Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 biggest entertainment launch ever
Life-to-date COD sales beat Star Wars, Lord of the Rings box office.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has set the record for the biggest entertainment launch ever, Activision has announced.
It generated an eye-watering $400 million in the US and UK alone. It sold more than 6.5 million units in the US and UK in the first 24 hours of release, according to Chart-Track and retail customer sell-through information.
Modern Warfare 3 beats Call of Duty: Black Ops' record, set this time last year. Black Ops had estimated day one sell through of $360 million. 2009's Modern Warfare 2 had a sell through of $310 million.
According to Microsoft, after just two days, the number of gamers playing simultaneously on Xbox Live set a new peak concurrency record.
"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," Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO said.
"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."
Eric Hirshberg, Activision Publishing boss, added: "Call of 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."
Meanwhile, Activision has announced it has donated $3 million to the Call of Duty Endowment, a non-profit, public benefit corporation that seeks to provide job placement and training for veterans.