Entertainment stand-off: Skyfall vs Halo vs Call of Duty

Stand back Bond, Batman and Iron Man – it’s now the turn of video games to hog the spotlight.

Blockbuster shooters Call of Duty and Halo are set to beat the record-breaking opening week for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall.

The cinematic action romp has generated 37.2m in just seven days, but that will be nothing compared to Activision’s plans. The firm says it will make Black Ops II the biggest entertainment launch this year.

The game arrives days after Microsoft’s star-studded bash to celebrate the launch of Halo 4, which rolled out to retail this week.

We fully expect Black Ops II to be the largest entertainment launch of the year,” Activision’s UK MD Peter Hepworth told MCV.

Over the last few years we have dwarfed cinema, music, and books in terms of sales value, and 2012 will be no different.Call of Duty: Black Ops II truly offers something for everyone: an epic cinematic campaign, innovative multiplayer, and the largest zombie experience ever.”

Halo 4’s executive producer Kiki Wolfkill told MCV: Games have evolved into an entertainment phenomenon. People anticipate them like a movie – it’s an experience they want to be a part of.”

These major launches come at just the right time for the High Street, which suffered yet another bleak month in October. Game sales were down by almost 30 per cent year-over-year, and there were fewer games sold than in September.