COD: Modern Warfare 2 'a pop culture phenomenon', bigger even than Harry Potter

Controversial first-person-shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has racked up worldwide sales of $550 million in just five days, prompting Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, to declare the title ‘the largest entertainment launch in history and a pop culture phenomenon!’

By way of comparison, blockbuster movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince could only conjure up $394 million over the same period. Microsoft says that the title also set a new first-day record for usage on Xbox Live, with 2.2 million unique users shooting it out online on Nov. 10.