In a surprising turn of events, Activision’s marketing outreach for Black Ops 6 has come under fire following allegations of overreaching legal clauses in their marketing agreements with content creators. Prominent YouTuber Nero Cinema revealed his experiences in a video, detailing how the company approached him for permission to use his video reviews from the game’s beta and full release as part of a promotional campaign. However, a deeper dive into the agreement’s terms has raised significant concerns about creators’ rights.
Unpacking the Agreement
Activision’s proposed agreement reportedly asked creators to grant the company “perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free rights” to their name, likeness, voice, and other personality traits. This included sublicensing rights, potentially enabling Activision to monetize the content across various platforms, including television, print, and online media, without compensation or attribution to the creators.
Nero Cinema highlighted the alarming nature of these clauses, likening the agreement to “signing his soul over to the devil.” Despite his initial curiosity about how his involvement in the campaign might unfold, he decided against signing, citing concerns about Activision’s motives and practices.
The Community’s Reaction
The gaming community was quick to voice its disapproval. Many fans echoed Nero Cinema’s concerns, noting the risks of signing such agreements. Some commenters speculated that Activision’s legal team could exploit these clauses to further monetize creators’ content without providing any financial return or proper credit. This backlash has added to the ongoing criticism of major gaming companies’ treatment of creators.
XP Token Controversy
Separately, Black Ops 6 is facing criticism for its handling of Legacy XP Tokens from prior games like Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3. Initially, Treyarch stated that these tokens would not carry over to maintain the integrity of the new title. However, players discovered the tokens were available during Season 1, only for them to be quickly removed.
Treyarch claimed the removal was due to “game stability issues,” a statement that many in the community view skeptically. Critics argue that the removal was motivated by a desire to drive microtransaction sales of XP tokens in the game’s store. A temporary workaround allows players to access their tokens via Warzone, though this process has been criticized for its inconvenience.
What’s Next?
As Activision grapples with these controversies, creators and players alike are calling for greater transparency and fairer practices. The backlash underscores growing tensions between major gaming publishers and the communities that drive their success.
Activision has yet to release a statement addressing the concerns raised by Nero Cinema or the broader gaming community. Whether these issues will impact the long-term success of Black Ops 6 remains to be seen.
