Metallica to Headline Call of Duty®: Black Ops Launch Event

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Metallica has partnered with Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) to headline the Call of Duty®: Black Ops launch event on November 4 at Santa Monica Airport's Hangar 8.  The event will feature a performance by the GRAMMY®-Award winning band, honor the six branches of the Armed Forces and raise $1 million for The Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit, public benefit corporation founded by Activision Blizzard that helps soldiers with the transition to civilian life and help them establish jobs and careers. Call of Duty®: Black Ops will release worldwide on November 9.

"We are honored to have Metallica partner with us to pay tribute to the brave servicemen and women who have risked their lives at war only to return home to find their biggest challenge is searching for a job," stated Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.  "Today, the unemployment rate for veterans is 21% higher than the rate for all Americans, with veterans' unemployment topping 500,000.  We believe that the business community can and should do more.  Through The Call of Duty Endowment, we are committed to raising millions of dollars for job assistance and training programs for veterans and raising public awareness for this serious issue."

Formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica have become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and playing to tens of millions of fans the world over.  They have scored several multi-platinum albums, including 1983's Kill 'Em All (3x), 1984's Ride the Lightning (5x), 1986's Master of Puppets (6x), 1988's ...And Justice For All (8x), 1991's Metallica (also known as "The Black Album" - 15x), 1996's Load (5x), 1997's ReLoad (3x), and 2003's St. Anger (2x).  Their latest album, Death Magnetic, was certified platinum just six weeks after it debuted atop the Billboard Top 200 Album chart in October 2008.  The band released a groundbreaking Guitar Hero® edition of Death Magnetic, which was the largest selling download album on the platform at the time.  They also released Guitar Hero®: Metallica® in 2009 with Activision.  Metallica have also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum last year.  

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.