Best Buy® Gives Gamers Early Access to Call of Duty®: Black Ops II

Be among first to play the most anticipated game of the year

MINNEAPOLIS, November 9, 2012 - Best Buy, the global leader in consumer electronics, today announced it will provide gamers with early access to the hottest game of the season, Call of Duty: Black Ops II. On November 12-13, Best Buy will open doors at midnight at close to 900 locations so eager fans can be among the first to purchase and experience  Activision and award-winning studio Treyarch's epic new title set in the year 2025.  Best Buy will also host more than 300 "Play it Early" events within its highly sophisticated Magnolia home theater departments giving customers a rare opportunity to experience gaming in state-of-the-art 3D.

"Fans of Call of Duty® are among the most passionate anywhere and anticipation for Call of Duty: Black Ops II is the highest in our history.  So, we're thrilled to partner with Activision on the most anticipated launch of the year," said Chris Koller, vice president of the Home Business Group for Best Buy. "We can't wait to show Call of Duty: Black Ops II on the big screen and in 3D via an in-store experience only Best Buy can provide."

Eligible participants* will get the opportunity to play Call of Duty: Black Ops II at select Best Buy stores during the "Play it Early" events, which begin at 9 p.m.  This one-of-a-kind experience within Best Buy's Magnolia Home Theater/ Magnolia Design Center features the latest in high-tech home theater equipment, delivering stunning visuals on LG CINEMA 3D TVs so players can dive right into adrenaline-filled action sequences and heart-pounding, realistic visuals. Using lightweight, inexpensive and comfortable glasses, gamers will be treated to an exclusive five minute preview even before they purchase the game. In addition, attendees can enter for a chance to win special prizes, including a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Hardened Edition. 

Following these special access events, at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, close to 900 Best Buy stores nationwide will open their doors for customers to purchase the most anticipated game of the year from Activision and Treyarch. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is currently available for pre-order in-stores or on BestBuy.com.  Customers who pre-order now receive a downloadable bonus Nuketown 2025 multiplayer map (download code will be included in the game package; downloads available starting November 13).  Additionally, they also have access to a Free Double XP Opening weekend, November 16-17 with their pre-order.

Leading the retail industry in customer appreciation and incentives, Best Buy's loyalty program for gamers, Reward Zone Gamers Club, has seen its membership increase more than 30 percent in the last year. Reward Zone members can sign up to participate in the Reward Zone Gamers Club for free. For an additional $14.99/year, customers can sign up for an Unlocked membership. Reward Zone Gamers Club Unlocked members will receive a $20 Reward Certificate (worth 1,000 Reward Zone points) when they pre-order and purchase one of several eligible games by their street date. For eligible titles visit www.bestbuy.com/Get20.

Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision Publishing, Inc., Call of Duty: Black Ops II is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB.  For more information on the "Play it First" and midnight openings events and to get a complete list of participating stores, please visit www.bestbuy.com/blackops2.

*Customers must be 17 years of age or older with valid I.D. to purchase and play the game in-store.  Eligible participants must have wristband to play; wristbands are limited in quantity and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Limit one wristband per person. Wristbands will be put on recipient at time of purchase and must remain on throughout the event.

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About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Best Buy Co., Inc. BBY is the global leader in consumer electronics with more than 1,400 locations, $50B in annual revenue and the 11^th largest retail website. Our nearly 170,000 employees are committed to helping deliver the technology solutions that provide value, enabling access to people, knowledge, ideas and fun - whether online, in-stores and via their mobile devices. Our competitive prices, vast assortment of products and services, highly knowledgeable staff and industry leading physical and digital assets make us the best value for consumers. To learn more about Best Buy, visit us at http://www.bby.com/. Shop us at http://www.bestbuy.com/ or stop by one of our stores to touch, test and try the latest technology. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bestbuy and follow us on Twitter at @BestBuy.

ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, and CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc.  All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Media Contact: Erin Bix
Manager, Public Relations
(612) 291-7965 or erin.bix@bestbuy.com