Call of Duty®: Black Ops Escalation Coming First to Xbox LIVE® May 3

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The global phenomenon that is Call of Duty®: Black Ops, which has set video game and entertainment records, is poised to raise the stakes on May 3rd with the release of its second content pack Call of Duty®: Black Ops Escalation.  Call of Duty: Black Ops continues to attract millions of gamers around the world online, logging more than 2 billion hours played and counting.  The game's debut content pack, First Strike, shattered Xbox LIVE® launch records upon its release in February when it surpassed 1.4 million downloads in the first 24 hours alone.  The follow up content pack, Escalation, will launch first on Xbox LIVE and features four all-new multiplayer maps, and a Zombies experience like none before it

"In crafting the Escalation multiplayer maps – Zoo, Convoy, Hotel and Stockpile – the team developed them to be distinct experiences in their own right, giving players the variety they crave in both setting and gameplay," said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. "And I don't want to spoil any surprises for Zombies fans, but Call of the Dead takes it to a whole new level."

Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language.  For additional Call of Duty updates, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops and also via Twitter @Treyarch.

Additionally, to celebrate the upcoming release of Escalation, Treyarch will host a Double XP weekend beginning Friday, May 6th.

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.

Xbox 360 is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation. 

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.