$1bn worth of COD: Ghosts copies in the wild, but actual sales figures oddly absent
Activision breaks with tradition by not revealing opening day sales data for the latest Call of Duty, only saying that $1bn worth of COD: Ghosts have made it to retail
Another year, another Call of Duty, but Monday’s midnight COD: Ghosts launch may not have gone as well as publisher Activision was expecting, as it failed to reveal opening day sales figures.
The company was incredibly vocal when last year’s Black Ops 2 broke all entertainment sales records in less than 24 hours, but Activision would only confirm that it had shipped $1bn worth of Call of Duty: Ghosts stock to retailers worldwide. However, this doesn’t mean those copies have made their way into customers’ hands.
If sales have dipped, for the first time in series history, it could be because gamers are saving their cash for the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game. Both next generation consoles are due to launch at the end of November, but news that Microsoft’s console would only run at 720p compared to 1080p on the PS4 may have put off potential customers. PC gamers aren’t happy with a 50GB install, poor multiplayer performance and disappointing graphical upgrades over its predecessor, either.
Battlefield 4, the year’s other big modern military shooter and Call of Duty’s main rival, launched last week, which could potentially have impacted sales. Reviews were also embargoed until launch day, although with such a strong focus on multiplayer it’s impossible to judge a game before it reaches the hands of the public. Now that reviews have been published, it’s possible that weekend sales will make up for Ghosts’ opening 24 hours.
Poor sales could be a major blow for developer Infinity Ward, and may indicate a changing tide for the franchise, but Activision CEO Bobby Kotick remained positive about the launch. “Call of Duty: Ghosts is by far the largest console franchise of this generation.
“More people have played Call of Duty this year than ever before, logging four billion hours of gameplay. Although it is too early to assess sell-through for Call of Duty: Ghosts, it’s launching at a time when the franchise has never been more popular”.