GameStop Expects Black Ops to Out-Launch Modern Warfare 2

[Greg Tito]

GameStop Expects Black Ops to Out-Launch Modern Warfare 2

GameStop is gearing up for a huge launch tonight for Activision's latest Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops releases tomorrow and customers are already lining up to buy it at GameStops around the country. The major U.S. retailer is preparing for midnight launches of Black Ops at 4,400 of its stores, which is roughly 98 percent of GameStops in the U.S. In fact, more GameStop stores are holding midnight events for Black Ops than it has for any other videogame title, according to senior VP of merchandising Bob McKenzie. That's because McKenzie believes that the new game will out-perform last year's Modern Warfare 2, which broke launch day sales records [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96054-Did-Modern-Warfare-2-Sell-7-Million-Copies-in-One-Day] before totaling over 20 million copies sold worldwide. Internal research at GameStop points to Black Ops performing even better.

"I'm convinced it'll be the biggest launch that we've ever had, that the industry has ever seen," McKenzie said.

"You look at the history of Call of Duty and they've had the dual studios for so many years that this is not out of sequence," said McKenzie. "I think that if that cycle was broken then I'd have a little more hesitation. But, again, everything is in line.

"Each one of these [titles], they get so much bigger that you kind of look at it ... thinking each one can't be bigger than the prior year," he said. "But really, for over 12 weeks we've been tracking at a number that surpassed last year's."

While I'm not certain that the buzz for Black Ops has been on par with Modern Warfare 2, I know that a lot of shooter fans were disappointed with EA's Medal of Honor. It's possible that gamers will flock to Black Ops looking for the kind of gameplay fix that they can't get anywhere else other the time-tested brand of Call of Duty. Who gives a crap if it's by Treyarch and not those other guys [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98761-Rumor-Security-Locks-Down-Infinity-Ward-Ousts-Studio-Head-UPDATE], right?

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/31416/Interview_GameStop_Expecting_Black_Ops_Launch_Numbers_To_Beat_MW2s.php]

Permalink

 

[Daemascus]

Activision Expects Black Ops to Sell 20% Less Than MW2
OR
GameStop Expects Black Ops to Out-Launch Modern Warfare
Make up your damn minds.

 

[theComposer]

Everything I've seen of Black Ops makes it look like an infinitely better game than MW2, so I wouldn't be surprised if it outsold MW2. If it doesn't, well then it'll still be a fun game.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Slightly off topic here but does that picture remind anyone of Mark Wahlberg in the film "Shooter" in the scene near the end of the film or is it just me?

 

[JeanLuc761]

Yeah, our store alone is exceeding 600 pre-orders for the game; others are up to 1300.

It's going to be a big night *grabs 4-pack of Monster*

 

[Yureina]

Good for them I guess. As for me, I will not be contributing to any potential record-making that this game may create. It would take a work of art to get me to buy another Call of Duty game after Modern Warfare 2.

 

[Brnin8]

Good for them I guess. As for me, I will not be contributing to any potential record-making that this game may create. It would take a work of art to get me to buy another Call of Duty game after Modern Warfare 2.

Agreed, the campaign was a huge disappointment. I'm not huge on the multiplayer aspect either, so it was a waste of my money. I learn from my mistakes though.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Going to check out my local Gamestop tomorrow and see how it went. Might as well see what the employees thought of the game and read some reviews before I make my decision.

 

[GLo Jones]

I have friends returning home from the (UK) launch with it as we speak. Personally, I''m gonna have a nice sleep, and wake up to it in the mail. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't turn up earlier today (technically yesterday), as some of my friends got theirs earlier ordering through the same place as me, and... Well...

My title doesn't lie.

 

[Irridium]

Yeah, our store alone is exceeding 600 pre-orders for the game; others are up to 1300.

It's going to be a big night *grabs 4-pack of Monster*

I too have to work at my store for the midnight launch.

Its going to be some night...

 

[Buizel91]

I'm in party with about 5 people who have it(i have to wait till Wednesday GRRRR!) and nearly all my friends have it as well.

This is game is definitely going to do well, although to do better than MW2, i dunoo =\

 

[runedeadthA]

Mwhahahaha! I am currently sitting in an internet cafe which I came into just to say this:
I have Blacks Ops right here in front of me

I love NZ being timezones ahead.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

boring still dont care about cod. MW1 was good while 2 was meh and i only played single player at the time and coop with my cousin.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

Meh? I'll read reviews, and maybe buy it from the bargain bin at some point, but the bloody game would have to regularly dispense whores, bourbon, and cake before I even thought of spending more than $10 on it. That being said, there are unfortunately a lot of people to whom such a game appeals. Maybe their brains are just a bit malformed, or perhaps they lacked a proper upbringing, or whatever the case may be, these types of shooters sell well, and this one will too.

 

[Stalk3rchief]

Not right. Trey-Archs multiplayer has always been unballance and it's campaign lackluster to the point of frustration. The only thing they have at all is nazi-zombies, and that was a little add-on side project. When the little experiment is what sells your game and not the actual game, I'd call that a failure.

 

[aldowyn]

Crazy... I know of at least 2 or 3 in my immediate area that are doing a midnight launch, it's just plain huge. Sadly I am not able to attend

 

[dibblywibbles]

Modern Warfare 2 wasn't very good. this is COD's last chance for me. that being said I personally loved treyarch's world at war( a game me and the boys still play) and reading up on the different types of game modes this looks like it will be a hit. as for the malformed brain thing from a previous poster, games don't need to be deep or complex, just entertaining. It's alright, we love you cute and cuddly haters all the same.

 

[DominicxD]

I can guarantee to you this wont happen.

Why?

Well days before Modern Warfare 2 came out, everyone in my school was asking everyone "you getting Modern Warfare 2?".

Days before Black Ops comes out? No one gives a fuck.

Not happening Gamestop.

 

[shemoanscazrex3]

Slightly off topic here but does that picture remind anyone of Mark Wahlberg in the film "Shooter" in the scene near the end of the film or is it just me?

Now that you mention it yeah it does

 

[Ldude893]

If anything, it's at least going to be better than EA's Medal of Honor.