Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 smashes sales records

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has pulled in US$775-million in sales worldwide during its short five-day release period. This puts it in line to eclipse Call of Duty: Special Ops, which managed to rake in US$1-billion in sales.

Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision was über-chuffed at the success of his shooter empire saying, “Life-to-date retail sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded US$6 billion worldwide, which makes Call of Duty one of the most valuable entertainment properties in the world.”

Comparisons paint a fuller picture of gaming success for Modern Warfare 3.Call of Duty: Black Ops earned US$650-million during the same five-day period, while 2009’s Modern Warfare 2hit the US$550 million mark.

After the initial 24 hour release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had secured US$400-million worth of sales in the US and Britain combined. This earns it a place in history as the biggest entertainment launch ever – including movies. Suck on that, Hollywood.

Released November 8, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 combines three gameplay modes, single player, multiplayer and “special ops”, a two player online and offline campaign which places the emphasis on teamwork. On Xbox Live, the Playstation Network and PC, the online mode remains as the reason for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s success. Quick and accessible, the drop-in, drop-out multiplayer rewards gamers for cooperating as a unit or going solo.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s closest competition is Battlefield 3 from Swedish developers Dice. While Battlefield 3 follows a similar structure to Modern Warfare 3, it pursues a more “realistic” approach to its gameplay. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has often been described as a bombastic cinematic experience, and “like Michael Bay on crack” according to one review.