MW2 Sets Entertainment Industry Record

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Activision has announced Infinity Ward's latest shooter, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, has set an all-time entertainment industry record, grossing an estimated $550 million worldwide in the first five days.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 18, 2009 - Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continues to shatter theatrical box office and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars. The biggest entertainment launch in history set a new worldwide estimated five-day sell-through record of approximately $550 million, according to internal Activision estimates.
Click on the headline to read the full press release.

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Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 Sets All-Time Entertainment Industry Record Grossing an Estimated $550 Million Worldwide in First Five Days

Biggest Entertainment Launch in History Continues to Break Records

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 18, 2009 - Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 continues to shatter theatrical box office and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars. The biggest entertainment launch in history set a new worldwide estimated five-day sell-through record of approximately $550 million, according to internal Activision estimates.

Modern Warfare 2's launch beat all previous first-and five-day entertainment industry box office, book and video game sell-through records*:

- The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million)
- The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million)
- The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million)
- The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million)
- The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million)
- The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record, previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)

Modern Warfare 2's blast radius also extends to Xbox LIVE, in which the blockbuster title's epic release established the following new standards, according to Microsoft:

- More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.
- More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in one day on November 10th. A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.

- More than 11 million achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day.

"In just five days of sell through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has become the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon," said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. "The title's success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media."

Despite the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision Blizzard remains cautious about the U.S. and global economy as well as other variables that can affect industry fundamentals and our own performance, including consumer spending which remains a significant concern.

Modern Warfare 2 is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information about the game, visit www.modernwarfare2.com (http://www.modernwarfare2.com/).

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com (http://www.activision.com/).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook," "will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes," "may," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements.

Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/) or www.guinnessworldrecords.com (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/)

A© 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision, Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

[Meusli]

I do not understand this phenomenon as all recent CODs have been uninspiring to say the least.

[revoc]

Stories like this make me weep at the sorry state of humanity.

[Apex]

Well I hope the Infinity Ward guys get a decent bonus, if they dont then activision truly are the most evil.

[Orphiuchus]

This is a bad thing.

[Apex]

This is a bad thing.

Stories like this make me weep at the sorry state of humanity.

:rolleyes:

[schmeis]

So I guess that boycott is working out then.

[Orphiuchus]

So I guess that boycott is working out then.

Well I sure as hell didn't buy it.


I have been keeping abreast of the news for this game because I really do want a new multiplayer fps to spend some time on, but it looks like IW simply isn't going to be fixing any of the issues.They have been silent all week while the folks who downloaded this game off... of that one site, are playing the laggy multiplayer happily along with everyone else. Oh, and they have some hacked dedicated servers that everyone can play on as well apparently which IW also hasn't commented on.

[Meusli]

So I guess that boycott is working out then.

It was a boycott for the PC version, wish people would get that straight.

[Spacebear]

When CoD4 came out, it was overshadowed by Halo 3, which came out a little before it. CoD4 didn't have such a hype machine MW2 had. I don't remember any sort of significant advertising for CoD4. I think it just caught on as people started getting sick of Halo 3, and it just started rolling by itself.

What game was MW2 fighting for sales this year? ODST?

I believe that this will be the height of the series, from here on out, the games will be less ambitious and probably a little worse.

[Anenome]

Lol, I really don't get why this is doing so well yet I don't want to play it. >_>
I suppose for people who actually kept playing the CoD series after the first one, it's like the 2nd coming of video-games or something. I have to wonder how much of the jock-crowd which once played Halo or played nothing in their zeal for FPS shooters have migrated to 'play MW2 or play nothing' :P

This just tells me that it's most likely worth a purchase. What do you guys say, is it worth a purchase?

[vallor]

I wish they'd adjust these numbers to be based on units moved at that time in the economy. It is bullshit when halo does it and it is bullshit now.

The only relevant figure is the GTA comparisons. At 1/6th to 1/2 the cost of a call of duty unit a ticket to batman and a copy of deathly hollows attracted a lot more customers. That is, IMO, the more important figure to be working with.

Now that those people have bought MW2 what are they going to do? Spend their money somewhere else. People that bought books and paid to see movies still have a number of ways to spend money indirectly on the franchise over the short and medium term.

[modeps]

... of that one site, are playing the laggy multiplayer happily along with everyone else.

I've played the PC version just to give multiplayer a try and didn't have any lag issues. I had personal skill issues, but nothing that says it doesn't work properly. I'm on DSL at home as well... so not exactly a fat pipe.

[JukeboxJT]

Note that they only quote first day player hours. I imagine the second day playtime was was much lower after 1) Everyone finished the single player campaign by 11am, and 2) people got tired of being called the N-word in forced game chat on Xbox Live.

[Johan]

So biblical in here, what with the weeping and gnashing of teeth. What's next, sackcloth and ashes?

Great game. Lots of features, lots of fun. Well done.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled "I don't like [insert whatever reason] so it must suck, and you're a retard for enjoying it." :D

Hey hardcore PC gamers: "Scoreboard!" : points at sales:

[Ulysses]

Phew, been a while since MW2 (that's -still- Mechwarrior 2 though) news

[pwnophobia]

So biblical in here, what with the weeping and gnashing of teeth. What's next, sackcloth and ashes?

Great game. Lots of features, lots of fun. Well done.
:

Agreed! The game is great and I've had very little issues with any of the online components for the 360. I will be enjoying hours of multiplayer fun with this title for the months to come.

[Kragg]

So I guess that boycott is working out then.

I'm still all up in that, last man standing. ::puts Halo disc in tray::

[Johan]

I will be enjoying hours of multiplayer fun with this title for the months to come.

At k/m speed and accuracy, too! ;)

:runs away:

[Kragg]

Also, seriously, congrats to IW for creating such an awesome game. I hope they are able to reap some reward from that.

Like gold-plated rocket cars, or monkey butlers, both of which would rock pretty hard.

[Ranhert]

Lol, I really don't get why this is doing so well yet I don't want to play it. >_>
I suppose for people who actually kept playing the CoD series after the first one, it's like the 2nd coming of video-games or something. I have to wonder how much of the jock-crowd which once played Halo or played nothing in their zeal for FPS shooters have migrated to 'play MW2 or play nothing' :P

This just tells me that it's most likely worth a purchase. What do you guys say, is it worth a purchase?

Absolutely worth a purchase IMHO

[shpankey]

This game is awesome and so worth it. I'm glad it's doing so well. I have to laugh at all the haters. Elitist snobs sticking their noses up so high in the air and continue to do drive by postings spewing venom.

The fact is, if you hate this game, you are the minority, and thank God you are, cause your taste sucks ass and I'd hate to live in your world where games like this suck.

[net7runner]

When CoD4 came out, it was overshadowed by Halo 3, which came out a little before it. CoD4 didn't have such a hype machine MW2 had. I don't remember any sort of significant advertising for CoD4. I think it just caught on as people started getting sick of Halo 3, and it just started rolling by itself.

What game was MW2 fighting for sales this year? ODST?
I think this is a critical point. All that market that used to be sucked up by Halo, Gears of War, etc. has been waiting to spend its money for a while now on a high-quality MP shooter.

I gotta say, the sales comparisons to other mediums is a little, well, silly. The suits might be rejoicing over the sales figures, but this is a bit like Manny Ramirez claiming he can hit a tennis ball twice as far as Serena Williams. That's great, but that don't mean people are going to switch from watching tennis to baseball.

Also:
Modern Warfare 2's blast radius also extends to Xbox LIVE
Wtf.

[Mojopin]

I have been playing alot of MP on the PC and anyone having lag issues really should get a better connection because you probably have problems with all of you MP games. I've not had any issues other than the occasional drop in connection because a host quit. Doesn't happen often enough to piss me off though... so yeah.

[mrbrick]

Wow. Thats crazy.

I gotta say though that the single player game is really well done. Thats it. Thats all I care about.

Good for them IW kids.

[Kragg]

I think this is a critical point. All that market that used to be sucked up by Halo, Gears of War, etc. has been waiting to spend its money for a while now on a high-quality MP shooter.

I gotta say, the sales comparisons to other mediums is a little, well, silly. The suits might be rejoicing over the sales figures, but this is a bit like Manny Ramirez claiming he can hit a tennis ball twice as far as Serena Williams. That's great, but that don't mean people are going to switch from watching tennis to baseball.

Also:

Wtf.

Funny story, I bought COD4 on a whim, told all my Halo 3 buddies it was better, and they were like "uh, no thanks." So I re-purchased a used copy of Halo 3. A week later a few of them grabbed it and went batshit crazy for the game. Then they all jumped ship to COD. Alas, I learned I'm absolutely terrible at Modern Warfare multiplayer, so I'm not blowing my money on #2.
"Realistic" war FPS games aren't really my cup of tea anyway, but if it's better than COD4 it deserves all the praise it gets.

I think it was a huge turning point on XBL when it toppled Halo 3 as the #1 game, and it didn't get there by sucking.

[Hagetaka]

So biblical in here, what with the weeping and gnashing of teeth. What's next, sackcloth and ashes?

Great game. Lots of features, lots of fun. Well done.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled "I don't like [insert whatever reason] so it must suck, and you're a retard for enjoying it." :D

Hey hardcore PC gamers: "Scoreboard!" : points at sales:

I want to be careful not to bash you here. As usually, I respect your opinions. But, do you have any real numbers to support your claim that the PC version sold so well? Perhaps match it up with another well-selling game, for fair comparison? I would guess that the X360, and the PS3 generated most of MW2's sales. But that is a guess.

I chose not to buy this game. I saw what kind of potential -- or lack thereof -- this game had long before it came out. It seemed like with every press release, it got worse.

You state, "lots of features, lots of fun." And I couldn't disagree with you more. Why is it that more features equates to more fun? I know I am in the minority here. And I know i'll get beaten down for this. However, this exact logic is what is wrong with a great deal of games today.

[Lactose]

When CoD4 came out, it was overshadowed by Halo 3, which came out a little before it. CoD4 didn't have such a hype machine MW2 had. I don't remember any sort of significant advertising for CoD4. I think it just caught on as people started getting sick of Halo 3, and it just started rolling by itself.

What game was MW2 fighting for sales this year? ODST?

This was intentional. The release date of MW2 was announced far in advance and the publishers moved most of their titles out of the way. The field was surrendered to MW2, giving the game an enormous launch.

[Mozgus]

I want to be careful not to bash you here. As usually, I respect your opinions. But, do you have any real numbers to support your claim that the PC version sold so well? Perhaps match it up with another well-selling game, for fair comparison? I would guess that the X360, and the PS3 generated most of MW2's sales. But that is a guess.

I chose not to buy this game. I saw what kind of potential -- or lack thereof -- this game had long before it came out. It seemed like with every press release, it got worse.

You state, "lots of features, lots of fun." And I couldn't disagree with you more. Why is it that more features equates to more fun? I know I am in the minority here. And I know i'll get beaten down for this. However, this exact logic is what is wrong with a great deal of games today.
As we've learned before, don't give Johan any of your time. He trolls, and he trolls poorly.

[Johan]

But, do you have any real numbers to support your claim that the PC version sold so well?

Do you actually READ? I never said anything about PC sales. I pointed to the overall sales, and to the PC whiners who are all bent out of shape that IW/Activision didn't bow to their demands/complaints/cries of anguish. The point isn't that the PC version sold well. The point is that IW/Activision cannot hear your "hardcore PC-gamer cries of anguish" over the truckloads of cash swamping their offices. They don't give a shit about PC gamers' complaints and whining. They don't care about sales on the PC. You (PC elitists) lost. The fact that you couldn't figure that out speaks poorly for your reading comprehension. Public school victim? ;)

You state, "lots of features, lots of fun." And I couldn't disagree with you more. Why is it that more features equates to more fun?

More features /= more fun. Again, you fail at reading. It has a ton of features and unlocks. It's also a lot of fun. Those are two points. Two. One...two.

As we've learned before, don't give Johan any of your time. He trolls, and he trolls poorly.

Bitter tears from another jilted "Mr. Hardcore PC Gamer Dude." :D

Great game. Great sales. Damn those retarded console gamer fools! :D

SCOREBOARD! $550 million and counting. PC sales are KILLING them!

[Zurik]

I wonder if any of the haters have even played it yet? I was skeptical before release but its been nothing but fun so far.

[blackzc]

Do you actually READ? I never said anything about PC sales. I pointed to the overall sales, and to the PC whiners who are all bent out of shape that IW/Activision didn't bow to their demands/complaints/cries of anguish. The point isn't that the PC version sold well. The point is that IW/Activision cannot hear your "hardcore PC-gamer cries of anguish" over the truckloads of cash swamping their offices. They don't give a shit about PC gamers' complaints and whining. They don't care about sales on the PC. You (PC elitists) lost. The fact that you couldn't figure that out speaks poorly for your reading comprehension. Public school victim? ;)



More features /= more fun. Again, you fail at reading. It has a ton of features and unlocks. It's also a lot of fun. Those are two points. Two. One...two.



Bitter tears from another jilted "Mr. Hardcore PC Gamer Dude." :D

Great game. Great sales. Damn those retarded console gamer fools! :D

SCOREBOARD! $550 million and counting. PC sales are KILLING them!


dude your shit is old, we get it...you dont seem to get that people are pissed about dedicated servers. you keep bringing sales up like its some end all be all.OH IT SOLD 49484749447BILLION COPIES YOUR AN IDIOT NOT TO LIKE IT.


I saw my buddy play the airport through the american subdivsion lvls....it seemed pretty badass. ill buy it when its 20$

[Johan]

you keep bringing sales up like its some end all be all.

Because that IS the 'be all, end all' of the whole thing. Bottom line? They can't hear you crying. They're buried in money, up and over their ears.

I was sympathetic with my fellow PC-gaming-brethren, until far too many of you pulled the "console gamers are retards" and acted like petulant infants screaming at the top of your lungs. Now, I'm just gloating, and enjoying it.

It's a great game which deserves the success it is having. Period.

[TekkenZaibatsu]

Wow, lots of hate. I find the overall disdain for the game here ridiculous, and this is coming from someone who thinks it is a bit overrated (not moreso than Halo 3, but still).

The game lacks the skill factor of COD4. It still requires skill, but terrible spawns, poorly designed maps and overhauled perks make the game a bit more generic. But it is still fun, plentiful and with tons of replay value. Definitely worth the money.

[oldjadedgamer]

dude your shit is old, we get it...you dont seem to get that people are pissed about dedicated servers. you keep bringing sales up like its some end all be all.OH IT SOLD 49484749447BILLION COPIES YOUR AN IDIOT NOT TO LIKE IT.

Talk about shit getting old... we all know that PC users are pissed about the lack of dedicated servers. How could we not? PC users have infected every single MW2 no matter what the topic was just to cry about the servers.

IW and Activision have heard your complaints, they have ignored them. It's time to accept it and move on. Now the complaining sounds like a ex-boyfriend crying about how his girlfriend left him. Everyone understands why PC users are upset but now it's just getting tired and old.

It's time to move on, wipe your tears, and pick yourself up. There will be other games you'll like... I promise but the MW2 ship has sailed.

[Forestimps]

Talk about shit getting old... we all know that PC users are pissed about the lack of dedicated servers. How could we not? PC users have infected every single MW2 no matter what the topic was just to cry about the servers.

IW and Activision have heard your complaints, they have ignored them. It's time to accept it and move on. Now the complaining sounds like a ex-boyfriend crying about how his girlfriend left him. Everyone understands why PC users are upset but now it's just getting tired and old.

It's time to move on, wipe your tears, and pick yourself up. There will be other games you'll like... I promise but the MW2 ship has sailed.

Amen to that!:rolleyes: This is just like a bad soap opera.... "Like sands through the hourglass...so are the days of our lives". There are so many other good and fun games where the PC-community gets treated like a princess (TF2 anyone?);). Quit your hating and spread some loving!

[Anenome]

Funny story, I bought COD4 on a whim, told all my Halo 3 buddies it was better, and they were like "uh, no thanks." So I re-purchased a used copy of Halo 3. A week later a few of them grabbed it and went batshit crazy for the game. Then they all jumped ship to COD. Alas, I learned I'm absolutely terrible at Modern Warfare multiplayer, so I'm not blowing my money on #2.
"Realistic" war FPS games aren't really my cup of tea anyway, but if it's better than COD4 it deserves all the praise it gets.

I think it was a huge turning point on XBL when it toppled Halo 3 as the #1 game, and it didn't get there by sucking.
- Yeah, this is what I'm talking about. All the Halo-jocks have now switched to CoD. Bungie must be crying their eyes out, with their designers pitching "Halo X: Modern Warfare" :P

The urban warfare in Halo never quite panned out for me. It was perhaps too scripted. I'd really like the industry to move beyond scripting into organic conflict and resolution. Create a world with intelligent actors, not static action, and let the gameplay take care of itself. I suppose we need computers to be more powerful, and design tools to follow that power, before we see what I'm describing here.

One day there'll be some AI breakthroughs that make AI as good as an online player.