Activision's recent marketing campaign for new mobile titles, including Guitar Hero Mobile, Crash Bandicoot Brawl, and Call of Duty Mobile, has ignited a firestorm of controversy. The unexpected element? The promotional artwork was entirely AI-generated.
Image: apple.com
The initial advertisement for Guitar Hero Mobile, appearing on Activision's social media, linked to an App Store pre-order page. The noticeably artificial and unsettling imagery immediately raised eyebrows and sparked widespread online discussion. Subsequent revelations confirmed similar AI-generated assets were used in ads for Crash Bandicoot Brawl and Call of Duty Mobile. While initial speculation pointed to a hack, Activision later acknowledged the campaign as a deliberate, albeit unconventional, marketing experiment.
Image: apple.com
The gaming community's response was overwhelmingly negative. Players criticized Activision's decision to utilize generative AI instead of commissioning professional artists, fearing a decline in game quality – a sentiment expressed as the potential creation of "AI garbage." Comparisons to Electronic Arts and their controversial practices further fueled the backlash.
image: apple.com
The use of AI in game development and marketing is clearly a contentious issue for Activision. The company has already confirmed the use of neural networks in the creation of content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
In the aftermath of the intense criticism, some promotional posts were removed. The future of these mobile games remains uncertain, leaving open the question of whether this was a genuine announcement or a calculated test of public reaction using deliberately provocative materials.
