Call of Duty®: Black Ops Launch Event Honors U.S. Armed Forces and Benefits Unemployed Veterans

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the November 9 worldwide launch of Call of Duty®: Black Ops,  Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) held a star-studded event headlined by GRAMMY®-Award winning band Metallica and hosted by Zach Braff, on Thursday, November 4 at Hangar 8 in Santa Monica to benefit The Call of Duty Endowment.   Celebrities in attendance included Aaron Paul, AJ Trauth, Alex Frost, Amber Lancaster, Anton Yelchin, Audrina Patridge, Ben Hollingsworth, Bonnie-Jill Laflin, Brandon Molale, Chris Marquette, Clark Duke, Common, Dave Annable, Diego Boneta, DJ Ashba, Ed Davis, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Eric McIntire, Ethan Embry, George Finn, Grant Harvey, Hoobastank (Dan Estrin and Doug Robb), Isaiah Mustafa, Jack Osbourne, James Burns, Jareb Dauplaise, Jayson Blair, Jensen Reed, Jimmy Kimmel, Johnny Pacar, Jon Foster, Joy Bryant, Julian Wright, Kenna, Kobe Bryant, Matt Lanter, Metallica, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Gladis, Milo Ventimiglia, Nico Tortorella, Nikki Sixx, Paul Iacono, Raven Symone, Rev Theory, Rich Sommer, Rob Mayes, Ryan Rottman, Sara Paxton, Scott Elrod, Shaun White, Taylor Momsen, Tristan Wild, Zach Braff, Zachary Levi and Zelda Williams.

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Honoring service members from the six branches of the military, Activision pledged to find 1,000 jobs for veterans and gave $1 million to The Call of Duty Endowment, which helps soldiers transition to civilian life by providing them with job training and placement.   Service members were among the first to play Call of Duty: Black Ops and participated in a multiplayer tournament where they raised $1 million for The Call of Duty Endowment.  

"Call of Duty® is one of the biggest of all entertainment franchises that uniquely pays tribute to the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of those who defend our nation and our freedom around the world," said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard.  "It is especially popular among service members at home and abroad, which is why we are honored to have this event highlight the critical issue of veterans unemployment and make our own contributions to the cause. A few years ago, after hearing about the magnitude of this problem, I established The Call of Duty Endowment with the goal of securing thousands of jobs for the men and women who have so ably served our country and protected our freedom."

A non-profit organization launched in November 2009, The Call of Duty Endowment seeks to help soldiers transition to civilian careers after their military service.  The endowment focuses its resources on assisting organizations that provide job placement and training to veterans, as well as engaging the media and public forums to raise awareness about the issue.  Since its inception, The Call of Duty Endowment has already distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and scholarships to various organizations and schools across the country addressing the employment challenges of veterans.

MCPO Maurice Wilson (USN-Ret.), who is an Advisory Board member to the Call of Duty Endowment, and on hand for the event, expressed his gratitude to Activision for their commitment to helping veterans, "It's clear from the faces on these service members here tonight that there are quite a few people serving in the military who are huge fans of Call of Duty.  To see Activision looking out for them and our veterans, who are struggling to find work, is an extraordinary example of how the private sector can give back to these men and women for their service to our country."  

About The Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment is a non-profit, public benefit corporation created by Activision Blizzard.  The organization seeks to help soldiers transitioning to civilian life find work and establish careers and to assist organizations that provide job placement and training. For more information about The Call of Duty Endowment, please visit www.callofdutyendowment.org

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.

Call of Duty and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.