A major component of supporting massive brands like
Call of Duty (and
World of Warcraft and
StarCraft) is fan service and Activision is ready to take its support of the heretofore nebulous
Call of Duty community to the next level with Call of Duty XP 2011, a two-day gathering promising "total
Call of Duty immersion" at a "secure 12-acre compound in the urban confines of Los Angeles." Earlier this week, we had a chance to speak with Eric Hirshberg, Activision Publishing CEO, about the announcement.
"Call of Duty XP is going to be the ultimate fan experience for
Call of Duty fans. A two day, immersive live event for fans of
Call of Duty," Hirshberg told Joystiq. "We think it's going to set a new bar for experiential live fan-based events." That experience includes a first look at the multiplayer component of
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the "full feature functionality" of the still opaque
Call of Duty Elite online service, a $1 million CoD tournament sponsored by Activision and "lead sponsor" Xbox 360, and a handful of other big ticket opportunities.
"We are constructing a full-scale replica of one of our multiplayer maps as a paintball stadium for fans," Hirshberg said. "We're reconstructing the legendary level from
Modern Warfare 2, The Pit, which fans can actually run." More interested in what you're going to be able to eat at an all-Call of Duty event? "You'll be able to eat at Burger Town from
Modern Warfare 2," Hirshberg added, quite seriously.