For the fourth year in a row, the Call of Duty franchise earned the title of biggest entertainment launch of the year when Call of Duty: Black Ops II launched this past Tuesday, according to an Activision press release. It sold more than $500 million worldwide in its first 24 hours of availability, according to Activision's estimates.
"Call of Duty has become more than a product people buy, it's become a brand people buy into," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "And every November, we do more than just launch a game. We kick off an annual, unofficial, but worldwide phenomenon called Call of Duty season."
Indeed. Last year's Modern Warfare 3 made more than $775 million in its first five days at retail, while the original Black Ops before it sold $650 million in that same span. And with its direct sequel Black Ops II already earning a half-billion dollars in its first day, it seems Treyarch's first-person shooter is set to surpass those marks as well.
To put this in perspective, Microsoft recently announced Halo 4 made $300 million in its first week, which is considered extraordinary: It's the biggest launch in Halo history. That's also $200 million less in seven days than what BLOPS II managed in 24 hours.
The franchise is a juggernaut, folks. Maybe even, The Juggernaut.
