http://www.rankupxp.com/Teaser

Basically, buying Pepsi products - namely Mountain Dew and Doritos - will give you codes to unlock Double XP Time in Modern Warfare 3.

It's great when developers offer "Double XP Weekend" events for their games because everyone who plays is eligible and, most importantly, it's free. Selling Double XP time steps over the line. You're not selling weapon skins or costumes, which affect only the aesthetic variables in the game. You are selling what is essentially currency and ability. XP is meant to be earned, not bought over a counter in 7/11 at 2am in the morning.

Yes, I get it, Activision is a business and, in a capitalist society, the main objective of a business is to earn money. But one of the first things you learn about business management is to listen to your consumers. This is especially true in an entertainment industry; where your product is not a necessity good and you are not a monopoly. You can't keep angering your customers and expect them to stay; not for very long at least. Continually poking even the most trained lion will eventually piss him off.

But when your last product earned $340 million in revenue in the first 24 hours, you are going to keep pushing the limit to how far you can go before the rug is pulled from under you. I expect nothing less from Activision.

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

@CitizenKane: I have no interest in playing mw3, but just because I have other games to play and I'm more interested in BF3.

Yet this actually sounds awesome to me, for some reason. I guess it reminds me of when Halo 3 came out, and everyone was selling that Gamer Fuel Mountain Dew (which was my favorite flavor ever, and I miss it).

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEARCHED THE FORUMS CK.

GODDDDDDD

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

This is why threads need to be posted in the correct forums.

@EuanDewar said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEARCHED THE FORUMS CK.

GODDDDDDD

The search features in the forums isn't exactly the best.

@EuanDewar said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEARCHED THE FORUMS CK.

GODDDDDDD

The search features in the forums isn't exactly the best.

@CitizenKane said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

This is why threads need to be posted in the correct forums.

Damn straight. I'd say close the other thread and keep this one, or close this one and move the other thread. Either way, the open thread should NOT be in general discussion.

@CitizenKane said:

http://www.rankupxp.com/Teaser

It's great when developers offer "Double XP Weekend" events for their games because everyone who plays is eligible and, most importantly, it's free. Selling Double XP time steps over the line. You're not selling weapon skins or costumes, which affect only the aesthetic variables in the game. You are selling what is essentially currency and ability. XP is meant to be earned, not bought over a counter in 7/11 at 2am in the morning.

This pisses me off, because Pepsi owns loads of products, and the only products that they're offering double XP for are incredibly sugary sodas that have way too damn much caffeine. I like Mountain Dew, but not enough to buy several 20 packs worth, and ruin my diet. That's just a load of crap.

What isn't a load of crap is the idea itself. Gears 3 unlocks are FAR worse than this, IMO.

MW3: unlock weapons and perks twice as quickly for a limited amount of time based on real life food products that you've purchased. If you don't buy anything, you can still unlock everything.

Gears 3: Pay 2 or 3 dollars for EACH weapon skin that is on the retail disc. They're not included with the 30 dollar DLC season pass. If you don't buy them, you can never unlock them by earning them in the game.

Apparently, Forbes is weighing in on this now:

I can understand a studio and a brand attempting to work together to figure out some sort of reasonable ad campaign for an upcoming game, as there’s nothing inherently wrong with that concept. Product placement or cross promotion is nothing new in the industry, but this new collaboration between Pepsi and Activision is nothing short of unholy.
The promotion is called “Rank Up XP,” and the long and short of it is that by buying certain Pepsi products, namely Mountain Dew and Doritos, players can redeem codes in the packaging for Double XP time in Modern Warfare 3. A 20 oz gets you 15 minutes, a 12 pack gets you 45, and so on.
Why is this a problem? Because XP is currency in these games, and whoever has more of it first is at a distinct advantage. More XP, especially when the game is new, means more weapons, more perks, more attachments, more killstreaks, and subsequently, usually more wins. Offering Double XP to someone who purchases Pepsi products is selling out about as much as you can, and for a franchise that’s already been accused of pushing the limits with “Elite” monthly membership and overpriced map packs, it goes to show that Activision will exploit its fans in any way they can.

I think they're grossly overestimating the advantages of ranking up, especially when a huge amount of players voluntarily give up their rank at least once for an extra create a character slot and a new icon.

Either way, you can read the rest here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2011/09/28/modern-warfare-3s-pepsi-cross-promotion-steps-over-the-line/

I very much doubt that Forbes bothered to talk about what Epic and Microsoft are doing with weapon skins, but Activision does something completely optional like this and they're automatically "selling out about as much as [they] can" and "[exploiting their] fans in any way they can."

Way to stick to objective and professional journalism, Forbes.

This is just horrible. At least it gives me something else to hate, which is always nice.

Oh my god. This is fucking disgusting. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU, ACTIVISION! YOU FUCKING WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING! YOU MOTHERFUCKING GOLD DIGGING MOTHERFUCKERS!

Everyone knows this would have been way more awesome with Dr. Pepper! FUCK!

@SpaceInsomniac: Maybe they didn't talk about what Epic and Microsoft are doing is because the weapon skins are just cosmetic and doesn't affected anything other than how your gun looks.

@ajamafalous said:

@CitizenKane said:

@EuanDewar said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEARCHED THE FORUMS CK.

GODDDDDDD

The search features in the forums isn't exactly the best.

I use Google to search GB.

@CitizenKane said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

This is why threads need to be posted in the correct forums.

Which for something like this would be General Discussion. The main thrust of your thread is questioning whether game XP should be sold, not whether MW3 XP specifically should be sold. It's an issue which goes beyond one game and relates to gaming in general. The fact that it happens to be MW3 in this case is pretty much irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

Sorry to backseat mod, but there it is.

@valrog said:

@ajamafalous said:

@CitizenKane said:

@EuanDewar said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEARCHED THE FORUMS CK.

GODDDDDDD

The search features in the forums isn't exactly the best.

I use Google to search GB.

I must be out of the internet loop here, but this just makes no sense to me. It also isn't funny if that was the intent.

Get your shit together, Kane.

As for the topic, that kind of stuff is crossing the line. Skins and stuff that don't affect gameplay is ehh but this stuff....feels wrong. I want to say that I don't care about it mostly because it's for a game I don't care at all for, but if this thing takes off, expect to see shit like this in any other game.

@Jimbo said:

@CitizenKane said:

@Axxol said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/buy-snacks-earn-double-xp-time/516387/

Someone posted this a few days ago in General Discussion.

This is why threads need to be posted in the correct forums.

Which for something like this would be General Discussion. The main thrust of your thread is questioning whether game XP should be sold, not whether MW3 XP specifically should be sold. It's an issue which goes beyond one game and relates to gaming in general. The fact that it happens to be MW3 in this case is pretty much irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

Sorry to backseat mod, but there it is.

The main story and point was about MW3, the sub-discussion is dispersed to the medium as a whole.

It's okay to question the logistics of something like this. Giant Bomb's, and Whiskey Media's as a whole, network of forums is unlike any other on the Internet. Even after 3 years, it still being adjusted to.

Saw this before, it's pretty hilarious.

All of which is sponsored by Wilford Brimley. Dem diabeteeus.

@Mentalnova said:

All of which is sponsored by Wilford Brimley. Dem diabeteeus.

All I can picture from any of this is a sudden growth in the number of dudebros that will need insulin shots.

@pantzing_nome said:

@SpaceInsomniac: Maybe they didn't talk about what Epic and Microsoft are doing is because the weapon skins are just cosmetic and doesn't affected anything other than how your gun looks.

MW3: Pay money for food products and get FREE double XP that allows you to earn in-game rewards slightly faster.

MW3: Not pay money and have to spend slightly longer earning in-game rewards that do effect the gameplay, but don't give any player a large advantage.

Gears 3: Pay an extra $45 and get access to all the weapon skins that are already programmed onto the disc that you just bought.

Gears 3: Pay an extra $2 or $3 for each weapons skin, and only buy the ones that you want.

Gears 3: Not pay money and never be able to earn in-game rewards that do not effect the gameplay.

MW3 is selling selling slightly faster unlocks that you'll still earn if you keep playing the game. Gears is selling content that you technically should already own, and making that content impossible to use without spending more money. Given the facts, I seriously don't see how anyone could be less bothered by the Gears 3 situation.

Haha that image is great.

I agree with @SpaceInsomniac. While this is a cynical, disgusting money grab, most of you are overestimating the value of XP in CoD. The way they've been balancing CoD games since MW is such that the unlocks simply add play style flexibility; they do not offer any real advantage, especially to players with a modicum of skill.

@Hailinel said:

@Mentalnova said:

All of which is sponsored by Wilford Brimley. Dem diabeteeus.

All I can picture from any of this is a sudden growth in the number of dudebros that will need insulin shots.

hahaha!!

@BRNK said:

I agree with @SpaceInsomniac. While this is a cynical, disgusting money grab, most of you are overestimating the value of XP in CoD. The way they've been balancing CoD games since MW is such that the unlocks simply add play style flexibility; they do not offer any real advantage, especially to players with a modicum of skill.

Doesn't matter how skilled you are, if someone doesn't make noise when they walk, can fall from any height, reload faster, become invisible to turrets/planes, be unaffected by certain grenades or any other things that perks offer, it's a significant advantage. If someone reloads quicker and aims down sights quicker, they have an advantage. In a game about skill and twitch, anything that makes you quicker, harder to find or more durable puts you a leg up on whoever you're shooting at. Selling double XP is a massive advantage, and unfair to those who don't buy it. At least double XP weekends are open to everyone.

Don't know what everyone is moaning about. Seems like a pretty clever business move to me. I mean, within a week half the player base has prestiged already so somebody being a higher rank than you barely matters.

@The_Nubster said:

@BRNK said:

I agree with @SpaceInsomniac. While this is a cynical, disgusting money grab, most of you are overestimating the value of XP in CoD. The way they've been balancing CoD games since MW is such that the unlocks simply add play style flexibility; they do not offer any real advantage, especially to players with a modicum of skill.

Doesn't matter how skilled you are, if someone doesn't make noise when they walk, can fall from any height, reload faster, become invisible to turrets/planes, be unaffected by certain grenades or any other things that perks offer, it's a significant advantage. If someone reloads quicker and aims down sights quicker, they have an advantage. In a game about skill and twitch, anything that makes you quicker, harder to find or more durable puts you a leg up on whoever you're shooting at. Selling double XP is a massive advantage, and unfair to those who don't buy it. At least double XP weekends are open to everyone.

First, let me reiterate: I think this is a gross money grab, and am not for it.

Now, in regards to your response... You have one key thing wrong: Being good at CoD multiplayer is not about twitch or aiming skill. It's about map and match flow knowledge. Sure, twitch skill will help you, but nothing is as important as knowing the map and where your enemies are likely to be on it. If you don't believe me, then I'd just point you to the game itself. Join any match of CoD right now and you'll see someone with high prestige, but low level utterly dominating people with high levels and low prestige, and it's precisely because of their map knowledge. The proof is in the pudding. It doesn't matter how fast your reflexes are, if your opponent knows you're going to hid behind that crate before you even get there, you're toast.

This will be the least of how Activision will lay waste to that franchise like they did Guitar Hero.