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Battlefield 3 sells 5 million in one week

It's the fastest-selling game in EA's history.

Battlefield 3 sold a whopping five million copies in its first week on sales, according to internal EA estimates, making it the publisher's fastest selling game ever.

EA's announcement added that, while some players have complained of intermittent service disruption online "due to high volume", it reckons servers and service uptime stabilised to roughly 98.9 per cent over the weekend.

A good number of players certainly have been able to get online - EA reported that gamers have executed 73 million savior kills, 48 million revives and destroyed 67 million vehicles since launch.

"From Tokyo to Los Angeles, Sydney to London, millions of fans have been playing all weekend long - we are overwhelmed by the global response to Battlefield 3," said EA exec Patrick Soderlund.

"It is extremely gratifying to deliver an entertainment experience that delights our fans, and to have the opportunity to introduce new people to the franchise. Already, we are seeing unprecedented play times and online activity which is very rewarding. This launch solidifies Battlefield as a leading entertainment brand."

Late last week EA claimed that it had shipped 10 million copies to retailers, with many stores apparently already looking to re-stock.