Modern Warfare 2 Remains All-Format Number One in North America
By Dean • Feb 1st, 2010 • Category: softwareModern Warfare 2, developer Infinity Ward’s latest video game in its record breaking series, remains the all-format top seller on charts around the globe. The title, which is available for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, moved 4.7 million units in one day, grossing over $550 million dollars to make it the biggest entertainment launch in history – bigger than any film, album or even Harry Potter book. Activision, the game’s publisher, has since announced the game has grossed over $1 billion dollars in revenue, making it one of only a handful of titles, let alone franchises, to cross the billion dollar mark. In North America, it became the seventh highest selling title of the last fifteen years, according to the NPD group. What’s notable about that achievement is that the title, having only been released on 16 November, achieved this feat in a little over two months.
Strong Competition
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has fended off various strong challengers to remain top of the summit, most notably Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros., a franchise with a storied history and the father of modern day gaming. In addition to New Super Mario Bros., Ubisoft’s surprise Wii hit “Just Dance” has made strides in mounting a challenge.
The Winning Formula
The game, a first person shooter which is a critical darling, continues the single player narrative where it left off in its predecessor, pitting you in the shoes of various soldiers spread across the military forces of the United States and the UK. However, the game’s core appeal is its multiplayer offering, which is widely regarded as the most feature-rich multi-player FPS of all time which constantly tops the “most played title” list on all the platforms it is available on.
The Next Sales Behemoth?
Rumour has it that the next Modern Warfare may not be produced by Infinity Ward, but rather a different developer as Infinity Ward work on a new, original title. This could prove very profitable for Activision if the replacement developer maintains the franchise’s selling power while IW attempts to build its next mega franchise.
Tags for this article: Activision, COD, Modern Warfare
