Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 smashes records with $400 million sold

Activision Publishing has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has become the biggest entertainment launch ever.

Strictly speaking, in literal terms, the biggest entertainment launch ever was when Rik Waller was first introduced to the Pop Idol crowd in 2001, but we think they mean in terms of sales.

And that's thanks to the astronomical 6.5 million copies shifted in the UK and the US on launch day. $400 million in revenue in just 24 hours - that's some seriously big bucks right there.

The record beats Call of Duty's previous ones. Last year's Call of Duty: Black Ops recorded an estimated day-one sell through of $360 million, beating 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which set what was then a record with sales of over $310 million.

"We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories," said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc.

"Other than Call of Duty, there has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records three years in a row. Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise exceed worldwide theatrical box office for Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, two of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time."