Activision says Call of Duty: Black Ops is the new heavyweight champion in launch day sales, knocking out the record set last year by its predecessor Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Remember back in 2007 when we were all gaga over Halo 3 becoming “the most successful entertainment launch in history,” with first-day sales of $170 million in the U.S. alone? Isn’t that just adorable? It all seems so long ago. The big banana in the fruit basket these days is Call of Duty: Black Ops, which had estimated first-day sales of $360 million on 5.6 million units in North America and the U.K., handily eclipsing the previous mark of $310 million on 4.7 million copies set last year by Modern Warfare 2.
The game is also tracking to beat MW2’s five-day global sales record of $550 million, according to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who called Black Ops “the finest game that Treyarch has ever made.” At the same time, however, he seemed unable to deliver his compliment without a little bit of a backhand, alluding to his apparent belief that who makes a game isn’t nearly as important as the name on the box, however, saying, “The game’s success underscores the pop culture appeal of the brand.”
Sorry, Treyarch. It seems like no matter what you do, you just can’t get no respect.
