Niko Bellic put up a good fight, but in the end, even Grand Theft Auto IV's $310 million first day was no match for Activision's FPS juggernaut.
"Videogame releases such as the Call of Duty series have outperformed the launches of major Hollywood blockbusters for several years and the day-one sales for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 proved once again that videogames have become cultural events in their own right," Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition Editor, Gaz Deaves, said in a statement. "The fan movement and hype surrounding this game in the run-up to launch was almost unprecedented in scale; we acknowledged early on that the big question wasn't if it would break all-time entertainment records, but rather by how much."
Bungie's Halo 3, which rang up $170 million in its first 24 hours, was bumped to third on the all-time list. The Guinness entertainment launch record includes box office, book, and album sales.
"This achievement is a reflection of the support from our community of fans around the world," Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling said. "The Call of Duty series and Modern Warfare have been our passion -- we've dedicated our lives to giving our best, so it's an honor to be recognized by setting a new standard among all entertainment properties."
Sharkey says: Activision should be congratulated, but this announcement only makes me shake my head at what a mess the publisher has made at Infinity Ward. Activision didn't just kill its golden goose, it cooked and ate the goose's eggs.
