'Call of Duty' Convention a Big Hit with Gamers

A performance by rapper Kanye West was just one of many memorable appearances by celebrities at this past weekend's "Call of Duty XP" convention celebrating the highly-acclaimed video game franchise.

Call of Duty XP was held on the 12-acre estate of former aviator and business magnate Howard Hughes in Playa Vista, California. Fans of Hughes will recognize the site as the place where he designed the famous Spruce Goose aircraft.

West Joined by Long List of Celebrities

It's not entirely clear why such a site was so appropriate for a convention celebrating a First Person Shooter (FPS) video game franchise, but that's well beside the point. It was a memorable weekend, given that West was joined by supermodel Marisa Miller, basketball star Ron Artest, and Desperate Housewives bombshell Teri Hatcher -- among others.

Fans of the shooter game paid $150 to attend the event, which very importantly included an unveiling of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the next edition in the popular franchise. The new FPS, which will debut on November 8, is sure to cause long line-ups at video game retailers like GameStop and Best Buy. (Source: digitaltrends.com)

$1M CoD Tournament Headlines Event

Celebrities and Call of Duty 3 sessions weren't the only thing seen in Playa Vista this weekend. Attendees also got a chance to partake in paintball sessions based on courses modeled after Call of Duty multiplayer maps.

Still, the focus was clearly on the games and specifically a massive Call of Duty tournament that saw $1 million in prize money awarded to the best players.

A four-person squad (called "Optic Gaming") from the United States beat more than thirty other teams from around the world in a single-elimination Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 virtual battleground. The winners walked away with $400,000, while runners-up split the remaining $600,000.

One young player from Optic Gaming was stunned by the results. "This is definitely the most that we've ever won," the twenty-year-old Arkansas man said. (Source: google.com)

If all the gaming and celebrities didn't provide enough of an indulgence, catering was provided by a company portraying Burger Town, the fake fast food joint seen in the Modern Warfare games.