Call of Duty: Black Ops shatters UK day-one sales record
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As we learned yesterday, the act of dude-shooting has worldwide appeal. In a follow-up, MCV reports that data provided by the UK's GfK Chart-Track service breaks down the particular explosiveness of Call of Duty: Black Ops' launch sales in the region, which set the day-one software sales record in the UK with 1.4 million units sold -- and, by deduction, indicates that an estimated 4.2 million copies of the game were sold in the US on Tuesday. UK purchases alone lined Activision's pockets with a heavy £58 million sum (about $93.5 million) in launch day revenue, a 22-percent increase over last year's UK launch of Modern Warfare 2.
The reason for this massive increase? Activision chalks it up to a higher install base of PS3s and 360s in the region, as well as to the fact that, unlike MW2, there are Wii and DS versions of Black Ops (which certainly accounted for a few sales, right?). Those are pretty good guesses, but we think it's because everyone keeps colloquially shortening the title of the game to "Blops," which is an inherently British-sounding word. Example: "Fancy some Blops, guv?"
The reason for this massive increase? Activision chalks it up to a higher install base of PS3s and 360s in the region, as well as to the fact that, unlike MW2, there are Wii and DS versions of Black Ops (which certainly accounted for a few sales, right?). Those are pretty good guesses, but we think it's because everyone keeps colloquially shortening the title of the game to "Blops," which is an inherently British-sounding word. Example: "Fancy some Blops, guv?"
Reader Comments (30)
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:37PM CaptNink said
Congrats Treyarch!
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:37PM HedonisticKai said
why do we always get the UK sales records? who cares...
if we get the UK sales records, we might as well get records from germany, spain, russia.. etc.
if we get the UK sales records, we might as well get records from germany, spain, russia.. etc.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:57PM HedonisticKai said
@PipBoyV3
all countries are of equal importance.
Reply
all countries are of equal importance.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 2:08PM My Prerogative said
@HedonisticKai Not true. Canada is number one, bitch.
Reply
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 3:42PM HedonisticKai said
@KaBob799
i wasnt talking in terms of sales. india has a HUGE english speaking population... and thats what we were talking about =)
Reply
i wasnt talking in terms of sales. india has a HUGE english speaking population... and thats what we were talking about =)
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:39PM Faceless Troll said
Meh. I'd be more surprised if it didn't sell buckets.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:43PM wcarnation said
The thing that I find bad about Call of Duty sales is every developer in the world suddenly has it in their mind they can pull these numbers, and they moment they don't, they start acting like the sky is calling (see: Viacom selling Harmonix, Capcom canning and outsourcing everything, etc.)
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:51PM My Prerogative said
@Roxas560 Everybody wants these numbers. The problem is that they expect them.
It's like women's programming. Those soaps portray the ideal husband to be perfect and flawless, one that cares about your feelings and wants to bring you breakfast in bed every day because you mean so much to him.
And if just one of those aspects aren't present, she'll think you're cheating behind her back and, I've kinda forgotten where I was going with this...
Reply
It's like women's programming. Those soaps portray the ideal husband to be perfect and flawless, one that cares about your feelings and wants to bring you breakfast in bed every day because you mean so much to him.
And if just one of those aspects aren't present, she'll think you're cheating behind her back and, I've kinda forgotten where I was going with this...
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:48PM My Prerogative said
So...
How about that Halo Reach, then?
How about that Halo Reach, then?
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:51PM ballybally said
I'm British... neevr even thought about using a word like blops?!?!?
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:53PM PipBoyV3 said
I condemn the word 'Blops'
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:55PM PR0F3TA said
don't they always break some record, till the next Halo or COD.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 2:01PM Faceless Troll said
@PR0F3TA Breaking records is easy when you have guaranteed customers.
Reply
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 1:59PM huhwhosethere said
1.4 million in a country of about 55 million people. Thats about 2.5% of the population buying this game on day of release which is crazy! Oh and being british but living in america i think if i start using the word blops people will think i have something wrong with my bowels.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 6:05PM nerd in a room said
@huhwhosethere
The current UK population estimate is just over 62 million people, no idea where you got 55 million from... possibly your brain, when you were asleep.
So consequently, your figures are blah blah blah etc.
Reply
The current UK population estimate is just over 62 million people, no idea where you got 55 million from... possibly your brain, when you were asleep.
So consequently, your figures are blah blah blah etc.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 2:15PM gangcar said
I heard Queen Elizabeth got in on that too. Her ID is "HRHQUEENA$$KICKER". She always be knifin' some noob and then humping the corpse. That's one cold lady.
Posted: Nov 12th 2010 3:39PM InkSix said
Thank you Joystiq, I'm going to now call my friend and ask him if he wants to come over for a round of "Blops."
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