New 'Call of Duty' game blasts 2009 sales record

NEW YORK -- "Call of Duty: Black Ops" shattered entertainment records this week when it raked in $360 million in its first 24 hours on sale, once again proving that video games have cemented their place as mainstream entertainment on par with movies and music.

For the hordes of devoted fans who waited at midnight Monday to get their hands on the military shooter, this is hardly a surprise. For them, popping the new "Call of Duty" into a game console is the equivalent of turning on the TV to watch the Super Bowl or the World Series -- except here, they control the outcome.

The game, from Activision Blizzard Inc., sold 5.6 million units the day it went on sale, according to the company. Its predecessor, "Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2," meanwhile, sold 4.7 million copies to reap in $310 million during its first day on sale last year.

"Black Ops" went on sale Monday in North America and the U.K. It costs $60 and works on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles. As such, games have an easier time setting dollar sales records than, say, movies or music, because fewer people need to buy them in order to bring in big bucks.