Santa Monica, CA – July 15, 2009 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Pro vs. GI Joe announced today a new partnership to host the “Activision Showdown,” a series of video game competitions bringing together active duty troops with some of the world’s most popular professional athletes for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Featuring blockbuster franchises, including Guitar Hero® and Call of Duty®, the Showdown series offers service members a chance to not only square-off online in friendly exhibitions playing the hottest video games, but also have the chance to connect with families back home via video conference.
Activision’s Showdown kicks-off next week Friday, July 24, prior to the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with members of the Indiana National Guard, currently stationed in Kuwait and Iraq, facing-off in a match of Guitar Hero Smash Hits against NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 1 Guitar Hero Smash Hits Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The troops’ families will also be in attendance to participate and spend time online with their loved ones abroad.
“Giving back to our troops in such a fun-filled and entertaining way presents an opportunity like never before,” said Mike Griffith, president & CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “With organizations such as Pro vs. GI Joe leading the way, we can celebrate the men and women, who have made such a tremendous commitment of themselves by bringing them together with the biggest names in sports and pop culture through video games.”
“We started Pro vs. GI Joe two years ago to give our troops serving all over the world an opportunity to have fun battling the ‘pros’ and as a way to keep in touch with the people they love,” said Greg Zinone, founder of Pro vs. GI Joe. “We’ve been overwhelmed at the support from ‘pros’ we have worked with so far, and are extremely excited that Activision is joining our team to help keep our mission possible.”
“I cannot say enough about what this opportunity means to me, “said Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 1 Guitar Hero Smash Hits Chevy for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. “NASCAR’s fans and drivers alike are known throughout the country for supporting the men and women of our nation’s military, and I’m thrilled that my relationship with Activision’s Guitar Hero franchise has given me the chance to take part in this event honoring our troops and their families.”
The Activision Showdown series with Pro vs. GI Joe continues Activision’s on-going support of America’s service members. In 2008, Activision partnered with the USO to provide copies of the top-selling video game Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock for use in USO gaming lounges and mobile USO fleets on U.S. military bases across the globe. Activision also continues an initiative, which began last year, dedicated to hiring veterans once they return home in a variety of positions.
For more information, please visit www.provsgijoe.org.
All information contained in this news post comes directly from a press release sent out by Activision.
