Newest release in Call of Duty franchise tops $1 billion in sales in just 15 days
Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the latest instalment in Activision Blizzard Inc.’s bestselling video-game franchise, topped $1 billion in retail sales within its first 15 days of release.
The sales figure, which relies on Chart-Track retail data, means Call of Duty reached $1 billion faster than the movie Avatar, the record holder for feature films, Activision said Wednesday in a statement.
The previous instalment in the series accomplished that same feat last year. It took 16 days to reach the $1 billion milestone, compared with 17 for Avatar, which came out in 2009.
“Since Call of Duty was launched, cumulative franchise revenues from players around the world are greater than current worldwide box office receipts to date for the top 10 grossing films of 2012 combined,” Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick said. “Sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for Harry Potter and Star Wars, the two most successful movie franchises of all time.”
Activision, the worlds largest video-game seller, is counting on new titles to maintain growth after topping third-quarter profit and revenue estimates last quarter. Sales had flagged last year, hurt by the sluggish economy and a rise in games that are free to play.
Shares of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based company had fallen 8.5 per cent this year through Tuesday.