Black Ops 2 Outsold Ghosts at Launch

Grab the champagne, fellow elite gamers! CALL OF DUTY IS DEAD. LONG LIVE BATTLEFIELD/KILLZONE.

Yes, Black Ops 2 outsold Call of Duty: Ghosts at launch, meaning that this is the first time (at least in recent years) that a Call of Duty game has failed to outdo its predecessor. Before you take to the internet and post comments like the above – and I know some of you have been – hold onto your horses for a moment. This is also the first Call of Duty that’s being released in different versions on different dates. A significant amount of people who usually buy day one will instead be waiting for the launch of their next-gen console.

Activision also cite digital sales as a reason for less retail sales.

From an investor’s call, caught by PS3 Trophies:

“Today, we announced that we had shipped into retail more than $1bn of Call of Duty: Ghosts globally on day one based on an average wholesale price. As expected, due to the console transition and digital distribution, this number is down versus last year.

“This year, the sell-through curve will be different than in past years due to the multiple launches of new hardware later in the month and more days between our launch and the high-volume Black Friday at the end of the month.

“That said, it’s a very solid achievement and shows the tremendous confidence our retail partners have and the strength of the game and franchise heading into this holiday.”