• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

MS/ABK is advertising games that don't exist for data collection

T

Three

Member
Using AI generated art to advertise non-existent games Guitar Hero Mobile, Crash Bandicoot Brawl, and Call of Duty: Zombie Defender. Clicking "get" leads you to a survey saying this game doesn't exist but it could if you fill in this survey.

www.gamedeveloper.com

Activision Blizzard is using generative AI to hawk games that don't exist

The publisher is using the controversial technology to determine if players would want spinoffs for Call of Duty and Crash Bandicoot.
www.gamedeveloper.com www.gamedeveloper.com

I have a feeling we're going to get AI generating bullshots and trailers of nonexistent games on its own and then see click based interest to greenlight the slop that gets the most attention.
 
Last edited:
Fess

Fess

Member
This is awful what are they thinking? I never click on crappy ads but unless told about it I would 100% get tricked that a game is coming that is apparently just fake news. Should be illegal.
 
Insanemaelstrom

Insanemaelstrom

Member
Wouldn't it be ridiculous if someone made a bot whose entire purpose is to go to this survey under different names and account and vote for the most absurd game ( think something akin to Concord)
 
nowhat

nowhat

Member
ReBurn said:
They would never get me with this because I don't want any of them and would never click them.
Click to expand...
That's one way of looking at it.

An another would be to organize a grassroots campaign to vote for some of the most retarded AI suggestions and have ABK pursue them. But that would never work with open internet polls...
 
jufonuk

jufonuk

not tag worthy
MMaRsu said:
I guess it doesnt matter that Bobby Kotick is gone, Activision still leads the charge as one of the worst publishers out there
Click to expand...
accusing season 7 GIF
 
Z

Z O N E

Member
Huh? It's just a survey to see what people think of a potential title in that IP.

I swear, some people just want to complain for the sake of complaining.
 
T

Three

Member
Z O N E said:
Huh? It's just a survey to see what people think of a potential title in that IP.

I swear, some people just want to complain for the sake of complaining.
Click to expand...
If it was just a survey then label it as such. It's a clear bait and switch tactic, what's worse is that it's with AI generated generic games. Could you imagine walmarts or something doing this. You go to the shop, they have something in a display case or leaflet and when you find the person to ask about buying it they hand you a pen and a form to fill in and record the fact that you asked. The annoying thing is that people would begin to doubt themselves with legit products going forward too. Do a survey sure, don't try to fool people with a product that doesn't exist and collect data just because you know they would have no interest in your survey.
 
Bumblebeetuna

Bumblebeetuna

Member
Z O N E said:
Huh? It's just a survey to see what people think of a potential title in that IP.

I swear, some people just want to complain for the sake of complaining.
Click to expand...

For real. Upset over a survey. It’s “bait and switch” 😆😆😆

nowhat said:
That's one way of looking at it.

An another would be to organize a grassroots campaign to vote for some of the most retarded AI suggestions and have ABK pursue them. But that would never work with open internet polls...
Click to expand...

Now this would be amazing, have them make the absolute dumbest shit possible.
 
MrRibeye

MrRibeye

Member
When games were made by nerds, they crowned their king of the nerds, the D&D dungeon master in the creative direction, and we got Deus Ex and Diablo. Then the cool kids showed up with spreadsheets.
 
Last edited:
Bumblebeetuna

Bumblebeetuna

Member
Topher said:
Advertising one thing and then "switching" it out with something different is the definition of "bait and switch".
Click to expand...

If you’re overly dramatic, sure. Bait and switch is advertising one thing for sale and swapping it out for something else. There’s no money involved here. There’s also no drive to get the item, it’s a click on your PC or phone.

Now if they were advertising “Call of Duty Snipers” for $5 and you bought it and it’s just CoD3, that’s bait and switch.

I understand it’s Xbox though, GAF will catch feelings, and I am not about to come across like I am trying to defend ABK ✌️
 
Topher

Topher

Identifies as young
Bumblebeetuna said:
If you’re overly dramatic, sure. Bait and switch is advertising one thing for sale and swapping it out for something else. There’s no money involved here. There’s also no drive to get the item, it’s a click on your PC or phone.

Now if they were advertising “Call of Duty Snipers” for $5 and you bought it and it’s just CoD3, that’s bait and switch.

I understand it’s Xbox though, GAF will catch feelings, and I am not about to come across like I am trying to defend ABK ✌️
Click to expand...

Disagree , but fine. Just call it what it is. Microsoft is trying to trick people into taking a survey with a fake ad.

I’d say the same exact thing if this were Sony so you can skip the Xbox persecution crying.
 
T

Three

Member
Bumblebeetuna said:
Now if they were advertising “Call of Duty Snipers” for $5 and you bought it and it’s just CoD3, that’s bait and switch.

I understand it’s Xbox though, GAF will catch feelings, and I am not about to come across like I am trying to defend ABK ✌️
Click to expand...
No that's not the definition of a bait and switch you dumby. No money has to be involved. In fact the use of it was advertising a non-existent price on a product to get the persons interest, tell them the product is unavailable then try and sell them something else.

  1. The seller advertises a product or service at a low price
  2. When the customer tries to buy the advertised product, it's unavailable
  3. The seller pressures the customer to buy a similar but more expensive product


    Your time isn't worthless, they are baiting you by advertising an unavailable product, tell you it's unavailable after they have your interest then try to pressure you to spend your time doing a survey instead.








 
Last edited:
O

Ozriel

M$FT
N30RYU said:
No... becasue they don't even know how to make a survey or about what to make it... instead they make random AI generated shit to clickbait ppl into a survey
Click to expand...

But the article reads like they’ve made up some speculative game ideas, then used AI to generate advert assets for the titles and clicking through leads to a survey.

There’s nothing really ‘random AI generated’ about this.
 
T

Three

Member
Ozriel said:
But the article reads like they’ve made up some speculative game ideas, then used AI to generate advert assets for the titles and clicking through leads to a survey.

There’s nothing really ‘random AI generated’ about this.
Click to expand...
Nothing stops the speculative game ideas themselves being generated by AI too especially as it gets more data on what gets traffic. It would be doing this already with what is selling in charts. People complain about publishers creating derivative games based on what's popular, wait until AI perfects this formula even more.
 
Last edited:
A

alphachino

Member
The best way to "support" this endeavour is to "like" these ads as much as possible... I mean, totally love-bomb these ads for them to make the games, and then subsequently not buy them. 'cos fuck 'em.
 
FewRope

FewRope

Member
MrRibeye said:
When games were made by nerds, they crowned their king of the nerds, the D&D dungeon master in the creative direction, and we got Deus Ex and Diablo. Then the cool kids showed up with spreadsheets.
Click to expand...
Unironically this but not only in gaming but tech overall
 
NickFire

NickFire

Member
Not the end of the world but also completely unnecessary. Why can't they just be normal people who treat gaming like a passion?
 
rm082e

rm082e

Member
The ads lead to mockup app store pages on a site called Geeklab, where upon clicking "Get," viewers are treated to the message: "Thanks for your interest! This isn't a real game, but could be some day! We'd love if you could answer this short survey, which could help inform the potential future of this game. Your feedback really matters to us!"
Click to expand...

Ugh, that is a gross user experience. Get fucked Microsoft. This is a net negative for brand image.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

[Wired] AI Is Already Taking Jobs in the Video Game Industry
2 3 4 5
235
13K
taylor34 replied
Xbox now has 20 video game franchises that have earned $1 billion
News Sales-Age 2 3
118
6K
kyussman replied
Satya Nadella: Annual letter to stockholders. Content on new platforms will continue
4 5 6 7 8
352
22K
noob smokes replied
A new Studio AAA by ACTIVISION announced ELSEWHERE
2
96
6K
Phase replied
Xbox owns at least 17 video game franchises with $1 billion lifetime revenue
News Sales-Age Hype
39
3K
Negotiator101 replied
Top Bottom