When EA claimed that Battlefield 3 sold 5 million copies worldwide in its first week, it indicated that the publisher has a huge hit on its hands. Activision showed those men of will what will really is by estimating sales of 6.5 million units of Modern Warfare 3 on the first day. That's in 24 hours, with the game only being available in two markets: North America and the United Kingdom.
Battlefield 3 is a huge hit, but Modern Warfare 3 is operating on a completely different level of success.
I'm going to hand the microphone over to Mr. Kotick for a little well-deserved gloating. "We believe the launch ofCall 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 thanCall 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."
It's hard to compare the revenue from a video game to a movie launch. A ticket to a 3D movie is around $15 or so, while buying a game on the first day will cost you at least $60. Things get even more confusing when you take into account collector's editions that could cost as much as $150. But it's clear that blockbuster video games go toe to toe with other forms of media when it comes to potential profits.
