Activision Blizzard could gain another $1 billion Call of Duty hit on its hands. On its opening weekend, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 outlasts any other film, book or music debut this year.
The game generated over $550 million in worldwide sales in just 72 hours. Forbes magazine labeled it as "biggest entertainment launch of the year."
"Call of Duty's millions of passionate fans have shown us, yet again, the strength of their commitment to this enduring franchise," said Bobby Kotick, chief executive of Activision Blizzard, said in a statement.
Black Ops 3 is the 12th game franchise of Call of Duty. Throughout its series, the game has earned tens of millions of fans around the world.
According to Eric Hirshberg, chief executive of Activision Publishing, the Call of Duty series is more than just a game. It is a passion for millions of players. He also notes, "It's only gaining momentum."
In the latest mission, video gamers are engaged into "dark and twisted future."
The first-person shooter franchise sends players to "intense zombie mode" and new features. Moreover, the Campaign mode in the game can now be played with other players.
According to a report, the campaign missions last for more than 45 minutes to complete. It is built to accommodate four-player cooperative play. Also, between each story mission the player can pick one of three sets of Power Core abilities.
Black Ops 3 also gives players an instant Live Event option that allows gaming fans to view eSports competition from within the game.
Activision stated that players spent more than millions of hours in Black Ops 3 online. The data suggests that more people are playing Black Ops 3 for more hours per player than any Call of Duty game on record.
Estimates show that gamers play almost 2000 years of Call of Duty a day.
Experts commented that the eSports potential for Black Ops 3 was significant. Its huge fan base is interested to see how pros play it.
Sartori Bernbeck, the manager of the EEDAR Insights & Analytics team, believes that online multiplayer feature of Black Ops 3 could give Activision an advantage in strengthening its reach in the PC gaming market.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is available for $60. The game is released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
