Call of Duty convention deploys Sept. 2-3

Activision is aiming to build the Call of Duty community in a big way. The publisher last month announced Call of Duty Elite, a new service for fans of the military first-person shooter series with a wealth of social networking bells and whistles. Today, Activision followed that up with the introduction of Call of Duty XP 2011, a convention it dubbed a "celebration" for the game's community.

Set to take place on a 12-acre compound in Los Angeles September 2-3, Call of Duty XP 2011 will serve as a coming-out party for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer mode. An expected 6,000 attendees will be able to get their hands on the game's cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, as well as check out the fully functioning Elite service for the first time.

Beyond the reveals, the convention will also play host to a $1 million Call of Duty tournament, with players able to qualify on site or by competing in regional Black Ops contests leading up to XP 2011. There will also be paintball competitions on a life-sized multiplayer map, "AAA live entertainment," and panels with Call of Duty developers. While attendance is going to be capped at a little over 6,000, Activision has promised a "constant stream" of videos, photos, and status updates will be released through TV and online outlets for those unable to make it.

This is not Activision's first experience with large-scale fan festivals. After the publisher merged with Vivendi Games in 2008, it inherited BlizzCon, the annual convention dedicated to the games of World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment.

Tickets to Call of Duty XP 2011 will go on sale July 19 and sell for $150 each. All of the money from ticket sales will go to benefit the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit group founded by Activision in 2009 to help soldiers transition to civilian life with job placement and training programs. For more, check out the official Call of Duty XP 2011 website.