Famed Director Guy Ritchie Leads Trailer Featuring Robert Downey Jr. to Kick-Off Activision's Launch Blitz for Highly-Anticipated Entertainment Release Coming November 13
Unprecedented Launch Celebrations Planned with Over 15,000 Retailer Midnight Release Parties Worldwide
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2012 -- Call of Duty: Black Ops II is almost here. With little more than two weeks to go for one of the most anticipated entertainment launches in history, Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), today kicks things into high gear with the release of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops II live-action trailer helmed by visionary director Guy Ritchie and featuring Robert Downey Jr. The explosive :60 second high-octane piece, titled "Surprise," will be unveiled on network television in the U.S. tonight on Monday Night Football and will rollout worldwide across high-profile telecasts including elite European football matches.
Reflecting the global phenomenon that is Call of Duty®, a franchise which appeals to both mass and enthusiast audiences, several additional celebrity cameos round out the cast. Omar Sy, one of France's top comedic actors, and a huge Call of Duty fan in his own right, makes an appearance, and core gaming fans will recognize Internet phenoms FPSRussia as well as iJustine.
To support the launch blitz, Activision teamed up with Bad Robot Interactive to release a Call of Duty takeover to Bad Robot's mega-hit Action Movie FX app, which is a free download available now on iPhone and iPad. The app enables fans to film real world environments with their phones, only to bring mayhem to them using Call of Duty: Black Ops II near-future weaponry. Additionally, fans can use the scan function in the app, to unlock and unleash exclusive new weapons for use in the app from the upcoming game.
"With Call of Duty we are re-writing the rule-book of how games are marketed. This is more than a product launch, it's become a cultural event. And, what Treyarch has created this year with Call of Duty: Black Ops II is nothing short of the most innovative Call of Duty title yet," said Tim Ellis, CMO, Activision Publishing. "So our mission is to meet this creativity with the most dynamic and far-reaching launch campaign we've ever done. Everything we do is geared toward reaching our fans — the best community in the world — to celebrate with them the launch this November 13th."
This year, more than 15,000 retail outlets worldwide are scheduled to open their doors at midnight on Tuesday, November 13. Additionally, Activision will support the game through a global outdoor advertising campaign that will run in eight cities and across more than 450 media placements around the world with support from the media agencies OMD and MEC, respectively.
Promotional partners in North America include Xbox 360 and LG, as well as retail partners Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Wal-Mart. Throughout the campaign, Activision has worked with LA / Amsterdam based agency 72andSunny on overall creative direction and The Ant Farm on a series of heart-pounding gameplay trailers that have been viewed in the millions.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II launches worldwide on November 13, 2012, on the Xbox® 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC. The title is also expected to be released in North America on November 18, 2012, for the new Wii U™ game system from Nintendo. Call of Duty: Black Ops II is rated "M" (Mature — Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs — content suitable for persons ages 18 and older) by the ESRB. More information on Call of Duty: Black Ops II can be found at http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2 or on http://www.facebook.com/codblackops. Fans can also follow @Treyarch on Twitter.
About Treyarch
Treyarch is an industry-leading game developer, wholly owned by Activision Publishing, Inc. whose previous game Call of Duty: Black Ops set an entertainment launch opening record upon its release in 2010 and continues to be one of the best-selling games of all time, according to NPD and GfK Chart-Track.
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, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, http://www.activision.com.