Call of Duty® XP Gets Lucky: Celt Rockers Dropkick Murphys to Perform Live Opening Night

Call of Duty® XP Gets Lucky: Celt Rockers Dropkick Murphys to Perform Live Opening Night

Boston-Based Punk Veterans Take The Stage At 8pm; All Attendees Guaranteed Admission

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) has tapped "green-collar" punk revelers Dropkick Murphys to perform opening night at 8pm, Sept. 2nd, at the first ever Call of Duty® XP, the destination for Call of Duty® gamers worldwide. The critically-acclaimed Dropkick Murphys--known for their complex distillation of classic punk rock, Celtic folk and American rock 'n' roll--will deliver a knockout live performance. The two-day Call of Duty fan event features the global premiere of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 multiplayer, a $1 Million Tournament presented by Xbox 360® and other landmark experiences including these live musical performances. Call of Duty XP will take place September 2nd and 3rd, 2011, in Los Angeles, Calif.

"With an unbeatable lineup of real-world and in-game experiences, Call of Duty XP was already poised to be an historic event for fans of the franchise," said Eric Hirshberg, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Publishing. "The addition of Dropkick Murphys just makes XP that much more memorable. Few bands fit the bill better--we're thrilled to have them performing on opening day."

Now in their 16th year, Dropkick Murphys have slingshot from their Irish punk roots in Quincy, Mass., to become one of the world's best known rock acts, routinely packing houses for their phenomenal live shows. The band's countless EPs, singles, compilations and seven studio albums--including 1997's Do or Die, 1999's The Gang's All Here, 2001's Sing Loud Sing Proud, 2003's Blackout, 2005's The Warrior's Code, 2007's The Meanest Of Times and the 2011 release Going Out In Style--have earned the septet mainstream success and the adoration of fans around the globe.

For more information about Call of Duty XP, please visit www.callofduty.com/xp.

About Activision Publishing

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.

About Dropkick Murphys

Known for their complex distillation of classic punk rock, Celtic folk and American rock 'n roll, critically-acclaimed Dropkick Murphys have released 7 full-length studio albums and sold over 4 million copies worldwide since hitting the scene in 1996. Their 2011 Going Out In Style CD, released via the group's own Born & Bred Records, debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200--the group's highest chart debut to date. Going Out In Style has received overwhelming praise, with USA Today declaring it "funny, moving, inspiring and, above all, entertaining." The video for "Going Out In Style" was featured at #1 on Rolling Stone's "Hot List," while the CD landed the #1 spot on the magazine's Local Favorite's chart in the March 31, 2011 issue. 2007's The Meanest Of Times has sold over 300,000 copies sold worldwide. The Meanest Of Times was #40 on Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums Of The Year and "The State Of Massachusetts" came in at #83 on their Top 100 Singles of the year. The group's single "I'm Shipping Up To Boston"--from 2005's The Warrior's Code CD--has sold over 1.25 million copies. "I'm Shipping Up To Boston," a song with lyrics penned by Woody Guthrie, gained mainstream notoriety after being prominently featured in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed. It can be commonly heard at sporting events and on television as a theme song for many sports teams (even outside of Boston). The Boston Garden plays it at pivotal moments throughout Bruins and Celtics games and Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon uses it as his entrance music when he comes out of the bullpen. The band has sold out shows worldwide and cultivated one of the most fervent fan bases in rock music. They're an integral part of Boston's cultural identity and even penned the theme song to the first Red Sox World Series win in 86 years. www.dropkickmurphys.com

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

Xbox 360 and XBOX LIVE are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.

Activision Publishing, Inc.

CONTACT: Maryanne Lataif, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Activision Publishing, Inc., +1-310-255-2704, maryanne.lataif@activision.com

Web Site: http://www.callofduty.com/xp

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