Activision’s Marketing Strategy Revealed
Activision’s recent social media post teasing a new Guitar Hero game is not actually an official announcement but rather a clever market research tactic, Eurogamer reports. The post, filled with what critics have called “AI slop” due to its poorly-generated graphics, is just one of many tests being conducted by the gaming giant on its various social media platforms.
Similar fake advertisements for potential mobile games set in popular Activision franchises like Call of Duty and Crash Bandicoot have also been circulating online. Clicking on these ads leads users to a simulated mobile store page created by marketing service Geeklab, followed by a survey that states, “this isn’t a real game, but could be some day!”
The survey aims to gather feedback from users on what motivated them to engage with the advertisement and what gameplay features they anticipated based on the fabricated content. This strategy allows Activision to gauge interest and gather valuable data before investing resources into actual game development.
Speculative Game Titles and Imagery
Among the fake game titles included in these marketing tests are “Call of Duty: Zombie Defender,” “Call of Duty: Sniper,” and “Crash Bandicoot: Brawl.” The promotional artwork for these non-existent games, particularly the one for Crash Bandicoot: Brawl, showcases the unmistakable fingerprints of AI image generation technology, with one character depicted missing half of its face.
While the fate of these speculative mobile games remains uncertain, it is clear that Activision is exploring innovative ways to engage with its audience and gather feedback. Whether any of these projects will progress beyond the testing phase is yet to be seen. However, if they do come to fruition, one can only hope that real human creativity will be employed in the actual development process.
Activision’s inventive marketing tactics are not limited to just social media teasers. Recently, the Steam page for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was updated to include a warning label acknowledging the use of generative AI tools in creating in-game assets. Players were quick to spot unconventional examples, such as a zombie Santa Claus sporting six fingers.