No matter what the critics are saying, Call of Duty: Ghosts is a hit. So much so that worldwide, the game has shipped over $1 billion, a number Activision confirmed today.
"Call of Duty is by far the largest console franchise of this generation," said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick in a prepared statement. "More people have played Call of Duty this year than ever before, logging four billion hours of gameplay. In the last 12 months, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, including its digital content, generated more revenues than any other console game ever has in a single year. Although it is too early to assess sell-through for Call of Duty: Ghosts, it's launching at a time when the franchise has never been more popular."
Unsurprisingly, the game is currently has the top spot on Xbox Live. Sales should continue to climb as it's also GameStop's most pre-ordered title for both next-gen consoles, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. According to data gathered by VGChartz late last month, Ghosts was the top most pre-ordered game for both platforms.
Call of Duty: Ghosts takes place in a near future following an attack from space that leaves Los Angeles virtually wiped out, and the United States' infrastructure devastated. Years later, the country is invaded by a new superpower, a conglomerate of South American nations calling itself the "Federation." What's left of America's special forces have come together to form the titular "Ghosts," and it's up to them to wage guerrilla warfare against the Federation in order to protect what remains of the United States, and drive the Federation out.
Beyond the campaign, gamers are also expecting a lot from the game's multiplayer mode, which promises a slew of different customization options for weapons, character camos, and more. Over 30 new weapons have been confirmed, alongside old favorites like the UMP45 and the M4A1.
Players are able to peek around cover while still being able to fire, automatically mantle objects, and customize their character. Players are also able to activate environmental hazards, rather than the hazards automatically activating without player interference. It will also allow players to do some hidden sub-missions which will result in new twists in the campaign storyline.
Call of Duty: Ghosts is out now for PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and the Wii U. It will be available as a launch title for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One when the consoles release later this month.
