Guinness: Modern Warfare 2 had biggest entertainment launch ever

by Griffin McElroy on Apr 21st 2010 4:30PM

There's been some dispute as to whether Modern Warfare 2 had the biggest first-day sales presence in the entire entertainment industry. Sure, its $401 million launch day revenue topped literally every other piece of entertainment media ever released, but in terms of units sold, it was surpassed by the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book and ticket sales for The Dark Knight.

However, in an attempt to clear up any obscurity, the Guinness Book of World Records proclaimed that the game had the "Most Successful Entertainment Launch of All-Time." Though we shudder to think that we live in a world where success is measured in the amount of money earned, and not the number of lives a book, movie or game touches, we suppose congratulations are in order. So, congratulations, Modern Warfare 2! Guinness says you did it.

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Tags: activision, Call-of-Duty, call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2, day-one, guinness, guinness-world-records, infinity-ward, launch, Microsoft, modern-warfare-2, sales, success, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (60)

A success that will no doubt be short lived, seeing as there's a certain FPS on it's way for Fall...

CoD 7?
Hur hur hur

it will be interesting to see if Reach can out do an multiplatform game. we'll see. My money is ready to help.

I think he means something more, far Reaching.

Not going to happen. Halo: Reach will probably sell more on the 360 than MW2 did, but it will not top MW2's 360+PS3+PC sales.

Halo 3 managed to sell 8.1 million copies from the end of September to January, on a much smaller install base.

By the time Reach hits, you're looking at an install base of 45 million 360's. You do the math.

@ Dr. 32

Thats... thats... thats OVER 9000(10^3). OMG

This will not be short lived by any means. Assuming you're talking about Reach, no way.

I'm even doubting Reach can beat MW2's 360 numbers. There's no doubt about Halo's following and loyal fanbase, but I still think MW2 had a wider appeal.

And they're both terrible games. :sigh:

Bring on the downvotes 13-17 year old joystiq readers.

By then, people will have tired of MW2. Call of Duty will be dragging itself back to pre-Modern era. Microsoft is sure to have a massive ad campaign (Halo 3 still holds the record, with 250 million dollars spent on marketing alone), plus all the hubbub about how revitalized the game looks...

And again, this record isn't about sales, it's about how much money it made on the first day.

@tomlinson I'll never understand people like you. You say that two extremely popular games (one of which isn't even out yet) are terrible, without providing further explanation at all, and then assert that anyone who disagrees with and downvotes you is 13-17 years old. You don't have to be 13-17 to not like assholes who say things are terrible for no damn reason, go troll somewhere else punk

I was just stating my opinion there bat boy.

Halo: Reach is definitely going to crush MW2's 360 sales, but beyond that, even I'm skeptical it can outdo MW2 with one third the available platforms to do it on...

The beasty Spartan in me is nodding vigorously (and, of course, badassedly) to the notion, though.

there's a big difference between stating your opinion and just saying something sucks. If you had said "They're both terrible games X reason Y reason Z reason" you might have a point, but no, all you did was call them terrible and everyone who finds them not terrible immature. That seems pretty characteristic of a 13-17 year old doesn't it?

@ tomlinson

YOU JUST GOT BATUSI'D!!

I really don't care how Reach does compared to MW2 in terms of sales. I just want Reach to be a higher quality game than MW2, and I have a feeling it will be.

I never said everyone who doesn't find them terrible immature. You are making false assumptions. That is not very Batman like.

What he was saying, is anyone who downvotes his immature and troll-like comment is themselves immature. :P Well if you can't beat em, join em. -1

And a few months later, shit hits the fan for the developer.

Never gonna give you up!

Kotick gonna bring you down

Kotick gonna tell a lie....and hurt you.

we've known him for so long

c-c-c- COMBO BREAKER!

wow, just replacing "never" with "kotick" actually works really well with that whole song.

I think the Deathly Hollows movies will top it

if not both, then most likely the second

I doubt it. A video game costs about 60 bucks per unit, whereas a ticket to see a movie is going to run around 10 bucks on average (if I'm not mistaken).

You underestimate Harry Potter fans, lol

I think they can pull it off

Plus if they put it out in 3D and IMAX, that increases ticket price. And by the summer blockbuster months start, we are looking at a 5-10 bucks per ticket increase for regular showings!

and here come the endless BF2 > MW2 posts.

Nice job IW. I loved this game when I had time to play it.

It's sad that nobody really cares that the game sucks and they only focus on the fact that it had huge sales. It didn't have those sales because it was a great game, it did because CoD4 was the best military shooter ever made.

"CoD4 was the best military shooter ever made."

They have regenerating health in the military? Why is the casualty rate in Iraq so high then?

Yeah, I kinda thought SOCOM had that title.

"One of the best arcade style FPS's" sounds more accurate.

How can you say Cod 4 was the best military shooter ever but MW2 sucks? They're the same thing! Id be hard pressed to imagine you played 4 for the story, and MW2 improved upon the original in every other way

trying to figure out how this: "CoD4 was the best military shooter ever made."

equals

this: They have regenerating health in the military?

Because he said Military not realism ;)

@The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi]
You get dropped on the head when you were young?

The game kicked ass...

Jesus f*cking christ people. MW2 is a good game, a damn good one. If you don't like it then fine, but don't go into every MW2 post saying it sucks. I don't like Halo at all, but not once have I ever posted a negative comment about Halo for no reason. I realize it's good for it's audience.

@yimyimyimi What the hell kind of thing to say is that? If you wanted to insult me, you should have tried a lot harder. Because right now, I'm not the one unable to see how MW2 improved on 4 in just about every facet possible. They added spec ops, they added new weapons, new perks, equipment, call signs, customizable killstreaks, etc. etc. Sure, it might have had an awful, awful story, but hey, so did CoD 4. Asking me if i got dropped on my head as child because I enjoyed a game is something someone who got dropped on their head would ask

He lost his parents at a young age, go easy on him!

I have the most respect for you, Bat, because you're probally the most fair and unbiased poster on the site. But I have to disagree with you on MW2 improving in every way, or every other way.

COD 4: Had, amazing maps such as Wet Work, Crash, Overgrown, Crossfire, and Shipment was fun on private matches,
MW2: Had, lackluster maps like Karachi, Wasteland, and dozens of areas that were used for nothing but boosters, I liked Skidrow though.

COD 4: Had, what, one unbalanced gun? The M16, and for the most part, not many people abused the gun, the other guns we're fun to use too.
MW2: Has more M16 users/Akimbo 1887's users(before the patch)/Danger Close+Noob Tubes and more! The balance is all over the place.

In closing, COD 4: Had a tolerable community, sure there were those douchebags who thought they were the best on the planet, but there were always some down to earth people,
MW2: Has almost 90% Douchebags who prey on anyone younger than them, or Teens/Preteens who cuss way too much and shout into the mic.

So many more issues in MW2's multiplayer (spec ops is amazing) such as respawning, boosting, the early glitches seems like such a downgrade from COD 4.

I'd say you're right about most of the things, but with the community that's never really something you can pin down. One one hand in CoD4 i met a lot more badmouthing jerk offs, but in MW2 I've met silent people who play like assholes. The maps also seem more like personal preference and I never really got past 37 so i don't honestly know much about the balance of most weapons. The point was though just that they were for the most part the same, and if nothing else MW2 did have spec ops which was pretty great. It seemed just like saying GTA IV was the greatest game ever but The Lost and Damned was terrible, they were pretty much the same aside from a few minor differences. Lastly, thank you for your personal compliments on my efforts of EJUSTICE

I see your points on maps being about preference and not being able to pin down the community, perhaps I experianced just as many jerks on CoD4, it's been awhile since I've played the game. I wouldn't say MW2 is a terrible game because it does do some things right, but CoD4 was my favorite FPS of the generations, and I had extremely high expectations for MW2. Spec Ops is amazingly fun though.

Well, I respect your opinion and see where you're coming from. Good discussion.

Non hardcore noobs...lol

not much of a surprise. considering the insane success of Cod4 and the fact that it was multiplatform, of course it's going to beat previous records. i would even go so far as to say that people would rather buy Call of Duty than GTA (only other comparable multiplatform game that gets similar success that i can think of).

it's a shame that i hyped this game so much for myself only to see that it does have its flaws, and that the community will not stop until it has exploited them until the next installment arrives

The voice of reason speaketh, behold!!!

Ok Joystiq staff. I don't want to hear about Modern Warfare 2 unless it has to do with Bobby Kotick getting fired or punched in the face (preferably both at the same time).

I actually have to second this. While MW2 is indeed a game, it's shit and i hate it. We won't stop hearing about it I know, but not hearing about it would be nice.

You know you can skip past the article. Seriously, grow up.

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Guinness: Modern Warfare 2 had biggest entertainment launch ever

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Posted: Apr 21st 2010 4:33PM Dr Blight said

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