Xbox now features a full-screen Modern Warfare 3 ad on the startup screen sparking user criticism
Some users aren’t happy about the marketing stunt
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Xboxusers are criticizingMicrosoftand Activision for the new full-screenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3advertisement on the startup screen.
In October,Microsoft officially acquired Activision Blizzardfor $69 billion dollars, 20 months after its initial announcement. The process was long and arduous and faced a lot of pushback from regulators which resulted in acourt case with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but the company is already beginning to put its latest acquisition to good use.
If you boot up your Xbox console today (November 3) you’ll immediately be presented with a full-screen advertisement for the upcomingCall of Dutygame. The obvious marketing push on the homepage could be the result ofMicrosofttaking full advantage of its recent acquisition -despite the game and series remaining a multi-platform release- but nevertheless, some players aren’t too happy about the full-screen campaign (viaIGN).
“I don’t playCall of Duty; I never boughtCall of Duty. I shouldn’t turn on my Xbox and the literal first thing I see be add [sic] for a game, or anything for that matter,” said oneuser.
The ad reads, “Fight against the ultimate threat,” and features a prompt to buy the game ahead of its official release, as well as an option to buy the Vault Edition upgrade. There is an ‘Exit’ prompt, but that hasn’t stopped players from calling out Microsoft, with some users on Reddit calling the move “vomit inducing” and “unacceptable” (viaEurogamer).
Microsoft pulled a similar marketing stunt ahead of the release of Bethesda’sStarfield, an Xbox andPCexclusive title, as well asForza Motorsport; some users have evenjokedthat the company will eventually use the same scheme to advertiseCandy Crush.
Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 3is scheduled to release on November 10 forPS5,PS4,Xbox Series X|S,Xbox One, and PC.
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In other news, following the acquisition, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencerpromised to treat Activision Blizzard franchises with “the respect that they deserve.”
For more, check out our list of thebest Xbox Series X gamesas well as our list of thebest single-player games on Game Pass.
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