Video Games, Call Of Duty | featured news

Activision Blizzard's said the newest title in its popular Call of Duty franchise generated more than $500 million in worldwide retail sales in the first 24 hours of its release... Sales of "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" topped last year's launch of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," which made $400 million in sales in North America and the U.K. in the first 24 hours.

Call of Duty is the biggest media franchise out there, and it’s certainly one of the most popular game series around at the moment. For all the fans it draws in though, the series hasn’t seen any major alterations or changes since 2007′s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Series developers Treyarch and Infinity Ward have successfully followed the pattern of not fixing what isn’t broken so far, but Treyarch seem to be taking some rewarding steps into new ground with the upcoming Black Ops 2. Here’s seven reasons why these changes may well revitalise the franchise in new and exciting ways

I'm excited for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. I truly am. In fact, in the arbitrary Battlefield 3 vs. Modern Warfare 3 debate, I can sincerely say I currently reside in the Modern Warfare camp. That being said, provided the technology behind Battlefield 3, Call of Duty is finally at risk of losing their dominance in the shooter market. Combined with the over-saturation of the sequels (yearly releases since 2005), Call of Duty is at risk of joining other Activision franchises that were bled dry, such as Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk.

The Guitar Hero franchise is finished. Or at least, it’s retiring, without much hope of a reunion tour. Activision Blizzard just released their latest investor report, and nestled in the fine print — underneath excessive fist-pumping for the monstrously successful World of Warcraft and Call of Duty franchises — you find the epitaph for one of the most influential series in videogame history: “Due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing’s Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011.”

Activision says 5.6 million copies of the highly-anticipated action game were sold. By comparison, last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 -- the previous "biggest entertainment launch in history" -- pulled in $310 million on launch day and sold 4.7 million copies.

Retailers who sell the latest "Halo" or "Call of Duty" video game to children would face substantial fines under a law being considered by the Supreme Court.

Scottish actor Kevin McKidd tells The New York Post that "there are talks of a feature film" based on the hit video game series "Call of Duty".

The "Grey's Anatomy" star, who voices the Captain "Soap" McTavish character in both the 'Modern Warfare' entries in the series, adds that he'd definitely consider tackling his character in the flesh - "if the script is good, and Gerard [Butler] isn't available, then absolutely."

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" blasted past 300 million dollars in sales on its opening day, the videogame's publisher said Thursday, blowing away even Hollywood films to become the highest-grossing entertainment launch ever.

Much-hyped video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 smashes UK sales records on its first day of release.

This holiday season's biggest entertainment blockbuster likely will be a sequel to a popular franchise, with jarring depictions of war and an intricate story of good versus evil. It could easily rake in more than last year's record $155 million opening weekend for "The Dark Knight."...