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Activision PR manager took $29k from Call of Duty budget

Funds from the Call of Duty: Black Ops launch event were used to pay for luxury shopping trips, holidays, iPads, and a bachelorette party.

By Martin Gaston on April 23, 2013 at 2:33PM PDT

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GS News -Activision PR boss took $29k from Call of Duty budget

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An ex-Activision PR manager in the UK has been convicted of defrauding the company out of £18,963 (approximately $29,000) and spending the funds on multiple shopping sprees, a luxury hotel break, and a bachelorette party.

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Former senior manager of PR at Activision UK Kathryn Kirton took the money from the budget of 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops London launch event, which took place in Battersea power station. She was aided by Frank PR consultant Jamie Kaye, who also admitted to taking £5,000. Kaye spent the money on six iPads and a £3,500 holiday to Florida.

Blackfriars Crown Court was told (via the Daily Mail) by Kirton's defence that she was entranced by the "glamorous and luxurious" world of public relations.

Kirton attempted to clear the purchases through Activision's finances by getting Kaye to pay for them on a company credit card. She then approved the expense claims.

The purchases were made over multiple months in 2010, and were discovered in 2011 when Activision investigated the case further.

Both Kirton and Kaye avoided prison, with Kirton being sentenced for 18 months with a suspended sentence of two years. Kaye was given a nine month sentence suspended for 12 months, and was also ordered to perform 80 hours of unpaid work.

During the sentencing, Judge John Hiller said "What is surprising is that cases like this are happening more and more often in your industry. But this is not the place to explore the PR industry."

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Ahhhh so that's why Black Ops was so sh*tty. Maybe if they had that 29k they could have included something different from previous COD games.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@PapaDocThomson Yeah, as if Treyarch doesn't ADVANCE the series while Infinity Ward just shit out the same thing. Used to be the other way around. Funny how the "dud" developer improves what the "primary" developer can't be bothered to, due to losing employees to in-house scandals and whatnot.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@crunchb3rry @PapaDocThomson or the fact that the real infinity ward left some time ago and formed respawn...

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By gamerboy100

@PapaDocThomson

That money was supposed to go towards the UK launch event, not development of the game. Nothing would have changed in the game if this didn't happen.

Upvote • 12 years ago

al-hasan-faroq2

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al-hasan-faroq2

Black ops 2 should have at least double the maps that are currently available for multiplayer, it's really quite ridiculous!

Upvote • 12 years ago

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I love how everyone just assumes this is a man, lol. Tell me again why all men are evil women hating pigs? We've been conditioned as a culture to automatically assume if there was any kind of theft or embezzlement, it must be a man. :)

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@bluefox755 More along the fact that if it's a senior executive chances are it's a man. Of course if people actually READ the article.......

Upvote • 12 years ago

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6 ipads?? o_O

3 • 12 years ago

1053

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buggers!! that 29k could have allowed them to build a new game engine for COD.... tsk tsk tsk

2 • 12 years ago

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what scum.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By oOhedzOo

As much as I like G$ I wish to see the video player fixed!

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@oOhedzOo Err, it's working fine. You might need to re-install Flash.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Well they rip off the consumers every couple of years by releasing the same old shovel-it-down generic shooter, so I guess the next logical step for some was to just cut out that little pesky thing called selling products and just dip their fingers straight into the honey pot.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By RobDev

@strothers101 They don't actually rip anyone off. No one is forced to buy "the same old shovel-it-down generic shooter". You can't rip someone off on a completely optional purchase. The massive amount of units they ship indicate there is a market for these games.

10 • 12 years ago

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@RobDev @strothers101 Please don't troll us trolls with an objective, actually make sense comment.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@dustbreakangel @RobDev @strothers101 whoops, my bad. I 'm a total noob, am i saying that right?

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By BuBsay

@RobDev @strothers101 It's a new form of natural selection; making people spend money on the same crap over and over again until they go broke.

Really this just supports the theory that if you take warning labels off of things that half the human race will die off. Most people are apparently too stupid to understand not to buy a reskin of the same game year after year when nothing really changes.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By Sardinar

@RobDev @strothers101 Objective as ****.

Upvote • 12 years ago

568

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And here I thought they release Call of Duty every year to fund more Call of Duties ! :(

Upvote • 12 years ago

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No wonder games are becoming shittier and shittier by the iterations. We run back and buy the same old thing why they give use toilet paper quality and go on vaca with it.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@DMFxBLAQx its a recession lol... we all have to buy recycled toilet paper

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By DMFxBLAQx

@deathwish026 @DMFxBLAQx Next Gen consoles about to be stimulus package

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By RobDev

So that's why AAA games are so expensive!

2 • 12 years ago

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the irony. . .

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Oh, is that why the uprising mappack was so crappy

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By gamerboy100

@BadMrSnake

Nope, this was related to the first Black Ops. It says in the article that it started in 2010.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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The world of public relations is glamorous and luxurious??? o_O

4 • 12 years ago

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Edited By TumblinDice

Motto of the day:

Don't steal from the devil.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Lol did anyone read this article? It's a woman...

6 • 12 years ago

LittleChatelain

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LittleChatelain

@Succumbus Nope. People see "Call of Duty" and skip right to the comment section to bash on it.

3 • 12 years ago

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So what? Let the guy party. They're going to make the money back anyway. It's chump change.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@Ryuuken27

It was a woman. (Seriously, I get the feeling that very few people actually read these articles before they post...)

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By garcia_jx

@gamerboy100 @Ryuuken27 Indeed.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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A PR manager that became a PR nightmare? Oh, irony, how you amuse me.

9 • 12 years ago

deactivated-57bcc1891a93a

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deactivated-57bcc1891a93a

LOL

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By danielwd

It must be quite a lot of money to them if they thought it was worth breaking the law for then. I'm surprised that they aren't on at least quadruple that a year. Not because I'm cynical, but because I know what these sort of jobs actually pay.

2 • 12 years ago

CommodoreRaslin

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CommodoreRaslin

Apparently this one doesn't.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By cuddlyfuzzle

He should have spent it on whores. Lots of whores!

ps Martin's pic looks like a police photo

Upvote • 12 years ago

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@cuddlyfuzzle fairly certain Kathryn would be a woman herself.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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lol that fits the way that franchise is going so much hahaha !!!! well deserved !!!! also sounds exactly like the people who enjoy this games NOW ! again lol xD

Upvote • 12 years ago

mischiefmeerkat

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mischiefmeerkat

and they both got away with it nearly scott free. Anyone else woulda got 20 years minimum. The power of money...

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By nurnberg

This is just a person who got caught... Imagine all those who don't.

8 • 12 years ago

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It's surprising to observe how many commentators didn't read the article, referring to the thief like if it was a man.

6 • 12 years ago

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And now we understand why the game's engine wasn't upgraded...

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Activision best company 2013 420 han #yolo

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Now this is a funny article......

Upvote • 12 years ago

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A budget in the 1000's for a single event in Battersea power station, about a game that everyone and their dog knows about...? And then these ass-hats have the gall to claim a game has failed if it doesn't sell 30 mil + copies, or some dumb-ass number like that.

A fool and his money are easily parted.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By mos2000

"BOOMERANG!!" Shouts West and Zampella.....

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Edited By obsequies

29k is like 200 for him

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Why not? It's not like the budget is being spent on the actual game. They just make a new cover and sell the same old shit over and over.

Upvote • 12 years ago

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Use your keyboard!

ESC

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