Modern Warfare 2 Sets World Record For Entertainment Launch

Well, it’s official. Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 now holds the Guinness World Record for most successful entertainment launch of all time.

The mega smash hit sequel raked in a cool $401.6 million worldwide in its first 24 hours of sale. This staggering performance bested previous champion, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV, which pulled in $310 million its first day on shelves. GTAIV of course took the crown from Bungie and their $170 million opening day for Halo 3.

"This achievement is a reflection of the support from our community of fans around the world," said Infinity Ward’s creative strategist Robert Bowling in a statement to the press. "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."

Whether this achievement will affect the whole royalties dispute that’s part of the current war raging between IW and Activision remains to be seen. So for now, let’s just say: Congratulations Infinity Ward!

(After thought: I wonder how much of a boost MW2 sales received from the various special editions it received, specifically the night-vision goggled Prestige Edition. From what I remember, GTAIV didn't have multiple special editions. I don't think this could account for the entirety of the $90 million gap between GTAIV and MW2 sales, but it surely must have played some role. Don't you think?)

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