Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s UK sales have struggled compared to last year’sModern Warfare 2. While the game still has the Winter holidays to look forward to, its first three weeks of sales proved to be disappointing in one ofCall of Duty’s biggest regions.
Although some fans enjoy its throwback maps and fluid movement system,Modern Warfare 3opened as the worst-rated game inCall of Dutyhistory. The initial negative reviews were largely due to its disappointing single-player campaign mode, which departed fromCall of Duty’s tradition of linear, highly detailed missions and replaced them with open-world levels that felt empty to many users.Modern Warfare 3’s publisher, Activision, also caught flak for charging $70 for a game that exclusively featured recycled multiplayer maps at launch. While some thought that the star power ofCall of Duty’sModern Warfareseries would be enough to overcome these hurdles, it seems that did not take place.
GamesIndustry.biz reported that the first three weeks ofModern Warfare 3’s UK sales were 37% lower thanModern Warfare 2’s numbers. This is a significant drop, and it’s unclear if Activision will be able to rebound as the Winter holidays approach.Modern Warfare 3was reportedly rushed through development. Its lackluster campaign along with its unoriginal multiplayer may have been a significant blow to its UK sales, as the game suffered some serious damage to its image duringModern Warfare 3’s launch period.
Despite its poor sales in the UK, Activision claimed thatModern Warfare 3saw record levels of player engagementin its opening weeks, with average playtime per user being the highest ever for aCall of Dutygame. It seems that despiteModern Warfare 3’s lackluster sales, the game is highly enjoyable for most users, at least relative to previousCall of Dutytitles.
Also,Modern Warfare 3still managed to topthe UK’s physical sales charts and Steam’s best-selling charts during its opening week. This shows the brand’s massive selling power regardless of its significant dropoff in sales from the previousModern Warfare 2.
AlthoughModern Warfare 3failed to match the launch of last year’sCall of Duty, fans can be happy to know that the game will likely only improve as the year goes on, asModern Warfare 3is slated to see plenty of content updates.Modern Warfare 3just received its first major update, titled Season 1. This update brought new maps, weapons, gameplay features, bug fixes, and more to the popular first-person shooter game.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
