Activison: Call of Duty franchise has surpassed more than $3 billion

By Stephany Nunneley

Activision has announced that the Call of Duty franchise has surpassed $3 billion in sales and moved 55 million units worldwide.

Modern Warfare 2 sales helped with that number significantly, as it generated $550 million in its first five days worldwide.

“Call Of Duty has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time,” said a probably very happy Bobby Kotick. “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.”

Activision garnered these massive figures from estimates and third-party groups NPD, Chart-Track, and Gfk.

Full PR below the break.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI – News) announced today that the Call of Duty® franchise has surpassed $3 billion in retail sales worldwide, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack, GfK and internal Activision estimates.

Since its first release, the award-winning Call of Duty franchise has sold in excess of 55 million units worldwide. The latest title in the franchise, Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2, recently shattered box office and video game records with a worldwide estimated five-day sale through of approximately $550 million, establishing the game as the biggest entertainment launch in history.

“Call Of Duty has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, Inc. “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.”

Modern Warfare 2 picks up following the historic events of Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare®, the blockbuster title that remains the top selling first person action game in history. Modern Warfare 2 is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information about the game, visit www.modernwarfare2.com.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.