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[Nirolak]

07/Nov/2016

‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’ blasts to the top of the All Formats Chart with the second biggest release of the year (behind FIFA 17).

However, it’s not enough to outperform last year’s ‘Black Ops III’ launch week with sales down 48.4%. There is no Xbox 360 or PS3 version this time round, although even comparing just PS4 and Xbox One; sales are still down by 43.6%.

Source: https://www.chart-track.co.uk/?i=2547&s=1111

As for numbers:

[Week 45, 2015] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 635,000 / NEW

This puts CoD:IW around ~328K

Even BO3 saw a huge drop from it's predecessors. Ghosts came out like 2 weeks before the new consoles so the low numbers make sense.


[Week 45, 2007] CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE (ACTIVISION) < 215,000 / NEW
[Week 46, 2008] CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 430,000 / NEW
[Week 46, 2009] CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,600,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2010] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,800,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2011] CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,773,000 / NEW
[Week 46, 2012] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,386,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2013] CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 690,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2014] CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 730,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2015] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 635,000 / NEW

 

[madmackem]

No surprise really, I think cod fatigue is starting to set in even with the cod and FIFA buying casual types.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

Call of Duty: Finite Warfare

 

[wapplew]

Great, more aggressive micro transaction incoming!

 

[gossi]

Yeah, PC sales on steam are down by approx 3 times compared to Black Ops 3, too.

Battlefield 1 sales in UK were more than BF4 and Hardline combined (and Hardline outsold BF4, amazingly). So basically, Battlefield had better PR.

 

[Chobel]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

 

[GHG]

It would have been even worse if not for MW remastered.

This is a good thing, the game has been long overdue a shakeup IMO.

 

[AusRoachman]

Every week x game sales are down in the uk . Has there just been a huge downward spiral of gamers in the U.K.?

 

[AlfonzoPalutena]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

I think people are just tired of Call of Duty.

 

[DKHF]

Not surprised I've been expecting it to sell significantly less than normal for CoD based on the negative buzz for it online since reveal and obviously it being a new sub-series will mean it will sell less anyway. Also the huge hype for Battlefield 1.

 

[Radec]

Good.

So they can release the MWR standalone sooner. I hope.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

so is the fad over

 

[Ninferno]

Expected. Fatigue aside, the past few weeks have really been FPS-flooded.

 

[Newtype-001]

Good

 

[Chris1]

Rip infinity ward. Activision must be shitting it.. Lowest since CoD4 and barely outsold BF1 (~260k).

Sledgehammer best be hoping the rumours are true of them working on a WW2 game otherwise.. good luck.

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

BF1 + futuristic + hell even Titanfall 2 might've played it's part here too LOL. Also think a lot of people are pissed about CoD4 being linked to it and the microtransactions.

For me it's the futuristic shit. I gave blind trust in BO3 cause of Treyarch and made a huge mistake.

 

[darkwing-buck]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

My guess is a combination of fatigue, plethora of shooters in the market being released, and the beta leaving a lot of players with mixed feelings.

 

[CyberPunked]

I think people are just tired of Call of Duty.

That, and Battlefield 1 released like a week ago.

 

[patapuf]

No surprise really, I think cod fatigue is starting to set in even with the cod and FIFA buying casual types.

It's also arguably the strongest year for MP shooters since the original MW came out. There were a lot of alternatives to pick this year, Overwatch, BF1, TiF2, Gears 4 ( i think i'm forgetting some)

 

[nephilimdj]

I think people are just tired of Call of Duty.

Black Ops IP is stronger then vanilla COD at this point I think

 

[IgotElbows]

I bet the next COD game will sell better.

IW games never do as good as others nowdays.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

No surprise really, I think cod fatigue is starting to set in even with the cod and FIFA buying casual types.

It's not just COD though - pretty much every big AAA sequel has opened poorly or below expectations here this year. I wonder if this is reflected similarly in other Western markets.

 

[KainXVIII]

 

[Everdred]

Too bad, this is my favorite one since Black Ops 1. Although Advanced Warfare was pretty great too.

Seems like everything is under performing. What is everyone buying besides Battlefield?

Maybe just too many options?

 

[Welfare]

Previous entries week one sales would have outsold BF1 LTD of 504k, but now CoD sits behind BF in LTD. How long will that last?

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Will be interesting to see if this is a trend in other markets.

 

[madmackem]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

Fatigue, they are all starting to look the same too, if you screen grabbed a mp shot from the last three games at random I doubt a lot of people bar the hardcore could tell them apart. They need to do a dice and take cod to another setting now the future war stuff is played out now.

 

[Goron2000]

Fatigue and EA's one-two punch of Battlefield and Titanfall, could see this coming a mile off.

 

[Yankee Ruin X]

To be expected really all my friends are completely split between CoD, BF1 and TF2 this year. If it wasn't for COD4 and Zombies in Spaceland I wouldn't have even looked at CoD this year.

 

[Nightengale]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

1. Battlefield 1 hype. It didn't grow the franchise beyond its peak, but I think it definitely drew attention away from CoD's full sales potential.

2. Fatigue.

3. Poor response to MP beta and the SP innovations and differences touted like space and sci-fi stuff.

4. The fact that 3 competitively sound FPS release within weeks of each other, biting each other.

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

Franchise fatigue and misreading market trends. People don't want futuristic shooters at the moment.

 

[Chris1]

Black Ops IP is stronger then vanilla COD at this point I think

Even BO3 saw a huge drop from it's predecessors. Ghosts came out like 2 weeks before the new consoles so the low numbers make sense. I honestly think CoD is in trouble, never expected a huge drop like this when the numbers were already low.


[Week 45, 2007] CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE (ACTIVISION) < 215,000 / NEW
[Week 46, 2008] CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 430,000 / NEW
[Week 46, 2009] CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,600,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2010] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,800,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2011] CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,773,000 / NEW
[Week 46, 2012] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 1,386,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2013] CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 690,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2014] CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 730,000 / NEW
[Week 45, 2015] CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III (ACTIVISION BLIZZARD) - 635,000 / NEW

 

[madmackem]

It's not just COD though - pretty much every big AAA sequel has opened poorly or below expectations here this year. I wonder if this is reflected similarly in other Western markets.

Not many have had this big a drop though and not many were selling to the two or three games a year crowd like cod does. I really think it's fatigue now and the last three or so games being future based.

 

[Matt]

As I said in the other thread:

Well the COD sales are devastating.

Just. Devastating.

 

[Kordelle]

Rip infinity ward. Activision must be shitting it.. Lowest since CoD4 and barely outsold BF1 (~260k).

Sledgehammer best be hoping the rumours are true of them working on a WW2 game otherwise.. good luck.

I read somewhere they were doing a Vietnam game, both settings would be cool.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

Copypaste from PAL thread:

I haven't followed CoD in a while but isn't the reception from the beta mediocre and the setting is getting kinda boring while ironically BF1 feels the freshest FPS of the year.

MW remastered should have been a pack in with every copy too. IW just feels a whole lot of ''why should I buy this when I already got BO3?''. Not to say it won't still make mad money but the biggest hook of this years CoD is tied behind special editions.

Even at the risk of seemingly ''copying BF1'' I think CoD should go back to WW2 and just name it World at War 2 or something. I think BF1 might be a start of short WW2 renaissance and might as well get a game out while it feels fresh again.

Hell, go alternative history WW2 akin to Wolfenstein. Crazy nazi experiments and shit.

 

[Ostinatto]

So for the first time in history, Battlefield will sell more than Cod?

 

[Sesuadra]

it seems to have an really good SP for the first time in a long time. But maybe people are just sick of CoD

 

[Spades]

It's the first time that during a CoD release, not a single one of my friends is playing it when I check who is online. It's a shame because the campaign is absolutely fantastic and one of the best yet.

 

[Nirolak]

it seems to have an really good SP for the first time in a long time. But maybe people are just sick of CoD

I'm not sure that's a huge selling point for people, or presumably games like Wolfenstein and Doom would be the leading FPS games in the industry instead of debuting at like 1/5th of this if even.

 

[manhack]

Yeah I've bought every Call of Duty within a week of release, but I have no desire to buy this. The MW: remastered seems interesting, but no way I'm buying it until standalone.

 

[Chris1]

So for the first time in history, Battlefield will sell more than Cod?

CoD still sold more than it (first week), but BF1 had a healthy hold of -30% in its second week (usual is about -80%). If CoD has a usual drop of about 80% then BF1 will be on track to outsell it I think.

 

[Sesuadra]

I'm not sure that's a huge selling point for people, or presumably games like Wolfenstein and Doom would be the leading FPS games in the industry instead of debuting at like 1/5th of this if even.

I know :/..

 

[Hesemonni]

Yeah, PC sales on steam are down by approx 3 times compared to Black Ops 3, too.

Just wanted to note, that putting it like that puts me in uncontrollable rage.

 

[Dysun]

The multiplayer has evolved down a bad path the last 5 years. Not surprised to see fatigue show up

 

[ramparter]

So what happened? What's the reason for this catastrophic drop?

Franchise fatigue. Bound to happen in every game that releases every year.

 

[Bumhead]

I'd wager good money that a standalone retail release of MW:R would have sold significantly more than this.

I know people seem to like the SP to Infinite Warfare, but I wonder if the series could have used a year off this year, with Activision just going with MW:R.

 

[chromatic9]

Wow, that's a fall from grace. Not long ago the titles sold 1.8 million, 1.7 miliion for the first week in the UK and now down to 300k.

 

[geordiemp]

From PAL thread

Well deserved, microshit greed an the seeds of greed were sown in Easter this year when COD multiplayer went P2W - when you can pay for advantages in COD multiplayer then they have really lost their way..

Activision and COD forums everyone went crazy about Bo3 COD points for guns in Easter this year.......BUT we had already bought our useless season passes and the game, however, everybody felt hard done to and bitter. I felt cheated, DLC I had to pay for with a season pass...nice....

The P2W mechanic for multiplayer in infinite warefare is really bad and worse than last game, dissenters making their voices heard and this was always going to happen, I called this 6 months ago and it feels so sweet.....delicious.

Activision just got greedy with p2w mechanic and asking people to pay a shit load for the game and maps..Pay for points for RNG to get a gun that heals you quicker ....my god, how low can you go.

I for one not bought COD this year or season pass, first time for a decade. Trying out Titanfall this year as I refused COD points for gun perks....they can fuck off.

 

[Chris1]

Also this explains why IW is like #6 on the most played list on Xbox, behind games like forza horizon 3 and even BO3. I assumed it was because of MWR which is right behind IW, but I guess not.

 

[Theorry]

Good. Not that i want them to fail because its COD. But because i hope this will slowly push them to change the format or do something else. Maybe even give the game a break for a year.