The first Call of Duty XP convention filled several hangars in Los Angeles this weekend as thousands of gamers gathered to celebrate all aspects of the first-person shooter.
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Crave freelancer John Scott Lewinski covers tech, cars, and entertainment out of Los Angeles. As a journalist, he's traveled from Daytona Beach to Cape Town, writing for more than 30 national magazines. He's also a very amateur boxer known for his surprising lack of speed and ability to absorb punishment. E-mail John.
LOS ANGELES--Thousands of Call of Duty fans from around the world gathered here this weekend to celebrate their favorite game and honor the real-world soldiers and weapons that inspired it.
To enhance the ambiance, cosplay was in full effect at the first Call of Duty XP. Here, an undercover sniper who chose to retain his Tier 1 special-ops anonymity is ready for camou'd wet work in the jungle.
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Main hangar at Call of Duty XP
Activision transformed a huge aircraft hangar once owned by Howard Hughes into a multiplayer gaming hall for Call of Duty XP this weekend. The company dubbed the convention a "celebration" for the game's community.
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Actual combat gear at Call of Duty XP 3
To celebrate the real soldiers and combat veterans who inspire Call of Duty and its players, a museum at Call of Duty XP featured actual military gear from U.S. units. Tickets to the convention went for $150 each, with all proceeds going to benefit the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit founded by Activision to help soldiers transition to civilian life with job placement and training programs.
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Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling previews Modern Warfare 3
Infinity Ward's creative strategist, Robert Bowling, previews gameplay for Modern Warfare 3 in the main hanger at Activision's Call of Duty XP in Los Angeles. The next installment in the blockbuster military first-person shooter series drops November 8.
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Multiplayer gaming
Activision transformed one of Howard Hughes' old aircraft hangars into a huge networked gaming hall where Call of Duty enthusiasts could play new multiplayer maps. The four-man team Optic Gaming (William "BigTymer" Johnson, Blake "Vengeance2T" Campbell, Joseph "Merc SD" DeLuca and Matthew "NaDeSHoT" Haag) won the international Call of Duty 3: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer tournament and will split the $400,000 grand prize.
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Assault rifle/grenade launcher mock-up
Activision and Call of Duty designers set up a gallery of prop mockups from the game's history. Here, a re-creation of an assault rifle/grenade launcher hybrid hangs just out of fans' reach.
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Players try sumo wrestling
In between multiplayer Call of Duty games and presentations on the features set to arrive in Modern Warfare 3, convention attendees could throw on inflatable suits and get some sumo-esque exercise.
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Call of Duty XP previews new 'Modern Warfare 3'
It was standing room only in the main hangar at Call of Duty XP when Activision executives showed the look and features of the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
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'Call of Duty' fans take on 'scrapyard' paintball
At Call of Duty XP, CoD lovers could challenge each other in paintball tournaments across a battlefield specially designed to resemble the game's popular "scrapyard" multiplayer map.
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A Jeep awaits off-roading
Jeep sponsored a driving obstacle course at the convention to promote its 2012 line. Attendees could take a short off-roading jaunt as part of the Jeep Drive experience or speak with the head of Jeep design, Mark Allen.
