Activision surprised gamers with advertisements for new projects based on its popular franchises: Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot, and Call of Duty. However, the ads themselves, created using neural networks, sparked controversy rather than excitement.
Image: apple.com
The first ad, for Guitar Hero Mobile, appeared on Activision's social media, linking to an App Store pre-order page. The unusual, unnatural imagery immediately drew attention and sparked online discussions. Similar AI-generated art soon surfaced in ads for Crash Bandicoot Brawl and Call of Duty Mobile, initially leading to speculation of hacked accounts. Activision later revealed this was a deliberate marketing experiment.
Image: apple.com
The gaming community responded largely negatively, criticizing Activision's use of generative AI over professional artists and designers. Concerns arose about the potential for AI-generated "garbage" games, drawing comparisons to Electronic Arts' controversial practices.
image: apple.com
Activision's use of AI in development and marketing is becoming increasingly contentious. The company confirmed neural networks are being used in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 content creation.
Following the backlash, some promotional posts were removed. Whether these games will actually be released, or if this was simply a provocative audience test, remains uncertain.
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