With the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Activision has broken the records set by the franchise’s previous outing, Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game has sold 6.5 million units in North America and the United Kingdom in only 24 hours, with an estimated sell-through of $400 million. Comparatively, Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 had one-day sell-through totals of $360 million and $310 million, respectively.
Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia believes MW3 could generate between $700 and $750 million during the first week, as compared with Black Ops’ $650 million in sales during its first 5 days.
“We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc.
“Other than Call of Duty, there has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records three years in a row. Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise exceed worldwide theatrical box office for Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, two of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time.”
“Call of Duty is more than a game. It’s become a major part of the pop cultural landscape. It is a game that core enthusiasts love, but that also consistently draws new people into the medium. It is the most intense, adrenaline pumping entertainment experience anywhere. I would like to thank our incredible teams at Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games for making a brilliant game. But most of all, I would like to thank our millions of passionate fans worldwide. We made this game for you,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing.
The company also announced that it has donated $3 million to the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit organization that seeks to train veterans and find them jobs. This donation joins the $2 million already provided by Activision previously.
[Via IndustryGamers]
