Guitar Hero(R) 5 Prepares for Launch Supported by Hugh Hefner and a Host of Playboy Playmates Starring in Latest Version of 'Risky Business' Ad Series

Guitar Hero(R) 5 Prepares for Launch Supported by Hugh Hefner and a Host of Playboy Playmates Starring in Latest Version of 'Risky Business' Ad Series

Activision Rolls-out its Latest Television Ad Starring Head Banging Beauties Performing for Legendary Playboy Mogul, Hugh Hefner

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ATVI) Guitar Hero 5 will launch next week with a variety of today's hottest bands and classic tracks and innovative new features that make it the most exciting and accessible Guitar Hero game yet. Helping celebrate the game's launch are Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner and ten Playboy Playmates who are starring in a sexy new ad campaign that highlights how the game lets fans rock any way they want and includes a limited time two-for-one offer of the unreleased Guitar Hero Van Halen game with every purchase of Guitar Hero 5. The ad is part of the high-profile launch of Guitar Hero 5 and highlights how the game lets fans rock any way they want and showcases the beautiful Playmates jamming to Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in the Playboy Mansion while Hefner enjoys the show. The ad is an extension of the "Risky Business"- inspired Guitar Hero campaign that pays homage to the famous lip- and guitar-syncing scene that appeared in the popular film "Risky Business."

The commercial spot features Hugh Hefner, Playboy's Founder and Editor-in-Chief, with girlfriends Crystal Harris and twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon along with a bevy of beautiful Playmates, including Tiffany Fallon, 2005 Playmate of the Year and Kara Monaco, 2006 Playmate of the Year. During the ad, the Playmates are doing some serious finger fretting in their signature "Risky Business" attire while Hefner, in his iconic pajamas and smoking jacket, enjoys his personal jam session.

The Guitar Hero 5 ad is the latest spot to be directed by acclaimed film director Brett Ratner and joins the popular "Risky Business" Guitar Hero advertising series. The ad campaign, which kicked off in 2008, has included notable athletes, celebrities and TV personalities.

"Playboy and Rock & Roll have been intimately interconnected since I started the magazine in 1953," said Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner. "Guitar Hero combines rock and roll with iconic Playboy Playmates and the Playboy Mansion to create one of the sexiest ads ever made."

"Guitar Hero and Playboy reflect the lifestyles and fantasies of today's pop culture, so bringing them together is as natural as rock stars dating Playmates," said Brett Ratner. "Plus, who could resist putting Playmates into the Risky Business signature wardrobe of a pink shirt and socks."

"Guitar Hero is more than just a video game, it is an entertainment platform that gives fans of all ages and backgrounds a truly fun, new way to experience their music," said Brad Jakeman, Chief Creative Officer of Activision Publishing, Inc. "The 'Risky Business' ads continue to work so well because fans can't get enough of seeing their favorite celebrities doing their own entertaining rendition of the famous 'Risky Business' scene. Playboy is recognized worldwide as a pop culture symbol of fun and entertainment; it's only natural for Hugh and the Playmates to be the next faces of the ad campaign."

The ads were created and produced by advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky and H.S.I. Productions, through a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

Beginning September 1, living room legends will rock any way they want in Guitar Hero 5. Players take complete control as Guitar Hero 5 allows gamers to personalize and customize how they experience music with any in-game instrument combination to genre-defining hits from some of the biggest rock artists and bands of all time, including Tom Petty, Kings of Leon, The White Stripes, Stevie Wonder, Iron Maiden and Vampire Weekend. With the game's all-new Party Play Mode, players can now jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly, without interrupting their jam session - providing unmatched social gameplay.

Guitar Hero 5 is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, and by Vicarious Visions for the Wii(TM) system from Nintendo. Budcat is developing Guitar Hero 5 for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The game is rated "T" for Teen (Mild Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes) by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero 5, please visit www.GuitarHero.com.

Activision Broadcast Media Center

Members of the media can visit Activision's Broadcast Media Center to download broadcast quality video and web-ready video and high-resolution images. Members of the media using Pathfire can take advantage of a Pathfire enabled video download.

The commercial, along with sound bites and behind-the-scenes b-roll footage of the making of the commercial are available for download.

   Broadcast Media Center:  http://usngondemand.com/index.php    About Activision Publishing, Inc.  

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

About Brett Ratner Brands

Brett Ratner Brands is a consulting company that provides brands with new ways to market their products and services in entertaining ways. Based in Los Angeles, it is the brainchild of acclaimed director and producer Brett Ratner.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook", "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes", "may", "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales of Activision Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Publishing's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated. Other such factors include additional risk factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

RISKY BUSINESS and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

(s09)

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: ksouthey@activision.com

Source: Activision Publishing, Inc.

CONTACT: Eric Hollreiser, Vice President, Public Relations of GUITAR
HERO, +1-424-744-5784, Eric.Hollreiser@guitarhero.com, for Activision
Publishing, Inc.

Web Site: http://www.activision.com/
http://www.guitarhero.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/007396.html

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Profile: International Entertainment