Activision has changed its tune. Three days after stating Call of Duty: Black Ops would not perform as well as Modern Warfare 2, they have announced that Black Ops has raked in a mind-boggling $360M in the first twenty-four hours of release, shattering all entertainment release records, including its predecessor.
The game sold-through around 5.6 million units in the UK and North America, compared to 4.7 million of Modern Warfare 2.
Activision’s CEO Bobby Kotick is now gushing:“There has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records for two consecutive years and we are on track to outperform last year’s five-day global sales record of $550 million.”
The news is also entertainingly colored by the subtext of the rift and departure of Infinity Ward heads Vince Zampella and Jason West, who left Activision in a spectacular soap opera and legal battles. This can only put an extreme amount of pressure on Zampella and West, whose next game will be undoubtedly judged on how it compares with Black Ops, and more dauntingly, how it sells.
Jonah Falcon is a blogger for TMRzoo and GameStooge.com and covers all gaming consoles and platforms including Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP and computer games designed for Mac OS, Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems. Jonah provides his readers with reviews, previews and up to date gaming industry news and rumors.
