Modern Warfare 2 grosses $550 million in first five days

Last week, Activision announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had broken the record for most successful entertainment launch of all time.

The numbers were monumental: 4.7 million copies sold in the first 24 hours alone, and an earning report that topped $310 million. And that was only counting the Modern Warfare 2 blitz in North America and the UK.

So what about worldwide sales? Today, we have the answer. According to Activision, Modern Warfare 2 grossed $550 million since last week's launch – another entertainment industry record. The Los Angeles Times, citing a source at Activision, reports that 8 million copies of the game have been sold; analysts expect that at least another 10 million games will be eventually be unloaded.

"The title's success redefines entertainment as millions of consumers have chosen to play Modern Warfare 2 at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media," Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement.

Still, that success hasn't come without some controversy. Several British politicians have spoken out against Modern Warfare 2, and in Russia, Activision is releasing a censored version of the game. The Russian edition leaves out a scene called "No Russian," which allowed the user the opportunity to shoot at – or otherwise injury – innocent civilians in a Moscow airport.

“Other countries have formal ratings boards that we regularly work with. However, Russia does not have a formal ratings entity,” Activision said in a recent statement. “As a result, we chose to block the scene after seeking the advice of local counsel.”

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