Xbox players criticize Microsoft for Modern Warfare III's full-screen pop-up ads
Xbox users are now being greeted with a full-screen ad for Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III after booting up their consoles, leading to fans calling out Microsoft’s “unacceptable” attempt to advertise the shooter.
The details:
Microsoft has now begun to force all Xbox players to view and close an ad for the game after booting up their console for the early access launch of MW3's campaign. The ad only appears once and is easily closed, but it has left users with a bad taste since it is even more aggressive than the ads that already litter the system's dashboard.
This is not the first time that this type of advertising has been used on the system, with Bethesda's Starfield and Turn 10's Forza Motorsport both appearing on full-screen pop-ups in recent months, though it appears that these appeared primarily for those in the US and Canada. This may just be a test, but it could also become the standard for Xbox consoles in the future.
Some players are joking that Microsoft needs to make a profit on its recent $69 billion acquisition of Activision or that games like Candy Crush may be preloaded on systems, whereas others are less amused, with The Verge's Tom Warren sharing on X that he accepts pop-ups for system updates but not marketing for recent major releases.
More gaming news:
EA CEO Andrew Wilson has stated that he believes Microsoft's acquisition of Activision is "a great thing" that will benefit EA in the long run by increasing opportunities for future funding.
Bungie has responded to recent studio layoffs and player backlash, stating that it was "one of the most difficult" weeks in the company's 30-year history. It is currently working on The Final Shape, Destiny 2's next DLC.
