While Call of Duty is a game about extreme gun violence, war, and the occasional zombies, the game follows a strict rule of using made-up guns in the game. But that has not always been the case. In 2009, Activision entered into a secret deal with Remington, an arms manufacturer. While details were kept on the low, it eventually came to light.
This deal involved featuring Remington’s Adaptive Combat Rifle in the popular video game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The existence of this deal came to light through internal Remington documents obtained during a lawsuit filed by parents of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. While the deal between Activision and Remington did not involve a financial transaction, here is everything you need to know about Remington.
The Remington deal with Call of Duty that went wrong
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The primary purpose of this secret deal was to market firearms to a demographic that gun manufacturers had difficulty reaching, namely, young people and children. The documents uncovered shed light on how gun manufacturers, through this agreement, sought to tap into the lucrative video game industry to attract a younger market segment. But this led to a disastrous end.
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 resulted in the tragic deaths of 26 people, primarily first-graders. Remington manufactured the AR-15 rifle used in this attack, which led to legal action against the company. In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy, Remington faced a lawsuit brought by the victims’ families. The lawsuit was settled for $73 million, reflecting Remington’s responsibility in the event.
WSJ report states that, in 2009, Remington, a weapon manufacturer, and Activision Blizzard made a deal to put the ACR into MW2 2009.
Remington thought this would make the ACR popular in real sales. Instead, it became popular in CoD, but failed to gain any real sales.
WSJ… pic.twitter.com/aGDStlb8NI
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 17, 2023
At the time, the parent company of Remington Arms, Freedom Group, actively participated in this deal. They arranged for one of their firearms, the Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR), to feature in the 2009 hit game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Despite the ACR’s popularity in the game, it did not perform well in the real world, and a dangerous flaw led to its recall in 2010. Nevertheless, the gun manufacturer considered the positive reputation it gained among Call of Duty players valuable.
What were they thinking?
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Remington’s strategy aimed to leverage virtual gaming scenarios as a means of introducing young people to firearms and ammunition. This approach was influenced by several factors, such as Urbanization and Decline in Access to Shooting/Hunting Areas. Urbanization trends and reduced access to traditional shooting or hunting areas have limited the exposure of young people to firearms in real-life contexts.
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As these recreational activities became less accessible, gun manufacturers like Remington saw video games as a substitute platform to maintain or expand their influence on younger audiences. A key feature of this strategy was to introduce firearms to young players without direct branding. By featuring firearms in video games, Remington could familiarize young individuals with their products indirectly. The intention was to create a subtle but lasting connection between the players and the firearms, fostering a sense of comfort and familiarity with the weaponry.
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While this was clearly a bad idea, their intentions failed. The weapon only seemed to have become popular in the games but did not manage to make any sales. After such a large lawsuit and a controversial past, game players still love the ACR. What do you think?
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