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Time, Activision Collaborate on Fake Magazine Cover for Modern Warfare 3

The magazine's iconic red borders being used to promote Activision's latest.

You can find copies of this limited edition
You can find copies of this limited edition "fake issue" at GameStops across the country.

Time has never been used to promote a commercial product, but that changes with Modern Warfare 3.

Activision collaborated with Time to produce a mock cover to be used as a pre-order promotional tool for the apocalyptic sequel, according to The New York Times.

“This is where the boys are,” said Time publisher Kim Kelleher, explaining the magazine's rationale. “This is a great way to connect with millions of people we might not have otherwise connected with.”

As for why Time decided this was the time to give someone else license over the iconic red bordering, the publication argued it was an extension of other mediums using its "Person of the Year" cover.

What may be more telling, however, is the final quote from Kelleher.

“I like the concept of Time being a related brand of something that’s happening in 2030,” said Kelleher. "That makes me happy.”

As of a fan of newspapers and magazines, I can't argue with that, even if it sounds rather sad.

Patrick Klepek on Google+

73 Comments

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xpgamer7

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Edited By xpgamer7

Advertising has reached a new level. I don't feel great about this.

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cyraxible

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Edited By cyraxible

Print media desperately grabbing for relevancy by selling out to a lowest common denominator blockbuster. This is gross.

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Lunar_Aura

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Edited By Lunar_Aura

Time was hardly a respectable rag but this pretty much cements their status.

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Branthog

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Edited By Branthog

@Klarion18 said:

Pretty sad to see Time magazine doing this.

Why? Time has no prestige to it. They pandered to the audience by calling "you" the "person of the year". They're as ridiculously bought and sold in and out like every other mass media entity.

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Beaudacious

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Edited By Beaudacious

Time is in financial ruin, so they sold out for some desperately needed money.

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Kyreo

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Edited By Kyreo

@Yanngc33 said:

I'd love to get my hands on one of these posters

I'll sell you one for 20 bucks. PM me.

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EvilTwin

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Edited By EvilTwin

This is probably the coolest pre-order bonus ever.

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deactivated-6050ef4074a17

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@Jerome85 said:
How this could possibly bother someone is beyond me.  Oh wait it's COD...no wonder.  Keyboard warriors...continue your miserable existence.
Of course, it can't possibly have anything to do with the fact that Time used to be a really great magazine and is now becoming this disgusting mainstream shell of it's former self, and this is just one example of a magazine that used to be AAA now selling out to the lowest common denominator for readership. Or it couldn't also have anything to do with the fact that some people value print media and this just fits with the overall narrative of print media becoming more and more desperate to maintain any relevancy despite their once-great past.
 
No, it must all be because we hate Call of Duty. There couldn't possibly be any serious objections here. Sure.
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Jackel2072

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Edited By Jackel2072

i rather like the poster. i have that hanging on my wall VS the standard MW3 cover. side note. why is this news now? i mean i got the post like a month ago. did it take Time this long to comment or are people now just figuring out it was a pre-order bonus?

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itsVASH

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Edited By itsVASH

I've had this for over 2 months... this is news?

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Agent47

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Edited By Agent47
@gbrading said:
Enough real people are dying in conflicts around the world as it is, without the need to make a fake cover of Time Magazine advertising global conflicts.

@Hector said:

Not interested in anything relating to CoD!

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brewso

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Edited By brewso

I'd like to see The Onion's take...

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Chris2KLee

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Edited By Chris2KLee

Sure, why not.

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Vodun

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Edited By Vodun

Severely disinterested in MW3, but this is kind of cool.

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AuthenticM

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Edited By AuthenticM

MW3 does not take place in 2030.

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xMP44x

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Edited By xMP44x

If the game is set in 2030 it's a sixteen year jump from when Modern Warfare 2 ends? Weird. I'd love one of those covers but I don't have a GameStop nearby, nor do I have a pre-order. My thought is to just get a really nice, high-end scan and have that professionally printed or something.

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rmanthorp

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Edited By rmanthorp  Moderator

WW3 :0

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buft

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Edited By buft

great stuff, maybe they can get the new yorker to make a funny comic about it too?

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VTheSystemV

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Edited By VTheSystemV

I paid 2.50 deposit for this game to get the poster.  I'm not even going to refund the deposit now I'm getting Skyrim instead, as I thought the poster was worth it!

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natetodamax

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Edited By natetodamax

This is pretty old stuff. I've had this poster for several weeks now. Got it at GameStop when I pre-ordered the game for my dad.

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chstupid

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Solemn

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Edited By Solemn

 “I like the concept of Time being a related brand of something that’s happening in 2030,”

So....it's 2030 and the characters in the game are using equipment from over twenty years ago?
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TwoOneFive

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Edited By TwoOneFive

that's actually pretty meh. theres war all over the us, and it just says "the world stands on the brink"....  
 
i could think of a much more urgent and terrible looking cover