DAILY MANIFESTO

Calm The F*** Down! Modern Warfare 3 "Double XP" Pepsi Promotion Is Fine

Posted on Wednesday, September 28 @ 13:30:06 Eastern by Nicholas Tan

One pass through Forbes' ~~troll~~ article by Paul Tossi on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and you would think the game was the root of all evil, though I'm sure some of you don't need to be convinced of that:

Product placement or cross promotion is nothing new in the industry, but this new collaboration between Pepsi and Activision is nothing short of unholy.

The promotion is called “Rank Up XP,” and the long and short of it is that by buying certain Pepsi products, namely Mountain Dew and Doritos, players can redeem codes in the packaging for Double XP time in Modern Warfare 3. A 20 oz gets you 15 minutes, a 12 pack gets you 45, and so on.

Why is this a problem? Because XP is currency in these games, and whoever has more of it first is at a distinct advantage. More XP, especially when the game is new, means more weapons, more perks, more attachments, more killstreaks, and subsequently, usually more wins. Offering Double XP to someone who purchases Pepsi products is selling out about as much as you can, and for a franchise that’s already been accused of pushing the limits with “Elite” monthly membership and overpriced map packs, it goes to show that Activision will exploit its fans in any way they can.

Tossi then goes on to skip over the fact that this would contribute to childhood obesity epidemic (which would have been a more valid point) and then admits that though XP "isn't SO valuable", it's a "slippery slope, one we seem to be sliding down at a record pace". Apparently, we're all doomed.

Just Calm The F*** Down!!!

I know that Activision milks their franchises. I've played Guitar Hero. I've played Tony Hawk. Activision is the high-rise tower of corporate greed in the video game... Yadda, yadda, yadda.

But this Pepsi promotion just doesn't matter in the long run. Double XP may give people a boost in the first few weeks, but if Modern Warfare 3 is anything like its predecessors, the playing field will even out by then on the basis of XP. That's not considering the fact that no amount of extra XP is going to turn a n00b into an assassin overnight or a CoD veteran into Swiss cheese. Maybe there will be a few extra "Come on, that was bull****!" moments, but last time I checked, that's just Call of Duty.

And if you want more XP, you could also just play, you know, the game. That's probably easier, anyway.

I don't think eating processed junk food and drinking empty calories is that healthy, but people can eat whatever they like. This is America. I'll make a salad and then snack on some Nacho Cheesier if I feel like it. Actually, I think they'll be people who will just purchase a trunk-load of Pepsi products, enter the codes, and then store it somewhere in their basement for the next year.

Related Games: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Tags: Call of Duty, Activision

Comments

TheDiesel
Joined: May 2009

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Oh no, two companies want to collaborate to make money and give people a little advantage for buying their favorite products! SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING.

0 3

tinymhg
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
Oh no, two users think this is a situation deserving sarcasm! SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING.

I nominate The Diesel to The People Speak.

0 0

NecroWolf
Joined: Oct 2005

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Don't play it online, just split-screen with friends. But yeah, that isn't cool.

0 1

xclant
Joined: Nov 2005

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
He also skipped over the fact that this will contribute to the Stereotype of Gamers being a bunch fat lazy junk food addicted Slobs.

0 1

Bras
Joined: Jul 2008

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Yeah that stereotype is unfounded!!
*grabs a can of Monster while still munching the Doritos and resuming the Team Deathmatch on Hanoi*

0 0

OdiousLupous
Joined: Jul 2011

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
How do you eat Doritos and not get messy keyboards? I always wondered that. Unless all you scumbags have greasy, crumb covered keyboards.

0 0

tinymhg
Joined: Jun 2011

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Keyboard covers protectcovers.com/keyboard-covers.html

0 0

Heath_Hindman
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Well once something becomes SO true there's little point resisting anymore :(

0 0

usaglory
Joined: Mar 2009

Posted: Sep 30th, 2011 at 8:46 am
Nominated.

Not spam, damn it!

0 0

sandineyes
Joined: May 2008

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
well if MW3 is anything like MW2, then it probably won't matter, cause I couldn't make it 25 ranks without getting dumped into a hacked server that instantly and irreversibly gave me infinite XP, ruining all sense of unlock progression. Lost all will to play that game afterwards.

0 0

MrrClean
Joined: Aug 2010

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
I must fall into that CoD n00b category, cause I scream ou "What was that bullsh*t?!" pretty much every time I play.

Urge to buy Mountain Dew... rising...

0 2

Ananymous
Joined: Apr 2011

Posted: Sep 28th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
"WTF how did he kill me, I just empty a whole clip into his ass!"

Been there, done that

0 0

warmaster670
Joined: Jun 2007

Posted: Sep 29th, 2011 at 7:47 am
thats when happens when you just full auto a whole clip at a guy.

0 0

Capt_Dastardly
Joined: Sep 2011

Posted: Sep 29th, 2011 at 2:40 am
Makes no difference really, rank up sooner, prestige earlier, get everything reset to lvl 1... faster.

0 0

drathbone
Joined: May 2011

Posted: Sep 29th, 2011 at 3:40 am
I totally bought Halo 3 gamer fuel and I don't think it gave bonus exp and I wouldn't get it for that but it made me a better gamer cuz it FUELED MY AWESOMENESS!

0 0

Masterwabbit
Joined: Mar 2009

Posted: Sep 29th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
So, if he's against people playing the game with a gigantic advantage due to buying food, what will he think of this Uncharted 3 Subway deal where people can play the Multiplayer for an extra month before release and keeping everything they've earned in it just by buying a cup?

0 0