Modern Warfare 3 earned $1 billion in revenue in 16 days

Activision’s latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise has managed to generate over $1 billion in revenue in just16 days. Doing so in just over two weeks makes the game the fastest entertainment property to reach that milestone.

The timing is significant as Modern Warfare 3 was able to set a new record without the assistance of Black Friday in the US. Microsoft was able to sell nearly 1 million Xbox 360 consoles during the week of Black Friday which likely indicates that the video game industry will do rather well this holiday season.

“Call of Duty has become that rare entertainment franchise that transcends its own genre. Core gamers love it, as our stellar reviews show. But every year, new people are drawn into Call of Duty,”  said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “And while the franchise continues to set records, our fans still seem to want more, demonstrated by our record setting start on Call of Duty Elite. We are committed to helping everyone connect, compete and improve their game, Call of Duty style.”

Just a few days after the November 8 launch it was announced that the game had become the biggest entertainment launch of all time, beating the previous record set by its predecessor Black Ops a year ago. Modern Warfare 3 brought in over $400 million in revenue in 24 hours, selling 6.5 million copies in the US and UK. In comparison, it took Modern Warfare 2 over two months to generate $1 billion in sales.

It’s important to point out that while these sales figures are impressive, we must remember that a video game cost $60 on average while an average movie ticket is roughly $15. In terms of sheer dollars, it’s not unimaginable for a video game to earn more revenue than a blockbuster movie in a shorter time. In 2009, “Avatar” earned $1 billion in 17 days after opening in theaters.

Modern Warfare 3 shatters one-day entertainment sales records

The latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise has become the biggest entertainment launch of all time,smashing the previous record set by its predecessor a year ago. Modern Warfare 3 brought in over $400 million in revenue in 24 hours, selling 6.5 million copies in the US and UK.

Call of Duty: Black Ops generated $360 million on opening day last year, again setting a new record that was previously held by a Call of Duty title. In 2009, Modern Warfare 2 sold roughly 4.7 million units in the first 24 hours available, good for $310 million in revenue.

"We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories," said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotickt. "Other than Call of Duty, there has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records three years in a row. Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise exceed worldwide theatrical box office for 'Star Wars' and 'Lord of the Rings,' two of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time."

At this rate, it’s pretty much a given that Modern Warfare 3 will set a new record for five-day sales worldwide. Black Ops did the same by earning $650 million, beating all theatrical box office, book and video game sales records for the same time period.

While the records are impressive, it can be a bit unfair to compare a video game launch to other entertainment releases based on revenue alone. A video game typically sells for $50-60 while a movie, for example, will only set you back $10-15 and many books are under $20.

EA’s Battlefield 3 launched late last year to generally positive reviews from critics. In a conference call to investors, EA CEO John Riccitiello stated that Battlefield 3 had shipped 10 million units within a week of its release, making it the fastest-selling game in EA history.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Engine Focused on Gameplay

There are many new features that will make Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 a worthy upgrade after two years of Modern Warfare 2. For one thing, it'll have full integration with the comprehensive Call of Duty Elite service

For gamers who love the first two Modern Warfare games, this third entry will feature even more polish on every facet of the game. Infinity Ward has hired talent from unlikely places to improve upon single aspects of Modern Warfare 3.

To improve upon the animations, for example, the company recruited the help of a Hollywood CGI animator who worked on the models used in movies such as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, the Animatrix and Beowulf. For online level progression, Infinity Ward looked to the MMO talent pool to find a specialist.

Infinity Ward's executive producer Mark Rubin told an audience at a roundtable discussion at Call of Duty XP that the developer's focus is on gameplay technology. The developers have been further fine-tuning the sensitivity and acceleration of the thumbsticks for the console versions of the game.

For PC gamers, the good news is that dedicated servers are back. What won't make some PC gamers as happy is that Modern Warfare 3 likely won't be a showcase for the latest and most powerful video cards.

We asked Rubin if Modern Warfare 3 featured any significant changes over the engine used to power Call of Duty: Black Ops.

"There have been significant changes," he replied. "But the types of changes that we do are more on gameplay than on technology. We are not focusing on changes that have fancy names such as 'full screen ambient occlusion'. The changes we do can't be easily labeled. All our tech is gameplay-oriented."

We pressed for more information, such as if Modern Warfare 3 would take advantage of new graphic technologies such as those afforded by DirectX 11.

"We are still looking at things like DX11," Rubin answered. "It's one of the things our team is looking at, but our focus is all about gameplay, not about technology. We want it to be more about fun than anything else."

PC gamers who play Modern Warfare 3, DX11 effects or not, will still get a better visual experience than those on console thanks to high resolution textures.

As for PC platform-specific support for things such as Eyefinity and 3D Vision, Rubin said that those features are still undecided, but is something it is working on with AMD and Nvidia.

Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer Reveal

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Tango Down

Walmart throwing 2,700 midnight launch parties for Modern Warfare 3

Walmart will be throwing 2,700 Modern Warfare 3 midnight launch parties at various stores across the nation. Launch parties will include multiplayer tournaments, gifts and additional Call of Duty merchandise up for grabs.

Tournaments at stores in all 50 states will allow gamers to play the highly anticipated first-person shooter hours before the official launch. Tournament rules and prizes were not released and it’s likely that each store could have their own set of rules depending on who is organizing the event.

Gamers who buy the title at Walmart’s midnight launch will also receive a commemorative patch similar to those given out at the Call of Duty XP convention in September. Posters and t-shirts signifying the launch date and Call of Duty Elite will also be made available, although it's unclear if these will be handed out on a first come, first serve basis, given away as tournament prizes or sold separately.

Walmart made a point to advertise their Mega XP promotion in the announcement. By purchasing specially marked packages of Doritos and Mountain Dew, gamers can earn codes redeemable for bonus Double XP time in the game. Mega XP promotional products are only available at Walmart.

Walmart’s Modern Warfare 3 midnight event starts at 8pm local time on November 7. Lines are likely to be long so it’s advised to get their early as supplies of the bonus MW3 patch, posters and t-shirts are limited. The company has posted a PDF with a list of all 2,700 participating stores. With so many locations hosting launch parties, odds are there will be at least one near you.

The only question that remains is, will you be attending a launch party?