Blockbuster Sales for Launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Activision Blizzard, Inc. is extremely happy these days. The game publisher reported
that first day sales of its new title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 were a whopping $310 million.
That topped the previous record holder, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s "Grand Theft Auto IV," which reported 3.6 million units world-wide on its first day of sales last year. Activision said first-day sales of its game were $310 million in North America and the U.K.
Modern Warfare 2's strong initial sales are a bright spot in an industry that has been suffering from weak consumer demand so far this year. Evan Wilson, an industry analyst for Pacific Crest Securities, said sales of the game were better than he had expected. He estimated that Activision, which distributes the game developed by Infinity Ward, sold 6.5 million copies of Modern Warfare 2 world-wide on opening day.
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Modern Warfare 2 features Russian ultranationalists who want to wreak havoc on the world and is the latest in the Call of Duty series, which was first released in 2003.
The Call of Duty series was originally set in World War II. But the developer decided to change the game to a modern time period and sales exploded. The game allows players to play different characters in the game, which has a realistic setting. The game is expected to sell well throughout the holiday season; many stores have been taking pre-orders since April.
