November 09 2009
With hours to go before the launch of Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 2, all eyes are on the game and its publisher,
Activision. The company smartly used the media attention today to
announce a new charity effort, called the Call of Duty Endowment
("CODE"). The Washington Post
reports that endowment will donate $1 million towards efforts
to help U.S. veterans find gainful employment. "The joblessness
rate that [veterans] should have should be far less than the
national average, not more," said CEO Bobby Kotick. "How do you
expect people to join the military if when they leave the
military they can't integrate back into the free market they're
supposed to be protecting?" The report observes that in October,
the unemployment rate for those who served since 2001 was 11.6%,
as national averages have just barely reached double digits. The
foundation's first donation will be $125,000 to the Paralyzed
Veterans of America for a rehabilitation center. Activision is
easily one of the richest publishers in the world, and putting
some of that money to use for a good cause sounds like a wise
move.
