With the accolade of highest-earning entertainment launch in history, grossing more than US$300 million in its first day of sales in the UK and US alone, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has now surpassed US$1 billion in retail sales worldwide.
In fact, within the first five days of going on sale, Activision says the game sold an estimated US$550 million worldwide, a figure that not only puts it above all other video-games launches but above Hollywood blockbusters, too.
Its first five days outpaced huge box-office releases, including Avatar and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and The Dark Night, according to both internal Activision estimates and boxofficemojo.com.
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has exceeded our expectations and shattered theatrical box-office and video-game records,” said Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.
“There are only a handful of entertainment properties that have ever reached the $1-billion mark, which illustrates the power of the Call of Duty franchise and mass appeal of this game.”
By Marie Boran
Photo: A scene from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2