Activision's Call of Duty continues to defy odds, proving that annual releases don't necessarily result in gamer fatigue. The publisher announced today that Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, which released on November 6th, exceeded $550 million in sell-through worldwide in just the three-day opening weekend.
That figure makes Black Ops 3 the biggest entertainment launch of the year, beating Jurassic World and all other theatrical box office, music, and book launches.
Activision also noted that engagement per player also set a new record for the Call of Duty franchise, with fans having played more than 75 million hours online in its opening three days.
"The Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 launch is bigger than any game, any movie, or any entertainment launch this year. But more importantly, our fans are engaging more deeply with the franchise than ever before. In fact, so far, people are playing Black Ops III for more hours per player than any Call of Duty game on record," said Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg. "Call of Duty is more than a game, it's a year round passion for a growing base of millions of fans and it's only gaining momentum."
Activision also revealed that worldwide sales during the three-day opening weekend "rose significantly" over the previous two years, "including setting a new franchise mark, as digital downloads of the game across next generation consoles rose nearly 100% from a year ago."
Activision didn't announce specific sales for last year's Advanced Warfare, but that too was the biggest entertainment launch of the year. 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts sold more than $1 billion into retail stores worldwide in day one, but keep in mind that's not sold-through to actual customers. And lastly, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 sold-through more than $500 million worldwide in just the first 24 hours of its release.
Regardless of comparisons, it's clear Call of Duty remains force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.
