In a recent announcement, Activision Blizzard has said that its internal statistics, together with independent tracking sources, have revealed that its 'Call of Duty' franchise has crossed the $3 billion mark in retail sales.

While the overall video games in the 2003-launched franchise have touched over 55 million unit sales globally, the newly-released 'Modern Warfare 2' has notched for itself the record for being the most successful launch thus far in the entertainment arena.

Going by the statistics, the new 'Modern Warfare 2,' developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, has shattered all earlier records by touching a mammoth sales figures - with almost
4.7 million copies sold in the first 24 hours.

Another entertainment industry record the 'Modern Warfare 2' has set is that it grossed $550 million globally since its last week launch.

As per a GameStop announcement, the retail chain had delivered nearly 2.5 million copies of the game within 72 hours of its release.

Commenting on the enviable sales numbers of the 'Call if Duty' franchise,' Bobby Kotick, chief executive of Activision Blizzard, said at a press conference: "'Call of Duty' has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. If you consider the number of hours our audiences are engaged in playing Call of Duty, it is likely to be one of the most viewed entertainment experiences in modern history."