14 DAY TRIAL // We've already seen Modern Warfare 2 earn all sort of achievements, with sales numbers being just one of them. The title has managed to become the biggest one ever launched, with the most sold copies during the launch week, but also one of the most controverted games as well. The game's famous airport massacre scene has stirred a lot of discontent, and has even managed to get it withdrawn from shelves in Russia. The title managed to get an MA15+ rating in Australia, the last rating available before a game got banned, but the decision of the Australian Rating Board is currently being appealed by the South Australian Attorney General, Michael Atkinson.
The PC community also rebelled against the game, after developer Infinity Ward decided to bring several changes to it. The first was the introduction of the IWNet and the removal of the dedicated servers, followed by the player cap of 18 for the multiplayer. As such, PC sales amounted to only three percent of the total number, but, even so, the game was immensely successful, and not just for itself. As part of a bigger picture, MW2 also pushed the Call of Duty franchise to new heights.
With the latest number coming from the sales of Modern Warfare 2, the Call of Duty series has generated over $3 billion and sold over 55 million copies around the globe. The numbers come from internal estimates, but from independent, third-party companies as well, like the NPD Group, Chart-Track, and Gfk.
The CEO of Activision, the company that currently owns the franchise, Bobby Kotick, said that, “Call Of Duty has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. If you consider the number of hours our audiences are engaged in playing Call of Duty games, it is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history.” Which is rather sad, actually.