Vague but notable
Activision, without divulging any actual numbers, has told us thatBlack Ops 4sold very impressively on its launch day. In a press release, Activision says this year’sCall of Dutyhad the series best day one digital sales on all platforms’ online storefronts. Additionally,Black Ops 4‘s PC sales doubledWWII‘s.
It’s gaudy-seeming but is it really all that impressive? Kind of, sorta, maybe? It’s important to remember that this particular game is tailor-made to suit an online audience.Black Ops 4is multiplayer-only and features a battle royale mode. It’s aCall of Dutythat takes aim atPUBGandFortnite. No one buys physical copies of those games, so why would they buy a physical copy ofBlack Ops 4?
There’s another facet to this accolade, though.Black Ops 4had the “biggest day one digital release in Activision history.” That includesDestiny 2, which also certainly had a gigantic launch day. However, that comes with a caveat too.Destiny 2‘s release was staggered. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One went live nearly two months before the PC version.Black Ops 4benefited from a unified launch.
Even if we don’t know the specifics, it feels as though we know the takeaway:Black Ops 4had a successful launch, and that’s largely because people are interested in aCall of Dutythat strays from the last ten-plus years ofCall of Duty. Is this a reinvention or just a temporary detour? Whatever it is, it seems to have worked this year.
