# Celebrity-Studded Gaming The New Black Ops Characters are Causing Commotion in the Gaming World By Going Like Sixty | Published 2011-04-29 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-ops-call-of-duty-escalation References: [forevergeek](http://www.forevergeek.com/2011/04/play-black-ops-as-buffy-freddy-more/) & [wired](http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/call-of-the-dead/) Black Ops gamers will love the new Activision and Treyarch levels for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The new zombie level for Call of Duty: Black Ops is mind-blowing, especially with the addition of some awesome new characters. The characters that will fight the undead are the warriors that gamers will recognize instantly, including Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who will lead the gory charge against the enemy. Other Zombie battlers include Robert Englund (aka Freddy Kruger), Danny Trejo (from Machete), and Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon from the hit show, The Walking Dead). [Horror writer/director George A. Romero](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ken-kaneki) (Night of the Living Dead) makes an appearance as himself. Treyarch says the Xbox Black Ops Call of Duty Escalation package is an homage to Romero. The new characters roll out May 1. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.7/10 - Popularity: 56% | Activity: 46% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/games) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Celebrity Integration in Gaming:** There is an opportunity for game developers to incorporate celebrities into video games, attracting a fanbase and generating buzz. - **Expansion of Zombie-themed Games:** The popularity of zombie-related content in the gaming world presents an opportunity for game developers to create innovative and immersive zombie-themed games. - **Cross-promotion Between TV Shows and Video Games:** By integrating popular TV show characters into video games, developers can tap into the fanbase of the show and create cross-promotional opportunities. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Video Game Development:** There is a chance for game developers to incorporate celebrities and expand the genre of zombie-themed games, attracting more players and driving revenue. - **Entertainment and Media:** The integration of TV show characters into video games opens up cross-promotional opportunities between the entertainment and gaming industries, creating new revenue streams. - **Celebrity and Brand Endorsements:** Celebrities can partner with game developers to lend their likeness and voice to video game characters, creating endorsement opportunities and expanding their reach into the gaming market. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Rapper-Inspired Playable Game Characters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/call-of-duty-season-5.md) - [Action Cartoon Game Crossovers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-ops-6-tmnt.md) - [Promotional Influencer Videos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/activision-1.md) - [Wrestler-Themed Game Bundles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/call-of-duty-2.md) - [Cartoon FPS Game Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/call-of-duty-beavis-and-butthead.md) - [Horror Fighting Game Characters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jason-voorhees-multiversus.md) - [Game-Themed Soap Collabs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dr-squatch-x-call-of-duty.md) - [Alien-Themed Game Collaborations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dead-by-daylight-game.md) - [Superhero-Inspired Game Characters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multiversus-1.md)