CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 BREAKS RECORDS, EARNS $400 MILLION IN 24 HOURS

Activision Publishing announced on Friday that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which exploded onto store shelves this past Wednesday, has set an all-time sales record with an estimated 6.5 million copies sold in North America and the United Kingdom alone. It also registered more than $400 million in sales. This is the third consecutive day-one launch record for the company, following the releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops ($360 million) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ($310 million).

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS BREAKS FIRST DAY SALES RECORD

When Activision released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 last year, it set an all time record for launch day sales. The highly anticipated first person shooter sold 4.7 million copies in its first day of availability, amounting to $310 million in sales. Earlier this week, Activision released the latest title in the Call of Duty franchise and the gaming behemoth somehow managed to best itself. On launch day alone, 5.6 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops were sold in the U.S. and U.K., amounting to $360 million in retail sales. Activision said it was also on pace to break the $550 million five-day sales record it set last year with Modern Warfare 2. “The game’s success underscores the pop culture appeal of the brand,” Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement. “Call of Duty: Black Ops is the finest game that Treyarch has ever made and raises the bar for online gameplay by delivering the deepest and most intense Call of Duty experience yet.” [BGR]