Video Gaming News - November 2005

Santa Monica, CA (November 1, 2005) - Activision today announced that it has shipped Call of Duty 2: Big Red One to stores nationwide.

From Activision:

Developed by Treyarch, players are dropped into the most epic and legendary WWII story ever played. In a departure for the Call of Duty franchise, players will get to know their squadmates more than ever before as they fight alongside a single squad to accomplish a variety of missions spanning from Northern Africa to Nazi-occupied Western Europe. Call of Duty 2: Big Red One – rated “T” (TEEN – blood, mild language and violence) by the ESRB – is now available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

“As a highly decorated unit that served in a variety of combat theaters, The Big Red One offered plenty of action, heroism, danger and grit for us to draw from during the creation of the game,” said Christian Busic, Creative Director, Treyarch. “We were able to take the ‘No One Fights Alone’ theme from the Call of Duty series and create an even more personal experience for players by following one member of a single squad through some of the epic encounters and amazing battles that defined the war.”

Through the game’s enhanced A.I. – an A.I. system tailored from the original award-winning PC game adapted specifically for play on consoles – squads maximize use of environmental cover and tactical maneuvers, such as flanking, envelopment and fire-and-maneuver behaviors. Additionally, Treyarch employs a new context-sensitive battle chatter system allowing players to hear their squadmates bark helpful orders, updates and communicate as events unfold in the heat of battle. As the missions continue, the A.I. will also harden squad members, maturing their performance skills on the battlefield over time as they become more experienced in combat.

From the blistering desert expanses of Tunisia and Algeria to the skies of Northern Africa and the deadly countrysides of Italy, France, Belgium and Germany, the story follows the actual route of the Big Red One through Operation Torch (North Africa), Operation Husky (Italy), and Operation Overlord (Europe). With new territories come new enemies, including the Vichy French and the Italian Fascists, as well as a host of more than three dozen authentic American, Italian, French and German weapons, all of which are based on actual working models – some so rare, that they’ve never before been seen even in some of Hollywood’s biggest war epics.

“Cinematic intensity and the chaos of battle return with Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, an authentic WWII story that captures the camaraderie and heroism of the real members of the US Army's 1st Infantry Division,” said Dusty Welch, vice president of global brand management, Activision, Inc. “Treyarch delivers amazing detail in each mission, and by working with military advisors and conducting extensive research, has brought the authentic stories and bravery of the Big Red One to life on consoles.”

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One players may go online for intense Axis vs. Allies team-based multiplayer action on Xbox Live and PlayStation 2 Online. The game features four modes of play: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Domination and Capture the Flag for up to 16 players. Additionally, multiplayer mode offers access to exclusive weapons and maps, as well as vehicle gameplay. For more information, visit www.CallofDuty.com.

A limited Collector’s Edition of Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is also now available for $59.99. The Collector’s Edition includes additional content on the game DVD, featuring interviews with actual members of the Big Red One Fighting 1st Infantry Division, commentaries, a special making of the game feature, bonus footage and more.

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