Modern Warfare 3 is now not only the best selling video game of all time, it is also the greatest earning entertainment product launch in history. And that’s before they’ve even finished counting all the pennies.
In the US and UK alone, the title raked in more than US$400 million of sales revenue during the first 24 hours of sale. That’s 6.5 million units sold in the US and UK; generating R3.166 billion in sales revenue.
This marks the third consecutive year that the Call of Duty franchise has set day one launch records across all forms of entertainment.
Black Ops on its launch day in 2010, in North America and the United Kingdom, had estimated day-one sell-through of US$360 million. In 2009, Modern Warfare 2, set day-one records with estimated sell through of $310 million. This is according to Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information.
Modern Warfare 3 launched on 8 November 2011, and millions of fans attended more than 13,000 midnight openings at retail stores worldwide. According to Microsoft, after just two days, the number of gamers playing simultaneously on Xbox Live set a new peak concurrency record.
Modern Warfare 3
“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,” said Kotick, presumably as he sloshed Macallan 64-year-old single malt whisky from a golden chalice during the launch-day after-party held at the Activision moon base.
Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing added, “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,” concluded Hirschberg, before returning to his hot-tub filled with unicorn tears.
Separately, Activision announced this morning (11 November 2011) that in support and gratitude for the efforts of American servicemen and women, this Veterans Day it 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.
This latest donation will be added to the $2 million that Activision has already donated to the Endowment, which has provided more than $1.5 million in grants and scholarships to veterans’ organizations across the country since it was conceived by Bobby Kotick in November of 2009.
