Latest Call of Duty video game makes $400m in its first 24 hours of going on sale

By the third time 

around, it really shouldn't be a surprise.

The latest 'Call of Duty' video game set a first-day sales record this week, generating $400million in sales in its first 24 hours in stores. That breaks the record its predecessor set this time last year.

'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' is the third game in the military shooter series to set such a record.

Last year, 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' raked in $360million in its first 24 hours on sale. 'Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2,' sold 4.7million copies in its first 24 hours to reap $310million

The latest installment of the game from Activision Blizzard Inc. went on sale at midnight in more than 13,000 stores on Tuesday in North America and the U.K.

Activision said on Friday that the game sold 6.4million units in its first 24 hours.

A rival shooter game from Electronic Arts Inc., 'Battlefield 3,' meanwhile, sold 5million units in its first week in stores last month, making it the fastest-selling game in EA's history.

'We believe the launch of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories,' said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.

'Other than 'Call of Duty,' there has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records three years in a row.'

He added that total sales for the 'Call of Duty' franchise exceed worldwide box office takings for the hugely successful Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series.

Modern Warfare 3 smashed this year's previous release-day record of an entertainment product set by 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Part 2', which grossed $169million in its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.

Since the release, Modern Warfare 3 players have broken the Xbox Live record for the number of users online at the same time, according to Microsoft.

The game, which is rated 18, takes up where Modern Warfare 2 left off, with special forces protagonists pursuing Vladimir Makarov, a Russian terrorist, in cities including London, Paris and New York.

The Call of Duty series has been running since 2003 and more than 100 million copies of its various titles have now been sold.