عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Technology

Activision Blizzard to Bolster 'Call of Duty' Line-up

Activision Blizzard plans fresh content for its 'Call of Duty' video game franchise to revive flagging player interest. Ethan Miller GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Activision Blizzard plans fresh content for its 'Call of Duty' video game franchise to revive flagging player interest. Ethan Miller GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
TT
20
TT

Activision Blizzard to Bolster 'Call of Duty' Line-up

Activision Blizzard plans fresh content for its 'Call of Duty' video game franchise to revive flagging player interest. Ethan Miller GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Activision Blizzard plans fresh content for its 'Call of Duty' video game franchise to revive flagging player interest. Ethan Miller GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Activision Blizzard on Thursday said it will beef-up its "Call of Duty" video game franchise after sagging interest by players led to a sales decline in the recently ended quarter.

The promise of a new installment to the beloved "Call of Duty" line-up comes as Microsoft awaits regulatory approval of a deal to buy scandal-hit Activision for $69 billion, AFP said.

"With Microsoft's scale and resources, we will be better equipped to grow existing franchises, launch new potential franchises and unlock the rich library of games we have assembled over 40 years," Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick said in a quarterly earnings release.

Activision revenue tallied $2.16 billion in the final three months of last year, down from $2.41 billion in the same period of 2020, according to the release.

Net Income in the quarter was $564 million, up from $508 million in the same period, helped by reduced costs, earnings figures showed.

Activision said it is working on an "exciting pipeline of content" for this year, including "groundbreaking all-new experiences" for "Call of Duty.".

The Infinity Ward studio working on the project said in a tweet that "a new generation of 'Call of Duty' is coming soon, telling players to "Stay frosty."

The company did not hold an earnings call with analysts due to its pending acquisition by Microsoft.

Acquiring the troubled but highly successful Activision will make Microsoft the third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony, Microsoft said -- a major shift in the booming gaming world.

"Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said when the deal was announced.

Activision, the California-based maker of "Candy Crush," has been hit by employee protests, departures, and a state lawsuit alleging it enabled toxic workplace conditions and sexual harassment against women.

The transaction -- which is expected to be finalized by June 2023 -- is subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory review and approval from Activision Blizzard's shareholders.

Microsoft, maker of Xbox consoles, remains a key player in a video game industry now thought to be larger than the movie sector, with market research firm Mordor Intelligence valuing it at $173.7 billion in 2020.

Most Viewed

 
Technology

Justice at Stake as Generative AI Enters the Courtroom

Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP
Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP
TT
20
TT

Justice at Stake as Generative AI Enters the Courtroom

Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP
Generative artificial intelligence has been used in the US legal system by judges performing research, lawyers filing appeals and parties involved in cases who wanted help expressing themselves in court. Jefferson Siegel / POOL/AFP

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is making its way into courts despite early stumbles, raising questions about how it will influence the legal system and justice itself.

Judges use the technology for research, lawyers utilize it for appeals and parties involved in cases have relied on GenAI to help express themselves in court.

"It's probably used more than people expect," said Daniel Linna, a professor at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, about GenAI in the US legal system.

"Judges don't necessarily raise their hand and talk about this to a whole room of judges, but I have people who come to me afterward and say they are experimenting with it”.

In one prominent instance, GenAI enabled murder victim Chris Pelkey to address an Arizona courtroom -- in the form of a video avatar -- at the sentencing of the man convicted of shooting him dead in 2021 during a clash between motorists.

"I believe in forgiveness," said a digital proxy of Pelkey created by his sister, Stacey Wales.

The judge voiced appreciation for the avatar, saying it seemed authentic.

"I knew it would be powerful," Wales told , "that that it would humanize Chris in the eyes of the judge."

The AI testimony, a first of its kind, ended the sentencing hearing at which Wales and other members of the slain man's family spoke about the impact of the loss.

Since the hearing, examples of GenAI being used in US legal cases have multiplied.

"It is a helpful tool and it is time-saving, as long as the accuracy is confirmed," said attorney Stephen Schwartz, who practices in the northeastern state of Maine.

"Overall, it's a positive development in jurisprudence."

Schwartz described using ChatGPT as well as GenAI legal assistants, such as LexisNexis Protege and CoCounsel from Thomson Reuters, for researching case law and other tasks.

"You can't completely rely on it," Schwartz cautioned, recommending that cases proffered by GenAI be read to ensure accuracy.

"We are all aware of a horror story where AI comes up with mixed-up case things."

The technology has been the culprit behind false legal citations, far-fetched case precedents, and flat-out fabrications.

In early May, a federal judge in Los Angeles imposed $31,100 in fines and damages on two law firms for an error-riddled petition drafted with the help of GenAI, blasting it as a "collective debacle."

The tech is also being relied on by some who skip lawyers and represent themselves in court, often causing legal errors.

And as GenAI makes it easier and cheaper to draft legal complaints, courts already overburdened by caseloads could see them climb higher, said Shay Cleary of the National Center for State Courts.

"Courts need to be prepared to handle that," Cleary said.

Transformation

Law professor Linna sees the potential for GenAI to be part of the solution though, giving more people the ability to seek justice in courts made more efficient.

"We have a huge number of people who don't have access to legal services," Linna said.

"These tools can be transformative; of course we need to be thoughtful about how we integrate them."

Federal judges in the US capitol have written decisions noting their use of ChatGPT in laying out their opinions.

"Judges need to be technologically up-to-date and trained in AI," Linna said.

GenAI assistants already have the potential to influence the outcome of cases the same way a human law clerk might, reasoned the professor.

Facts or case law pointed out by GenAI might sway a judge's decision, and could be different than what a legal clerk would have come up with.

But if GenAI lives up to its potential and excels at finding the best information for judges to consider, that could make for well-grounded rulings less likely to be overturned on appeal, according to Linna.