Acivision have revealed the day-one sales figures of Modern Warfare 2; and they’re huge. If their internal estimates are correct, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has raked in over $300 million (approx. £185 million) in just a single day. This isn’t even worldwide figures either; this is purely based on the US and UK sales. If these numbers are to be believed, then it has become the biggest entertainment release of all time.

So that’s the monetary value, but what does that actually mean in terms of units sold? 4.7 million according Activision; smashing the previous one-day record set by GTA IV, by over 85%. CEO of Activision said:

The Call of Duty franchise has become a cultural phenomenon showing the power of video games as an entertainment medium

There has been a bit of confusion over the day-one figures of Modern Warfare 2, however. Chart-Track – the company behind the official UK games chart and sales figures – has come under attack from everyone’s favourite analyst – Michael Pachter. Chart-Track has released data that suggests the number of units shifted on the first day, in the UK alone, were 1.23 million. Pachter has questioned these figures as he believes, based on other predictions by other analysts, that they are too high. Chart-Track has defended their release by stating:

UK retailers have been at the forefront of electronic data capture for decades, which in turn allows us to capture daily sales from 99 per cent of retailers on our panel.

If both Chart-Track and Activision’s figures are accurate, then it means (i’m hoping my math is correct here) that the UK accounts for over 25% of the 4.7 million units sold on day one.

Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit; Modern Warfare 2 has become a historical release.

Source: gi.biz