Modern Warfare 2 hits 20m sales

By Tom Bramwell Published 15 June, 2010

Activision eyeing second-hand market.

Activision has told a gathering of analysts that Modern Warfare 2 has sold more than 20 million units worldwide.

That's according to a GameSpot report on the event, which also noted that CEO Bobby Kotick has designs on the second-hand market.

According to the report, Kotick reckons there's $500 million of money to be made by working with retailers to take a cut of sales of used Activision titles.

At the moment publishers make no money off second-hand sales around the world, which has led games company to take measures like EA's Online Pass and THQ's redeemable UFC code.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 7 months ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Doctor_What #1 2 years ago

    "there's $500 million of money to be made by working with retailers"

    Why would the retailers want to do that when they could keep all that money to themselves?

  • menage #2 2 years ago

    I wouldn't even buy it second hand.

  • lunnytoon #3 2 years ago

    So basically what will happen if he got his way is the retailer will have to give the original purchaser less trade in value than they do already just so they can still make some sort of profit and be able to pay the publisher a cut too. Greed of the highest order!

  • des #4 2 years ago

    This will seriously hurt some people.

  • LHH #5 2 years ago

    Here comes the hammer blow

  • Boomerang #6 2 years ago

    His own employees, his own company, games retailers... who's he going to fuck over next?

  • Bonders99 #7 2 years ago

    20 million sales ?. Green light to continue flogging a dying cash cow. Something which was a fabulous game (COD4 - Mordern Warfare) to identikit sequels. a Bit like the SAW movies, the 1st one was an intersting one, then one after another....regurtitated tat. No wonder originality is almost dead in gaming, when all publishers want developers to do is sequels or copy a successful formula.

  • menage #8 2 years ago

    i don't even see how they can get away with it. If shops won't stock it he is only going to lose more money on the FullPrice games sold.

    All retailers combined just need to put their foot down and say Ok, keep your fucking game then.

    @Bonders

    A good sequel in gaming really isn't that bad, not saying MW2 was one of course.
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/10 @ 09:34

  • bad09 #9 2 years ago

    So sad what these publishers are doing to a hobby that was once so wonderful and full of joy for decades, it's the devs I feel sorry for as their games are being overshadowed by arseholes.


  • mingster #10 2 years ago

    This takes the piss even by Kotik standards

  • Whitster #11 2 years ago

    Why doe's it seem to only be the games industry that moans so much about second hand sales, the movie industry, book publishers, comics publishers, etc don't seem as fussed?

  • bad09 #12 2 years ago

    @ Whister

    The games industry for some reason thinks it's more important than everyone, I think we need a huge crash to take the increasingly evil publishers down a few pegs TBH.

  • Vice.Destroyer #13 2 years ago

    @whitster

    Because those other industries have got different problems. Book publishers are concerned with getting people to buy books and fighting the pricing structure on Amazon for ebooks. Comics are trying hard to fight of piraters. And we all know what the movie guys are fighting.

    Google them and be surprised.

  • Lusterpurge #14 2 years ago

    @ Whister

    Oh they moan alright, but why would Eurogamer report on it?

  • PlugMonkey #15 2 years ago

    Whitster
    "Why doe's it seem to only be the games industry that moans so much about second hand sales, the movie industry, book publishers, comics publishers, etc don't seem as fussed? "

    You can't buy 2nd hand films in HMV, and you can't buy 2nd hand books in Waterstones; but if you try and buy a new game in GAME, the carefully coached sales clerk will ask you if you wouldn't rather have a 2nd hand copy for £5 less.

    That's it.

    That is the reason.

  • ignatiusjreilly #16 2 years ago

    Seeing as there's no real difference between HMV and GAME, that sounds like the games industry's fault to me. If HMV could make millions selling second-hand DVDs then they would, but the demand isn't there. Why not?

  • s3y3 #17 2 years ago

    The publishers and retailers got greedy and are trying to screw as much money out of customer as possible.They have both realised that to make more money they have to screw each other. Just leave the customer out of your little greedy war!

  • dubdivision #18 2 years ago

    The continual ripping off of us consumers in trade in value has made me much less likely to buy any game unless I absolutely must have it. these companies regularly offer less than half price(of its second hand value) as trade in (meaning you can only spend it in that store).

  • ignatiusjreilly #19 2 years ago

    Then don't be a mug and sell it on eBay instead. You'll get twice as much and get it in cash.

  • bad09 #20 2 years ago

    s3y3 hit the nail on the head, it's just sad it's us that suffers.


  • homerramone #21 2 years ago

    Despite the fact that MW2 was an overrated bag of meh I was gonna get the new one in November. If they do this then I guess I can save my dosh !

  • X3Entente #22 2 years ago

    its called consumer rights kotick, get used to it, and be grateful that your shitty buggy cod4 reskin sold 20 million. 20 million fucking sales and still complaining

  • JensonJet #23 2 years ago

    No industry, as far as I'm aware, makes any money from the secondhand market of their products.

    Every industry on the planet accepts that if you manufacture goods, there's a possibility that they may end up being sold secondhand at some point in the future... that is, of course, every industry except the games industry... who's rapidly proving to be the greediest on the planet. If they really think they're giving their games away too cheaply, then they should massively increase the cost and see where it gets them. I would love to see Activision games cost two or three times more than they do now, and I'd be equally excited to see what this would do to Activision as a business.

    To most gamers the current cost of games is acceptable. To most gamers a large price increase would make them far too expensive. Games don't have the style, quality, professionalism, art or skill involved to be worth more than we currently pay for them. If customers could see more improvements than just slightly better graphics each year we might feel different.

    If videogames had just an ounce of the creativity in storytelling and the skill in scriptwriting that we see in movies or books, along with AI that was an improvement over what we saw fifteen years ago, along with genuinely smart game design and not just by-the-numbers formulaic drivel that we often see, gamers might agree that games are worth more. The secondhand market proves that there's a large majority of us that think that games are already overpriced.

  • mingster #24 2 years ago

    Games are overpriced. I never pay the new RRP. I am prepared to wait months to get it from the bargain bin. I much prefer downloadable games PSN/LIVE games than the so callled AAA title software. I will quite happily buy an AAA title second hand for a tenner thats about as much as they are worth.

  • keyboardmonkey #25 2 years ago

    "CEO Bobby Kotick has designs on the second-hand market."

    CEO Bobby Kotick can go f*ck himself!

    Just why.. why does he think he should have that money?

  • IronGiant #26 2 years ago

    Vote with your wallets and don't buy the next COD game, Im not! Simples.

  • metalangel #27 2 years ago

    Never mind it's the best selling game 360 game ever... he still wants more.

  • homerbert #28 2 years ago

    Ignoring the morality of it, this is just bad PR. "We've had one of the best selling games ever, but we're losing some potential sales". They'd be much better off going "We want to make a sequel to ____ (critically acclaimed but poor selling game) but we can't afford to beacuse of the lost sales in the second hand market."

    Anyway, the second hand market is a result of a new game choice being at least twice the price of alternative entertainment choices (DVD, Blu-Ray, cinema, book, graphic novel)

  • ignatiusjreilly #29 2 years ago

    They'd be much better off going "We want to make a sequel to ____ (critically acclaimed but poor selling game) but we can't afford to beacuse of the lost sales in the second hand market."

    He was talking to analysts, that would be the last thing they want to hear. They want to hear "we've made a shit-ton of money already, and there's still more we can do to make even more". Which is exactly what he said.

    If you want to hear him lie to gamers instead, read the Kotaku interview where he says things like "I really like video games and that passion has never really gone away", and "I want to make sure every one of the games is a lasting franchise that is the very best game it could be."

    He is a very successfull business man, he knows when to say the right things to the right people.
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/10 @ 12:05

  • PlugMonkey #30 2 years ago

    ignatiusjreilly
    Seeing as there's no real difference between HMV and GAME, that sounds like the games industry's fault to me. If HMV could make millions selling second-hand DVDs then they would, but the demand isn't there. Why not?

    I think they just got caught napping, weren't powerful enough, and weren't capable of putting up a united front.

    If HMV started selling 2nd hand films, I think the film companies would just stop dealing with them. Ultimately the retailer needs the studio more than the studio needs the retailer. It's a bit easier for film companies, as a massive chunk of their revenue comes from cinema tickets rather than retail, but they've always been more happy to throw their weight around. For example, Odeon recently tried to take Disney to task about how soon DVDs are released by threatening not to show Alice In Wonderland. Disney just told them to sod off, basically, and they had to climb down or shoot themselves in the foot. The studios are the boss.

    Likewise, if you're a rental shop, you need a special version of a DVD to rent out, but not so a game.

    The retailers saw an opportunity to make more money, nobody did anything to stop them, and now the games companies are desperately trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle. It doesn't really matter. It's all completely short term anyway. In 10 years, tops, it'll all be digital downloads and highstreet retail will be dead.

  • jambo74 #31 2 years ago

    Yep - Enjoy it now Acti as the next version will bomb and Rock Band 3 will eat you alive....

  • sneetch #32 2 years ago

    @Whitster
    Why doe's it seem to only be the games industry that moans so much about second hand sales, the movie industry, book publishers, comics publishers, etc don't seem as fussed?

    The costs associated with developing games are very high, games studios creating modern "blockbusters" employ hundreds of full-time people for years to do so. Contrast that with the costs of making a book or comic where you have a writer, a possible artist and some editors. Needless to say it's easier and cheaper to make a book or comic. As for films, sure they can cost a lot to make but there are multiple ways they make money, in the cinema first, then on DVD then broadcast on TV and on services like Zune. Games have a shorter shelf life than books, comics and movies too.

  • ignatiusjreilly #33 2 years ago

    @beemoh

    All those reasons in other words could be described as getting their business model right.

    This is what the games industry need to do, not try and manipulate a perfectly legitimate second-hand market. I don't expect all games to get a massive price reduction - I'm generally of the opinion that most games are priced correctly (especially here in the UK), but there are all sorts of others ways that they could get games to be seen as a less disposable product, which is the real problem.

    I just don't buy that games are have any special unique properties that make their disruption of the second-hand market acceptable, and these properties do not affect any single other industry, in the present or the past. If they cannot survive with second-hand games being available, they must do something differently, not remove the second-hand market entirely.

    BTW, I've never sold or bought a game second-hand, and the vast majority of my purchases are on Steam where I can't even sell them anyway. In some ways that might seem hypocritical, but I'm a big fan of digital distribution and also see that as the proper solution to this second-hand problem.
    Edited by 1 at 15/06/10 @ 15:53

  • LondonSquare82 #34 2 years ago

    Whilst I agree with most of whats already been said by various people here, I feel I need to point out that comparing 2nd games to 2nd hand DVD's falls down when you look at cost of the 2nd hand product. A lot of retailers COULD sell 2nd hand DVD's, but given that new these things trade for between 5 and 15 quid, is it worth having your staff busy scanning in and pricing up 2nd hand ones that you'll only sell for between 2 - 10 quid? Most likely not...

  • Centrifugal #35 2 years ago

    He'll probably cut a deal with second hand retailers saying they can buy Activision games ten pounds cheaper and get exclusive things if they work with them regarding the second hard market.

  • craziii #36 2 years ago

    did this game really sold 20 million copies? that is freaking impressive for a mediocre game. lets see how this kodick guy will piss off retailers now :p

  • james-mw3-mw3 #37 7 months ago

    To promote Modern Warfare 3, Activision will be holding a two day event called Call of Duty: Experience! The official Call of Duty: MW3 site was launched on May 18. It currently has an interactive map that was seen in the MW3 teaser trailers. I'm sure we will see the perks soon.