Live performances by hip-hop icon Kanye West and Irish-American punk rock favorites Dropkick Murphys are among the attractions at Call of Duty XP, the first-ever festival for fans of Activision’s Call of Duty game franchise and the world premiere of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. An official stream of live footage will be available for the multitude who can’t be in Los Angeles, viewable via a Facebook app and on Livestream.com, and the official website has a frequently updated selection of videos, photos, recaps and other highlights starting today.
Each of the over 6,000 attendees to the sold-out event has paid $150 each to participate in the spectacle, which is augmented by events like the finals of the Call of Duty $1 Million tournament sponsored by Xbox 360 and a paintball area designed as a life-size recreation of the Scrapyard level from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
“We’re pulling out all the stops,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “We promised our attendees and fans around the world a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the first Call of Duty XP. Everything about XP will be as epic as the games themselves.”
Unsurprisingly, gamers will have ample opportunties to play the game in single-elimination frag-fest tournaments as well as free-for-all, king-of-the-hill, Zombies, Spec Ops and team-based multiplayer competitions. All ticketholders also will receive an exclusive Call of Duty goodie bag and a voucher for a copy of the deluxe Hardened Edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (pictured) when it’s released on Nov. 8.
Call of Duty is one of gaming’s most popular franchises. According to NPD reports, Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game in the U.S. and Europe for the first half of 2011. Within five days of its release on Nov. 9, 2001, Activision reported sales of over $650 million in worldwide revenue, topping the previous record set by it predecessor Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 of $550 million.
Activision Publishing Inc. is committed to donating 100 percent of ticket sales to The Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit, public benefit corporation that seeks to help returning soldiers transition back to civilian life, find work and establish careers The event is being held at the Call of Duty Compound, which the rest of the year is a 12-acre venue including the Raleigh Studios soundstages originally constructed to house Howard Hughes’ colossus Hercules H-4 (commonly known as the “Spruce Goose”).
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Image from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 courtesy of Activision
I have really high expectations on this game! Can’t wait to try the weapons proficiency system with my favorites!