Activision, Microsoft Enter Long-Term Agreement to Release Call of Duty® Downloadable Content First

Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced today a multi-year agreement that will continue to bring Call of Duty® game add ons and map packs first to Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. The news was revealed today to a capacity-crowd at Microsoft’s Xbox 360 E3 press conference in Los Angeles. The agreement which began in 2009 now extends for all add ons and map packs from the mega-blockbuster Call of Duty® franchise through 2012, including Call of Duty®: Black Ops, the follow up to the largest entertainment launch in history and one of the most-anticipated titles of the year set for release Nov. 9th.

“Our Treyarch Studio is doing something special with Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is why we’re thrilled to announce this Xbox LIVE agreement,” said Philip Earl, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Activision’s Call of Duty Business Unit. “This agreement reflects our shared and continued focus on creating the most compelling and exciting content releases for fans around the world.”

With billions of hours logged online, Call of Duty titles consistently rank atop Xbox LIVE’s most-played charts, making it the largest Call of Duty community of any entertainment system.

“With 25 million members, Xbox LIVE is the industry’s premier online gaming service that establishes the best in cooperative and multiplayer online play for blockbuster franchises like Call of Duty,” said Marc Whitten, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Xbox LIVE. “With the release of game add ons and map packs coming first to Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE is the place to play Call of Duty for years to come.”