"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," the new videogame from Activision Blizzard, keeps blowing away sales records.
The company said Wednesday that "Modern Warfare 2" grossed an estimated 550 million dollars worldwide in its first five days to set an all-time entertainment industry record, eclipsing Hollywood's biggest blockbusters.
Activision said five-day sales for "Modern Warfare 2" topped the 394 million dollars earned at the box office by "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" in its first five days.
"Modern Warfare 2" also set a new record for five-day sales by a videogame, Activision said. The previous record was the 500 million dollars grossed by "Grand Theft Auto IV."
Activision did not release a figure for the number of units sold during the five-day period.
Last week, the Santa Clara, California-based company said "Modern Warfare 2" sold 4.7 million copies in the United States and Britain alone on the first day and set an opening day sales record of 310 million dollars.
The videogame bested Batman superhero film "The Dark Knight," which holds the record for the top opening weekend ever by taking in 158.4 million dollars in July 2008.
"Modern Warfare 2" is the sixth title in a franchise that has won a devoted following since the first version was released in 2003.
Analysts expect it to help breathe new life into a videogame industry that has seen sales figures this year hobbled by dismal economic conditions and a dearth of hot releases.
Despite the success of "Modern Warfare 2," Activision said Wednesday that it remains cautious about the US and global economy. Consumer spending "remains a significant concern," it said.
US videogame sales tallied 1.07 billion dollars in October, a 19-percent drop from the 1.32 billion in sales logged during the same month last year, according to industry tracking firm NPD.
