Is Activision Planning to Create New Big Games Using AI?

Activision's recent marketing campaign for new mobile titles, including Guitar Hero Mobile, Crash Bandicoot Brawl, and Call of Duty Mobile, has sparked significant controversy. The unexpected element? The promotional art 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 drew criticism and speculation. Further investigation revealed similar AI-generated artwork in ads for Crash Bandicoot Brawl and Call of Duty Mobile. While initial reactions suspected hacking, Activision later confirmed the AI art was a deliberate marketing strategy.

Image: apple.com

The gaming community's response was overwhelmingly negative. Gamers criticized Activision's reliance on generative AI, arguing it undermined the work of professional artists and designers. Concerns were raised about a potential decline in game quality, with some comparing the move to Electronic Arts' controversial practices. The use of AI in game development and marketing is becoming a major point of contention for Activision, particularly given their confirmed use of neural networks in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 content creation.

image: apple.com

In the wake of the backlash, some promotional posts were removed. The future of these mobile game releases remains uncertain, leaving open the question of whether this was a genuine announcement or a provocative market research experiment.