Not too long ago, Twitter users slammed Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops III promotional stunt immediately after spreading fake news of a certain "explosion" in Singapore. Now, the game maker has once more come under fire for using images from the disastrous Welsh floods to promote the upcoming title.
The latest installment of one of the biggest video game franchises ever is slated to hit stores on Nov. 6.
The controversial story trailer for the Call of Duty game was uploaded on YouTube a week ago. The video has been given a 17+ rating as it comes with an eerie montage of images of rioting, devastation, explosions and disasters, including flooding.
Among the video footage towards the beginning of the trailer is a mini clip of Garford Road in Rhyl, a town in Denbighshire, Wales.
Rhyl was ravaged on Dec. 5, 2013 after a tidal wave crashed over the town. A huge number of people were left homeless after the catastrophe damaged homes as well as businesses. The flooding has been deemed the most destructive in Wales over the past 25 years, according to Steve Parker, the head of environmental services for Denbighshire council.
“Whilst I can see it is a brief two-second clip, in amongst many other real destruction clips, I think it’s a shame they chose to use it," said Cllr Andrew Rutherford, the mayor of the town during the disaster. “It’s terrible to put people’s misery into a game."
For the folks who were directly affected by the Rhyl flooding, the latest installment is indeed not a game, according to Rutherford.
He even said that perhaps the video game publisher might want to consider donating some of its earnings to the affected men and women of Wales.
According to a report, it is estimated that the Call of Duty franchise has sold over 175 million copies across the world.
"Black Ops III engrosses players in a dark and gritty future, where a new breed of Black Ops soldier has emerged, and the lines between humanity and military technology have been blurred," reads the description of the story trailer.
The video game will be played via PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS4 as well as Xbox One.
Watch the controversial story trailer below.
