INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightActivisionImage caption
Call of Duty: Mobile was released on 1 October
A mobile version
of video game Call of Duty has been downloaded more than 100 million times in its first week.However, a boycott aimed at the game's
publisher, Activision Blizzard, has been launched after Blizzard placed a 12-month ban on a Hearthstone gamer who staged an online protest
over the political crisis in Hong Kong.The hashtag #Blizzardboycott is now trending on Twitter.Boycotters included Mark Kern, a developer
who has worked for Blizzard."It's done," tweeted Mr Kern, with a screenshot suggesting he had just cancelled his subscription to World of
Warcraft."Unless/until they completely reverse their stance on this issue (which, unfortunately, doesn't seem likely) they will get no more
money from me," wrote one Reddit user in a long thread about the boycott.The latest title in the hugely popular Call of Duty franchise has
been well received by gamers, according to download statistics from Sensor Tower.The company said the game, which was released on 1 October,
had enjoyed the biggest mobile launch yet.A PC and console title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, is due to be released on 25 October.Some
social media users encouraged those who had pre-ordered the game to ask for refunds.Meanwhile, video game industry commentator Rod Breslau
noticed that in another live-streamed Hearthstone tournament game, one player held up a sign saying, "Free Hong Kong, boycott
Blizz[ard]".Activision Blizzard's share price had fallen by 2.3% by the close of trading on Tuesday.However, the backlash was unlikely to
cause serious commercial problems for Activision Blizzard, said James Batchelor, UK Editor at GamesIndustry.biz."It's negative PR and
that's never great for a company but I can't remember an instance where a consumer-led boycott has led to a significant drop in sales in
the video games industry," he told the TheIndianSubcontinent."These games have such a vast audience that I would almost say almost half
don't even know what's happening The vast majority of Call of Duty players are so casual, so mainstream."Seth Barton, editor of gaming
industry magazine MCV, agreed that the boycott was unlikely to have a significant impact
Activision Blizzard didn't have much choice in the matter, he argued: "by allowing any such protests it would have to either allow all such
protests, or become arbiter of what's acceptable and what's not".TheIndianSubcontinent News has contacted Activision Blizzard for
comment.Ng Wai Chung is the name of the gamer banned for 12 months by Blizzard
He uses the pseudonym Blitzchung
During a post-match interview on the official Hearthstone Taiwan video stream, he donned a gas mask and shouted: "Liberate Hong Kong,
revolution of our age." Blizzard said tournament rules said players must not offend people or damage the company's image.Media playback is
unsupported on your deviceMedia caption100 days of protests in Hong Kong in 100 secondsOther US technology firms have become embroiled in
the controversy over Hong Kong.China's state media this week criticised Apple for listing an app in its app store designed to track the
movements of police officers in Hong Kong.The People's Daily newspaper said the app was an endorsement for "rioters".The tool, HKmap.live,
was not named explicitly by the newspaper
It works by asking users to cite the locations of police and anti-government protesters
This data is then displayed on a map.
