Activision Unveils First Look at Guitar Hero Mobile, and Honestly, It Doesn't Look Very Good.
The game's store page confirms that this is not real.
Activision has announced Guitar Hero Mobile, a game that, although presented with seemingly AI-generated advertising, actually does not exist. The Call of Duty developer released a teaser on its Instagram account, where the Guitar Hero Mobile logo can be seen. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that much of the image is artificially created.
The illustration shows four figures on a stage holding guitars, but they are unrecognizable. The crowds on the sides appear haphazard, and the background equipment is distorted. Additionally, the frets on the guitars feature a strange design, which is fundamental in this rhythm game series.
Many followers have reacted to the inconsistencies in the post, criticizing Activision for its decision to use artificial intelligence in the advertising. One user commented, "A.I. Hero looks amazing," while another expressed their discontent, stating that "we are witnessing a multimillion-dollar company using AI to regain relevance after its great games from the past." On Reddit, the criticism continued, with one comment pointing out that the quality of the image was "horrendous" and seemed outdated compared to the standards of AI-generated images.
If the use of AI was not a deterrent, the fact that Guitar Hero Mobile does not exist will be a rude awakening. The download page on Geeklab shows more AI-generated images describing the game as an "intense and competitive rhythm game for mobile," where participants can face off in real-time musical battles. However, when attempting to download it, users are redirected to a survey that states, "This is not a real game, but it could be one day!" and requests feedback to help define the future of the title.
The arrival of Guitar Hero Mobile seems to be a strategy to gauge public interest. Activision made a similar move the previous month with a new mobile game, Call of Duty: Zombie Defender, which also utilized AI-generated images and directed users to a survey that clarified it was not a "real game."
In related news, Activision has acknowledged the use of generative AI in some assets for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. After fans discovered evidence of this three months ago, the company has confirmed this practice to comply with Steam's new AI disclosure standards, indicating that its team uses generative AI tools to develop some game assets.
