Activision, the game's publisher, said that Modern Warfare 3 sales had totalled more than $400 million (£250m) in the first 24 hours in Britain and the United States alone. The game went on sale worldwide on Friday.
“We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories,” said Bobby Kotick, the chief executive of Activision Blizzard.
He added that the total sales for the Call of Duty series exceeded the box office takings for the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings film series.
More than 13,000 shops around the world opened at midnight to sell the game, which sold more in its opening 24 hours than its rival, Battlefield 3, sold in its first week.
Modern Warfare 3 players have since broken the Xbox Live record for the number of players online at the same time, according to Microsoft.
The game begins where Modern Warfare 2 left off, with special forces protagonists pursuing Vladimir Makarov, a Russian terrorist, in cities including London, Paris and New York.
The game has been awarded an 18 certificate from the BBFC due to its graphic violence and real-world settings.
The game attracted some controversy over a scene set in London that shows an Underground train being blown up. There were calls for the scene to be removed because of an alleged similarity to the London bombings of July 2005.
The BBFC did not require any scenes to be removed but did point out that the game is "completely inappropriate" for children This year's release coincides with the launch of Call of Duty Elite, an online subscription service. Annual membership costs £34.99 and gives players extra downloadable content and competitions. Players can also access a free version that offers stats and the ability to arrange games with fellow players.
This year's edition broke the record set by its predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, in 2010, which in turn broke the record set by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009.
The Call of Duty series has been running since 2003 and more than 100 million copies of its various titles have now been sold.
The game has been awarded an 18 certificate from the BBFC due to its graphic violence and real-world settings.
The game attracted some controversy over a scene set in London that shows an Underground train being blown up. There were calls for the scene to be removed because of an alleged similarity to the London bombings of July 2005.
The BBFC did not require any scenes to be removed but did point out that the game is "completely inappropriate" for children This year's release coincides with the launch of Call of Duty Elite, an online subscription service. Annual membership costs £34.99 and gives players extra downloadable content and competitions. Players can also access a free version that offers stats and the ability to arrange games with fellow players.
This year's edition broke the record set by its predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, in 2010, which in turn broke the record set by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009.
The Call of Duty series has been running since 2003 and more than 100 million copies of its various titles have now been sold.
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