Activision: Modern Warfare 2 earned $550 million in first five days
by Justin McElroy 
{ Nov 18th 2009 at 9:45AM } 
If there were any tears to shed about that, Activision could dry them with some other impressive statistics, such as 5.2 million multiplayer hours logged and 11 million achievements unlocked on the game's first day. It could also presumably dry any tears with crisp bajillion dollar bills.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Blank-Mage (ATDFs Nuker) @ Nov 18th 2009 9:46AM
Well, I rented it, but I didn't buy it outright.
I have Left 4 Dead 2 for that.
Drew -- PS360: uphillbothways @ Nov 18th 2009 10:51AM
I'll get downvoted for agreeing with you, but I haven't bought it either despite logging over 100 hours in MW1. I'm sticking to my guns, and I'll get it used in Feb. Oh, and I picked up L4D2 yesterday. I'll pick up one more on payday. Or two. Or three. Damn it, I want AC2, Borderlands, and Dragon Age still.
Any advice from anyone on ranking those 3 on which to buy first? And don't just say, "Buy all three!!!" because I will, just not all at once. I'm not made of money.
Samuel Vimes @ Nov 18th 2009 10:55AM
Honestly, I would wait on Borderlands last. It was a great game the first play through, but when you hit the second run things just got terrible. Great element of a game but it wasn't executed properly.
Ben @ Nov 18th 2009 11:39AM
While i will agree with what Samuel Vimes said, the second play through definatly slows down a bit, but thats when you start to get outright amazing weapons and thats one of the things that kept me going through the game. Can't wait for Zombie Island to release so i can level up to 50. Plus if you wait to play it, some of the buddies you have may not be intrested in playing it again and the co-op is what really makes the game a blast, so keep that in mind.
Draimen @ Nov 20th 2009 12:36AM
Drew, I would say get Dragon Age. But that's just my personal opinion. Bioware is one of my favorite developers and Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights were two of my favorite games. And Dragon Age is pretty much those, but better. lol
Temidien @ Nov 18th 2009 11:57AM
I would go the AC2, Dragon Age, Borderlands route. You don't want to get bored with FPSes and AC2 transitions well into the massive RPG that is Dragon Age (after which you'll want a light-hearted FPS).
Stacky @ Nov 18th 2009 12:03PM
Depends on how AC2 comes out. I agree, Borderlands was pretty short and the replay value isn't too high. If you enjoyed Mass Effect, grab Dragon Age, it's a fairly long and emersive game.
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 18th 2009 12:50PM
1. Borderlands
2. AC2
3. Dragons Age (360 hd installs= much shorter load times)
Borderlands isn't short if you don't rush through it. I got to lvl 35 on 1 playthrough w/o mp. It lasted me at least 25 hours. I did all quests and explored thoroughly.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 9:51AM
Well, I still expect it will be beaten by Halo: Reach, but those numbers are fairly impressive.
Too bad it's all going to Kotick's money bin.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Nov 18th 2009 10:01AM
Reach isn't Multiplatform....it may do 3-5 milllion the first month but even thats pushing it...
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 10:03AM
Halo 3 pushed out 4.4 million overnight...
MystileArmor @ Nov 18th 2009 10:04AM
I gotta agree with Chris here. You go out on the street and ask any random person about MW2 and they likely know what you're talking about. Ask them about Halo: Reach and at most you'd get someone that goes like "Oh yeah I just got that". That's besides the fact that it isn't multi-platform.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 10:05AM
The Wii titles aren't multiplatform, but that doesn't change the fact that they've outsold the other games...
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Nov 18th 2009 10:10AM
thats HALO 3!!!
Halo: Reach is NOT Halo 4
if it was then I would be in FULL agreeance with you....
but Reach is an off story....a spin off of sorts...
I will wait til the Beta before dissing it or anything but so far its just a distant thought...
as for the Wii titles selling a lot....you DO realize there are 45-50 Million Wii's out there right?
Maverick Saturn (Igor) @ Nov 18th 2009 10:13AM
Hm, I dunno if Halos have the same effect now as 3 did, its kinda being milked to the extreme, lets see how reach performs, but I'm pretty sure MW has taken over from where Halo used to reign, multiplat or not.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 10:16AM
Halo has released 5 titles since 2001 and it's 'milked'
Call of Duty has released more than one title every year since 2003 and it's 'okay'?
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Nov 18th 2009 10:24AM
uhhh CoD has the benefit of being grounded in REALITY.....thats a HUGE plus IMO
Mogster @ Nov 18th 2009 10:28AM
You like games cos they're 'grounded in reality'?
I think you need a new hobby.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 10:29AM
If Call of Duty is reality, I'm a Jedi.
Firing a .50 caliber sniper rifle from the hip is 'reality'?
Taking multiple bullets and recovering is 'reality'?
Your perk system is 'reality'?
Vidikron @ Nov 18th 2009 10:32AM
Quit arguing stupid stuff, just accept that Reach won't match MW2.
dunnypop @ Nov 18th 2009 10:34AM
ODST put a bad taste in my mouth for a $60 add-on.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 10:36AM
No, it won't just match it, it'll blow the damn game out of the water and leave a smoldering corpse where Bobby Kotick once sat.
Vidikron @ Nov 18th 2009 10:37AM
You're on crack. I
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Nov 18th 2009 10:41AM
I didn't say it WAS reality...I said it was GROUNDED in reality....so they took realistic things and changed them a bit for sake of gameplay...its not like I'm jumping 50' in the air and coming down without dying, the entire time shooting and killing....
as for me like games of that nature....sure...from time to time...but if thats ALL I liked then I wouldn't be a gamer....I mean what plumber just goes down a pipe without know whats on the other side?
Maverick Saturn (Igor) @ Nov 18th 2009 10:44AM
Halo is milked ¬_¬ You'd have to be dopey to not see that.
- They were making a movie out of it.
- They have Marvel making comics out of it
- They have books about it
- 5 game titles about it
- Statues and figures about it
- Halo represents what Xbox original was and what 360 still is.
- Halo IS Bungie, I can't think of any other Bungie title I've actually enjoyed until I played Halo.
- Halo to a certain extent IS Xbox, thats not to say its the only good game, thats just stupid, but when I think about Xbox, the first thing that pops into my head is Halo.
- They have merchandise all over the place Halo related
- The series is bloody finished supposedly in 3 and yet it still has spin offs and sequels, wtf?
Milking isn't always a bad thing though, so don't see it as a negative, it just depends on how it is milked and on what the quality of that milking is, MGS and GTA are milked to a certain extent too (MGS probably more), but I couldn't love them more then I do.
BananaBoat @ Nov 18th 2009 10:53AM
Reach won't top MW2 in day one sales, or five day sales. It's just not going to happen. MW2 may have sold most of its copies on the 360, but the PS3 sales figures still helped to push it over the hump and make it the single highest one-day gross ever. Reach won't have that.
Besides, ODST was the sequel to Halo 3 in the minds of your average Halo player. The only people that knew anything about its short development cycle were us hardcore blog reading nerds. If it can't top MW2, I see no reason why Reach could.
GTA 5 might be the next threat to the crown, if it happens on current gen hardware. If not, I don't see anything coming close until MW3 (which I'm just going to assume will be on the current gen).
Maverick Saturn (Igor) @ Nov 18th 2009 11:02AM
Personally, I can see MW games aiming for GTA's crown of best selling game this gen. To the typical person, Halo ODST WAS Halo 4, how were they to know it was supposed to be an expansion unless they took the time to find out, the fact it came out and released seperatly to Halo 3 meant to people who knew no better it was Halo 4, not that it mattered anyway, because even the dedicated Halo people didnt buy it in the masses, which goes to show that even they didn't care for it as much as they did Halo 3 despite the fact they are meant to be hardcore Halo fans.
This is based upon people who wouldn't shut up about the Halo series now cannot be arsed to even get ODST. I'm not sure if that's because they don't see it as a true Halo game, or because they are growing tired of the same old shoot the brutes, hunters and grunts routine that never seems to change.
Platinum_Skeet @ Nov 18th 2009 11:48AM
I'm just looking forward to the next Xbox coming out and Microsoft pushing Bungie to milk the franchise to no end by releasing 1-3 on one disc with next-gen graphics.
That's when you know a franchise has been milked all the way to no extent...
Maverick Saturn (Igor) @ Nov 18th 2009 12:18PM
If Halo isn't milked, I want to know what milking is, milking to me isn't just about sequels (which lots of games and movies fall victim to) but also having books, comics, action figures, bed sheets and god knows what else of series, whether or not the series is popular, heck, it could be the first game of a series and still be milked if there are already movies, books, comic strips etc etc before the sequel to the good game has even come out yet.
COD is milked as well, but if anyone can get me a COD comic book, novel, bed sheets, movie and toy merchandises, I would be very happy :D
M.Garvey @ Nov 18th 2009 12:28PM
It's going to be an interesting day if Halo Reach doesn't perform as well as Brad is saying it will.
::gets popcorn::
I'm ready for the show!
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 18th 2009 12:35PM
How can there still be halo fanboys, when it's one of the worst franchises in gaming (to me, it's the worst thing that's ever happened to gaming).
No one said COD wasn't milked, but that doesn't mean Halo isn't...because it is.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 1:04PM
Well, you're a dipshit, Tmac. No one is denying that either, you know.
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Nov 18th 2009 1:21PM
You'd have to be a complete idiot to think Reach would outsell MW2 overall. Reach might outsell MW2 – on the 360, but won't come close to selling more than MW2 in terms of overall sales (all console/PC sales).
Remember, CoD4 overthrew Halo 3 on the 360 for a few weeks on XBL. Despite CoD4's initial success, Halo 3 ultimately came out on top on XBL in terms of most played. And really, who bloody cares what sells more? If you like that game, play it, love it, enjoy, make love to it, etc. We don't need to hear fanboy rants on silly subjects like this.
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Nov 18th 2009 1:29PM
tmac, Halo is the reason why the gaming industry became competitive again. To say that it is the worst thing to happen in gaming is the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard. I don't think there is a FPS/action/adventure game that doesn't borrow elements from the original Halo and/or it's sequels.
maveric101 @ Nov 18th 2009 4:50PM
fyi halo 3 did $300 million in the first week. i would expect Reach to sell more than ODST since it's a full-fledged game rather than more of an add-on, but topping halo 3 is pretty unlikely (though maybe not impossible depending on advertisement). However, it should be obvious to anyone that Reach will not top MW2's total earnings. being restricted to one platform is just too much of a handicap.
tjfadness @ Nov 26th 2009 2:47AM
I have to agree that Halo will pretty much definitely not be MW2 in overall sales as well, but I would like to say something.
Bungie created an entire universe for Halo, and in doing so created many stories that could not be made into games. Saying that writing a book in the Halo universe is milking it is stupid. In fact, this is probably the most annoying, and downright stupid comment out of all of this thread.
The Comics are, I admit, milking of the franchise but that shouldn't make you hate all of the games. Bungie didn't commission the Comics, Microsoft did. Microsoft owns the Halo IP, unfortunately, so they will be trying to make as much money off of it as they possibly can. Quote from Bungie:
"We don’t own the rights to the Halo IP. That means we can’t and don’t manufacture or sell Halo branded items. That extends not only to the name “Halo” itself, but also to the characters and iconic imagery you associate with our beloved baby."
5 games about it?
Halo 1: 2001: The start. You can't complain about that.
Halo 2: 2004: The Sequel. Still, can't complain.
Halo 3: 2007: The Final sequel of the Master Chief saga. Over this many years, how can you complain?
Halo 3: ODST: 2009: The Expansion. Microsoft being the money grubbing bastards they are forced the $60 price. Bungie didn't want that.
Halo Reach: 2010: The final game.
So, over the course of 10 years they made 4 games and an expansion. Their publishers forced a heavy pricetag on the expansion, so if you want: 5 games. Over 10 years. Get over it.
As for Statues and figurines... whenever a franchise gets as good as Halo, why would you expect them to NOT make action figures and the like for it? It just makes sense. I my self own a few because I enjoy physical objects as well as software.
"Halo IS bungie"? They were small-time Mac devs before they finally made a successful game, ergo: Halo.
"The series is finished in 3"
They never said that. Rumors went around after Halo 1, Halo 2, and Halo 3 that nothing would be released afterwords. They were all wrong. They said for Halo 3 that they were finishing Master Chiefs fights. You know, Finish the Fight? And they were. They then made an Expansion for the fans and are creating a sequel before they, as they have announced, move on.
Also, if the "Average person" were to think that "Halo 3" meant "Halo 4" then they are stupid. The title of the game is "Halo 3: ODST". If you look on the back, it says "Disk 2: The complete Halo 3 multilayer experience." then "This standalone disk contains the complete Halo 3 collection - 24 maps in all - including [...]" That pretty much sets in in stone that Halo 3 ODST is not a new game all together.
"COD is milked as well, but if anyone can get me a COD comic book, novel, bed sheets, movie and toy merchandises, I would be very happy :D"
That is EXACTLY why those things exist for Halo.
K387 @ Nov 18th 2009 9:54AM
Didn't buy it. No regrets. Making my way through Dragon Age. Plan on doing Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect 2 too and Borderlands should cover my multiplayer fix. It just sucks that most people on my list have it, but I'm not going to give in like most people "who got it cause all their friends got it".
Prof. Von Manifest (aka the caterpillar in your buttermilk) [PSN: Manifest37] @ Nov 18th 2009 9:55AM
Great game.
Almost done with Hardened, Veteran is up next.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Nov 18th 2009 10:02AM
I played thru the first time on Veteran....so all I have to do on my next play thru is get intel....and I can do that on easy so I can just breeze thru it....
BananaBoat @ Nov 18th 2009 11:08AM
I was going to play on veteran...until I got to the Favela. Man do I hate the Favela.
EvoHelix @ Nov 18th 2009 9:56AM
On an unrelated note. What is up with that screen shot? Am I supposed to be seeing some kind of crazy angel in that smoke?
uncle jesse @ Nov 18th 2009 10:00AM
Whoa. I never even thought twice about it, but now that you've mentioned it, that's all I see now.
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 10:02AM
Me too...
Kris120890 @ Nov 18th 2009 10:04AM
No. Its an C-130 Party Peace. Its chaff to confuse Missiles Lock-ons. Also looks like an angel when fired.
heywoodjablome @ Nov 18th 2009 10:09AM
(A)C-130's when popping flares create a "smoke angel", other larger planes do the same such as the C17 Globemaster. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060822.html
EvoHelix @ Nov 18th 2009 10:59AM
Wow, cool. If anything, you have to appreciate IW's attention to detail. I didn't even notice that while playing the game. You two get up-voted for teaching the class something new today. Thanks!
XLM @ Nov 18th 2009 1:13PM
That's no angel, it's the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
rickjamess04 @ Nov 18th 2009 9:56AM
Which president is on the bajillion dollar bill?
Darth Bradwart, The Dark Lord of the Sith-ATDF Co-Founder @ Nov 18th 2009 9:57AM
Taft. Only one big enough.
Blank-Mage (ATDFs Nuker) @ Nov 18th 2009 9:58AM
Bill Gates? Oh, wait, he's a CEO, I think.