Activision Blizzard: Difference between revisions
mainly ref clean-up; added cite needed tags for NetEase section |
→Incidents: Added a section about the H2M incident - where Activision effectively baited fans by putting a CoD game on sale in anticipation of a highly anticipated mod, reaped the sales - then sent a C&D to the developers the day before it was supposed to come out. |
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In late 2024, Activision introduced multiple pieces of content to ''Call of Duty: Black Ops 6'' that were AI-generated.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Wesley |last=Yin-Poole |title=Call of Duty Fans Give Black Ops 6's Zombie Santa Loading Screen the Finger Amid 'AI Slop' Backlash |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/call-of-duty-fans-give-black-ops-6s-zombie-santa-loading-screen-the-finger-amid-ai-slop-backlash |website=IGN |date=9 Dec 2024 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209130211/https://www.ign.com/articles/call-of-duty-fans-give-black-ops-6s-zombie-santa-loading-screen-the-finger-amid-ai-slop-backlash |archive-date=9 Dec 2024}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author=Shaun_LaDee |title=Amid the 6 fingered Santa Controversy, I looked into some loading screens included in PAID bundles... |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/CODZombies/comments/1h90fn2/amid_the_6_fingered_santa_controversy_i_looked/ | In late 2024, Activision introduced multiple pieces of content to ''Call of Duty: Black Ops 6'' that were AI-generated.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Wesley |last=Yin-Poole |title=Call of Duty Fans Give Black Ops 6's Zombie Santa Loading Screen the Finger Amid 'AI Slop' Backlash |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/call-of-duty-fans-give-black-ops-6s-zombie-santa-loading-screen-the-finger-amid-ai-slop-backlash |website=IGN |date=9 Dec 2024 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209130211/https://www.ign.com/articles/call-of-duty-fans-give-black-ops-6s-zombie-santa-loading-screen-the-finger-amid-ai-slop-backlash |archive-date=9 Dec 2024}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author=Shaun_LaDee |title=Amid the 6 fingered Santa Controversy, I looked into some loading screens included in PAID bundles... |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/CODZombies/comments/1h90fn2/amid_the_6_fingered_santa_controversy_i_looked/ | ||
|website=[[Reddit]] |date=7 Dec 2024 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116055426/https://old.reddit.com/r/CODZombies/comments/1h90fn2/amid_the_6_fingered_santa_controversy_i_looked/ <!-- Had to use "old" domain, new domain was buggy --> |archive-date=16 Jan 2025}}</ref> This content was additionally paywalled, which further upset fans online.<ref name=":0" /> It was not originally disclosed to consumers that this content was in-fact AI-generated, and it was not until Valve changed Steam's disclosure policies that it was confirmed publicly that this content was generated using AI software.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Cole |last=Martin |title=Activision is forced to confirm the use of AI in Call of Duty due to Steam's disclosure policy |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/activision-is-forced-to-confirm-the-use-of-ai-in-call-of-duty-due-to-steams-disclosure-policy |website=Windows Central |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225051549/https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/activision-is-forced-to-confirm-the-use-of-ai-in-call-of-duty-due-to-steams-disclosure-policy |archive-date=25 Feb 2025}}</ref> | |website=[[Reddit]] |date=7 Dec 2024 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116055426/https://old.reddit.com/r/CODZombies/comments/1h90fn2/amid_the_6_fingered_santa_controversy_i_looked/ <!-- Had to use "old" domain, new domain was buggy --> |archive-date=16 Jan 2025}}</ref> This content was additionally paywalled, which further upset fans online.<ref name=":0" /> It was not originally disclosed to consumers that this content was in-fact AI-generated, and it was not until Valve changed Steam's disclosure policies that it was confirmed publicly that this content was generated using AI software.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Cole |last=Martin |title=Activision is forced to confirm the use of AI in Call of Duty due to Steam's disclosure policy |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/activision-is-forced-to-confirm-the-use-of-ai-in-call-of-duty-due-to-steams-disclosure-policy |website=Windows Central |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225051549/https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/activision-is-forced-to-confirm-the-use-of-ai-in-call-of-duty-due-to-steams-disclosure-policy |archive-date=25 Feb 2025}}</ref> | ||
=== H2M mod bait and switch (2024) === | |||
On August 15th, 2024, the Twitter account for the creators of the H2 Multiplayer Mod (a fan-made mod for ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered'') announced they had received and were complying with a cease and desist order on behalf of Activision effective immediately.<ref>https://x.com/H2Multiplayer/status/1824167247436542167</ref> This occurred on the day before the mod was supposed to be released. Weeks prior, Activision put ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered'' on sale on Steam in order to drive sales in anticipation of the mod's release, as possessing a licensed copy of the game was a prerequisite in order for the mod to function. Fans immediately derided the move as a deliberately timed act, subsequently mass refunding and review bombing ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered'' on Steam in protest of the C&D.<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/modern-warfare-2-multiplayer-mod-canceled-the-day-before-launch-after-activision-sends-devs-cease-and-desist</ref> | |||
===Microtransaction (MTX) overload=== | ===Microtransaction (MTX) overload=== | ||