If you want someone to blame for Call of Duty’s rampant monetization, it turns out that Jeffrey Epstein, of all people, had a hand in its inception.
In newly uncovered correspondence between Epstein, futurist Pablos Holman, and former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, taken from the over three million Epstein Files that were released on Friday, conversations were had about “indoctrinating kids into an economy” through in-game cosmetics.
“X prize is a good idea but key is real world rewards,” Kotick said in an email to Epstein. “Learn to read: [earn] cell phone minutes, iPhone credits, virtual items in games.”
I’m all for indoctrinating kids into an economy. You gotta love how his [example] for ‘real world events’ is ‘virtual items in games’—Pablos.
Interestingly, these emails were sent on May 3, 2013, mere months after Black Ops 2 launched — the first game in the series to feature microtransactions. Activision tested the waters with personalization packs, extra slot packs, and paid calling cards, the first of which released on April 12, 2013.
Call of Duty: Ghosts, which launched later that year, went even further, with paid “special characters”, voice over packs, skins, camos, and even weapons; it’s not hard to draw a line between these conversations with Epstein and Kotick and the sudden boom in microtransactions, but what’s unnerving is the intent behind them to prey on children.
Kotick Appears In The Epstein Files Over 300 Times
This isn’t the only appearance of Kotick in the files either. If you search for his surname on the DOJ website, there are over 300 results, and he appeared to be close enough to Epstein that he was even invited to his island in 2012.
“Very nice of you to offer,” Kotick responded. “I don’t think it is going to work with the schedule. It was fun being with you and your team of experts.”
However, when Epstein mentioned in a 2013 email that he and “the girls” would be seeing Elon Musk at SpaceX, and that he would be “taking [the] girls after to Bel Air”, Kotick responded, “Let me know what time.”
- Released
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November 13, 2012
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Engine
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iw
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op
