Activision promised the biggest entertainment launch in history, and according to the publisher's numbers, that's what it did:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has racked up $310 million in sales in North America and the UK in its first 24 hours, the company says.
That's 4.7 million copies, the company estimates -- more than Cowen Group analyst Doug Creutz had expected for the entire month of November. "We believe U.S. sales likely will amount to 55 percent of the worldwide total, implying a first day worldwide estimate of roughly 7 million," he says.
"The Call of Duty franchise has become a cultural phenomenon showing the power of video games as an entertainment medium," says Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith.
Yesterday, UK's Chart-Track and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association said the game had
sold 1.23 million day-one copies in the UK, grossing $77.85 million and doubling the previous game launch record set by
Grand Theft Auto IV.
"The shattering of these entertainment records is a testament to the compelling, cinematic and uniquely engaging experience that the
Call of Duty brand delivers," adds Griffith. "
Modern Warfare 2 has taken interactive experience to unprecedented heights setting a new standard for entertainment."
