Call of Duty XP is the inaugural event this year to celebrate everything Call of Duty. Taking place during Labor Day weekend in September (Sept. 2-3), Call of Duty XP will utilize a 12-acre compound in Los Angeles to host more than 6,000 fans.
While this is certainly a smart move to strengthen the brand and ties with the Call of Duty community, in a phone call with IndustryGamers, Activision Publishing boss Eric Hirshberg also wanted to stress that all proceeds will go to the Call of Duty Endowment fund to help returning soliders transition to civilian life. Tickets will sell for $150 each, offering a two-day pass starting on July 19.
Call of Duty players should be excited because the XP event will offer the world premiere of Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer, the new Spec Ops survival co-op mode, and Activision will finally unveil the complete functionality of Call of Duty Elite, the new social service which also has some subscription-only features.
There will also be gaming competitions and a special $1 million Call of Duty tournament put on by Activision and lead sponsor Xbox 360, which has always been a very strong platform for Call of Duty gamers. Fans will need to qualify for the tournament first by participating in Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer through regional promotions and competitions. And for those unable to qualify in advance, Activision promises "there will be select, on-site/at-large qualifications, further expanding the opportunity to compete for cash prizes among some of the best Call of Duty players in the world." Fans not participating or attending XP will be able to watch a video stream of not just the tournament, but just about everything happening at the show, as Activision will provide constant updates.
“From the high production values of our live, immersive events – all the way to the smallest details in every design and activity – we’re pulling out all the stops to make Call of Duty XP the ultimate gathering for the global community of Call of Duty fans,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “The celebration will immerse attendees in a Call of Duty experience unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. Over the course of two days, gamers can trade Call of Duty war stories, experience the official unveiling of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer and the full feature functionality of Call of Duty Elite, as well as enjoy world-class entertainment and compete head-to-head for some serious cash prizes.”
“The Call of Duty series continues to set the pace on Xbox 360 with both the best selling game ever on the platform in Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the No. 1 and No. 2 titles on Xbox LIVE with Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2,” said George Peckham, General Manager, Global Publishing Group at Microsoft. “As a further reflection of our valued relationship with the world’s most popular gaming franchise, Xbox 360 is proud to partner with Activision to bring the first ever Call of Duty XP to life and even more, to challenge the community of fans to compete for up to one million dollars.”
In addition to the big tournament, Activision will be offering other cool events at XP, such as a paintball firefight on a life-sized Call of Duty multiplayer map, a chance to attempt to speed-run Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s famous “The Pit” for real, discussion panels and Q&A with developers, live entertainment and more.
Subject: Call of Duty XP: Activision's First CoD Event Will Premiere MW3 Multiplayer And Full Elite Functiona 
Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:14 am