List of the biggest launches in video game history

codCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is by all accounts likely to be the best-selling video game of all time. It could top 7 million units worldwide on its first day alone, an incredible achievement despite the fact that the economy is still in a pretty weak state.

Here are the biggest sales records in the game industry for opening day sales. At the bottom, we’ve also included a list of the biggest first-week sales for games in a chart from VGchartz. (Note unit and dollar sales don’t correlate due to price differences).

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — 4.7 million copies in North America and UK alone, $320 million, November 2009. Infinity Ward/Activision Blizzard. (Estimated worldwide day one sales: 7 million). Xbox 360, PS 3, PC.

2. Grand Theft Auto IV – 3.6 million copies, $310 million, May 2008. Rockstar Games/Take-Two Interactive. Xbox 360, PC, Ps 3.

3. Halo 3 — 3 million copies, $170 million in U.S., September 2007. Bungie/Microsoft. Xbox 360

4. Halo 2 — 2.4 million copies, $125 million, November 2004. Bungie/Microsoft. Xbox 360

5. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King — 2.8 million copies, $112 million, November 2008. Blizzard Entertainment/Activision Blizzard. PC

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About the Author, Dean Takahashi

Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • These are really the best video games. Nobody can argue with it
  • Now I know on what video games to play based on this list. Thanks.
  • Hi guy's,
    It's really very useful information after reading this blog i realize which type of video games are played.Good Work.Keep It up....