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NEWS: Modern Warfare 2 looks set to smash records?

Dan Sung — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:41:53 +0000

Will it be crowned top video game?

Call of Duty 6 aka Modern Warfare 2 aka Call of Duty 4 part 2 - whatever you want to call it, is one of the biggest video games of 2009 and today's release is looking to set some records. Reports coming in from online retailers such as Amazon and Play.com, as well as the queues already seen out on the high streets suggest that copies of the first person shooter are flying out the door at previously unseen rates.

What we do know, is that Activision's claims of "over 750,000 pre orders in the UK alone is set to surpass the 3 million copies mark in its launch week",

Until the first 24 hours are up and the official charts are out, the figures are going to be sketchy but the top first-day sales for non-bundled video games of all time to beat are:

1) Grand Theft Auto IV - 3.7 million copies
2) World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - 2.8 million copies
3) World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade - 2.4 million copies
4) Halo 3 - 1.7 million copies

Of course, if Modern Warfare 2 is looking to become the biggest selling game of all time, then it's got one hell of a mountain to climb. Again, ignoring games that came bundled with consoles - eg: Super Mario Bros which effectively sold over 40 million copies - not only have the majority of them been for Nintendo machines but also none of them are first person shooters. They are:

1) Wii Play - 24 million
2) Wii Fit - 23 million
3) Nintendogs (all versions) - 22 million
4) Pok?mon Red - 22 million
5) New Super Mario Bros - 20 million
6) Mario Kart Wii - 18 million
7) Super Mario Bros. 3 - 18 million
8) Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day - 17 million
9) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - 17 million
10) Pok?mon Diamond and Pearl - 17 million

In fact, the only non-Nintendo top seller has been GTA San Andreas and you have to wait until No.12 before the first PC game comes in as the original The Sims. What seems to be happening is that Nintendo expands the market with its consoles and has the power to create a larger phenomenon when the right games come along. It's well documented that systems like the DS and the Wii are targeted towards a broader and more universal family audience and can therefore pull in the numbers. The top 10 best sellers are quite some testament to the company's strategy.

At the same time, though, the majority of these titles made particularly ground-breaking first day sales. The titles that fly off the shelves are all sequels and all involve fighting. What seems obvious here is that is that it's the hardcore gamers market that supports these releases. Those consumers have had a taste of the original game, loved it and are ready with pre-orders and midnight queues to get the next installment.

There's also something more goal focused about the games, which leads users to need the next installment to continue to enjoy them at that same, intense level. One of the big sells of both WoW expansions is to raise the level cap and give something for players to aim at. Mario Kart and Brain Training players just don't have that same thirst to complete them or to put them down once they have.

Although more intense, this market is definitely smaller. It's more for the purist. The point to see, though, is that just because Modern Warfare 2 might well become the fastest selling game of all time, it's very unlikely it'll set many records beyond.

NEWS: Modern Warfare 2 breaks Amazon pre-order records

Duncan Geere — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:03:42 +0000

50% more than previous title-holder, GTA IV

Amazon has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has broken all of its previous records for pre-sales of video games. The title has eclipsed the previous record-holder, GTA IV, by 50% - quite a feat, considering how much hype there was around that title.

Modern Warfare 2 is due on 10 November, but many shops have begun selling it early, with Gamestop in the States getting special permission. A supposedly watertight embargo for journalists hasn't stopped reviews getting published early - most notably by Charlie Brooker on Twitter, who blasted through it in one sitting, and said: "it's very good, but it's not the flippin' messiah or anything. And it has the intellectual depth of Die Hard 4".

Amazon currently offers Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for the Xbox 360 and PS3 for just ?32 at the time of writing, with PC owners getting short shrift and having to stump up ?35. Still, they get superior graphics and performance, so perhaps that'll make up for it.

Which version are you getting, and are you excited? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tags: Gaming Statistics Activision Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare 2 Amazon GTA

Modern Warfare 2 breaks Amazon pre-order records originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:03:42 +0000

NEWS: Microsoft adds three titles to Xbox 360 Classics range

Duncan Geere — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:42:17 +0100

Along with a price cut to ?15

Microsoft has announced that it's adding three titles to its range of Xbox 360 Classics, and that range is getting a price cut. From 9 October, immigrant adventure Grand Theft Auto IV, street racer Midnight Club Los Angeles: Complete Edition and undersea escape fps BioShock.

The titles join a whole raft of other big hits for the console, including Halo 3, Gears of War, Forza Motorsport 2, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Mass Effect. All will henceforth be available for ?15.

Ubisoft has also seen fit to cut the price of some of its games. Splinter Cell Double Agent, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Naruto: Rise of a Ninja will all be available for 15 quid too. Very useful if you've just got an Xbox but don't want to spend a fortune on games.

Want a quote? Of course you do. John Parkes, EMEA marketing director at Ubisoft, told us: "We are happy to bring some our best IPS to this Classics range, these titles offer some of the best gaming experiences, now made available for even more people to enjoy".

Microsoft's Classics range has been available for several years and originally cost ?25 for the best-selling titles.