MW3 sets $1bn sales record

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has become the fastest piece of entertainment to generate $1bn in sales, toppling movie blockbuster Avatar.

It achieved this milestone within 16 days of going on sale on November 8th, ahead of Avatar’s 17 days in 2009.

Call of Duty now boasts 30m players – more than the populations of New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Madrid combined. Over 6m of those gamers are active on its Call of Duty Elite service and 1m are paying for premium subscriptions.

Modern Warfare 3 sold 6.5m copies in the UK and US within its first 24 hours on sale, a rate of 75 copies sold per second.

Call of Duty has become that rare entertainment franchise that transcends its own genre,” said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg.

Core gamers love it, as our stellar reviews show. But every year, new people are drawn into Call of Duty. And while the franchise continues to set records, our fans still seem to want more, demonstrated by our record setting start on Call of DutyElite.

We are committed to helping everyone connect, compete and improve their game, Call of Duty style.”