(R) Award and Grammy(R) Award winning composer Hans Zimmer sets the dark and ominous tone for a truly cinematic gaming experience. Modern Warfare 2 marks the first time that the legendary artist has scored a video game.
Delivering the complete package, in addition to the heart-racing intensity of the single player campaign, Modern Warfare 2 also offers an entirely new gameplay mode, "Special Ops," which supports 2-player co-operative play via online or split screen dropping gamers into a surplus of time-trial and objective-based missions. As players rank-up, ever challenging missions are unlocked, including highlights from the single player campaign, fan favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and all new, exclusive missions. While, the all-new Multiplayer mode raises the bar even higher from the world-record setting online play from its predecessor delivering new capabilities, customization, gamestates and modes, including customizable killstreaks, accolades and new create-a-class features.
Modern Warfare 2 is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language and is available now for the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system and Windows(R) PC for a suggested retail price of $59.99.
Gamers have numerous options to enhance the Modern Warfare 2 experience with the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Console featuring a 250GB hard drive, Xbox 360 headset, two wireless controllers and a standard edition copy of the game. Xbox LIVE gamers will also be the first to get their hands on two Modern Warfare 2 map packs coming first to Xbox 360. Also available now for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation(R)3 system are the Modern Warfare 2 Collector's Edition packages, including the Hardened Edition, which contains a token to download Call of Duty(R) Classic, a limited edition SteelBook(TM) case and the "Behind the Lines" collector's artbook, and the individually numbered, one-time only limited quantity Prestige Edition, which includes the Hardened Edition plus a pair of fully functioning night vision goggles and an individually numbered "Soap MacTavish" night vision goggles collectors' stand.
Also available today for Nintendo DS(TM) is Call of Duty(R): Modern Warfare(R): Mobilized. Developed exclusively by n-Space, the DS title delivers a unique storyline and an arsenal of handheld features. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is rated "T" (Teen) by the ESRB for Blood, Mild Language and Violence with a suggested retail price of $29.99.
Additionally, for Wii(TM) fans Call of Duty(R): Modern Warfare(R) Reflex Edition is also now available. A port by Treyarch of the record-setting and award-winning, original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the title is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language and has a suggested retail price of $49.99.
Modern Warfare 2 press kit assets are available for download at http://www.activision.com/index.html#presscenter|en_US. Players anxious to answer the call can visit www.modernwarfare2.com for more information and updates.
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.
A(C) 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision, Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
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SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.
http://www.activision.com
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