Call of Duty: Black Ops still outpacing Modern Warfare 2 on pre-orders

By Ryan Fleming October 7, 2010

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Modern Warfare 2 was a behemoth of a video game. With over a billion dollars in sales within three months, a record shattering number of games sold on the opening day and even more sales records for the expansions that came out months later, it set the bar so high in terms of money generated that it is hard to imagine that its predecessor might actually surpass it. But according to GameInformer.com, which is part of retailer GameStop’s network, Black Ops is on track to do just that.

Back in July, we heard the same thing, but there was a difference. At the time, it was not all that surprising to hear that the hardcore fans who are passionate about the Modern Warfare games — and by extension the Call of Duty games — were anxiously awaiting a new version. After all, for as impressive a game as Modern Warfare 2 is, there were not all that many differences between it and the original Modern Warfare. With Black Ops it looks like Treyarch took everything that worked in Modern Warfare 2, bringing back the same gameplay mechanics including the types of weapons, and put it in a new time period (that was thankfully not World War II), and which essentially just made the game fresh again.

Even if you are not a fan of the series, it is good news for the industry as a whole, after months of disappointing software sales.

“GameStop is tracking to all-time, record reservations on Call of Duty: Black Ops,” Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising for GameStop said in a press release. “We are ahead of where we were with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 last year, which previously set the industry standard.”

The fact that the pre-orders continue to come in for Black Ops is significant. The fact that it is outpacing one of the best selling games of all-time and doing it mere weeks after the monster release of Halo: Reach is impressive to say the least. So much for all the threats to boycott Call of Duty following the Infinity Ward drama.

Call of Duty: Black Ops releases on November 9.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

Does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have Hardcore mode?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 guy with a gun

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players have access to a wide variety of multiplayer game modes including Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and the new Prisoner Capture. One of the most popular modes in the series is Hardcore, which has been in the series for years. This intense mode removes the HUD and increases damage across the board. But does this mode appear in the new Modern Warfare 2?

Here's what you need to know about the Hardcore mode in Modern Warfare 2.
Does Modern Warfare 2 have a Hardcore mode?
When Modern Warfare 2 first launched, it didn't have a Hardcode mode, much to the disappointment of fans. Instead, the game had a mode called Tier 1, which was basically a rudimentary version of Hardcore mode, with some missing features. For instance, there's no HUD, whatsoever, no hitmarkers, and no killfeed, which made the mode hard to actually play in some cases. Thankfully, Activision finally did add Hardcore more at the start of 2023, replacing the Tier 1 mode from before.
What is Hardcore mode?

Gaming

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is official and it’s coming this November

call of duty modern warfare iii release date makarov mwiii

Activision has confirmed a November 10 release date for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III with a teaser trailer following a barrage of leaks.
The shooter, which is going to be a direct sequel to 2022's Modern Warfare II, was the subject of lots of reports and leaks prior to this announcement. Reports from Bloomberg revealed that this game was originally going to be a Modern Warfare II expansion, but it later got upgraded to a full game. Then, over the summer, more game details started to leak before some Monster Energy advertisements revealed the game's title prematurely. Activision coyly acknowledged this leak on Twitter at the time, but finally pulled the curtain back on the project today with a video titled "Modern Warfare III is Coming."
Modern Warfare III is Coming
It begins with some green soundwaves on-screen and a lot of radio chatter in the background. Then, the soundwaves turn from green to red before the perspective then pushes into them, creating a trippy red void. In there, we briefly see waveform images of a snake and Captain Price before he says, "Never bury your enemies alive" over the silhouette of a new character. This is believed to be Vladimir Makarov, the villain of the original Modern Warfare trilogy, who was teased in the post-credit scene for last year's campaign. After all of that, the title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is confirmed, as is the release date of November 10.

This date falls right in line with the late October to early November window in which Call of Duty games usually come out. It also places its launch after Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition is expected to be complete, so it looks like this may be the first Call of Duty game released under Microsoft. Other than that date, official details on the game are fairly scarce. Thankfully, we shouldn't have to wait too much longer to learn more.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III launches on November 10.

Gaming

The best weapons in Modern Warfare 2: every gun ranked

Soldiers running in Modern Warfare II.

Your performance in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has a lot to do with the weapon you come equipped with. Sure, a skilled player can excel with most weapons in the game, but having the best firearm for any given situation will lead you to more victories -- regardless of your playstyle. Modern Warfare 2 has around 50 primary weapons across seven categories, each with different stats, strengths, and weaknesses.

The meta in Call of Duty games shifts constantly as weapons are added and tweaked, so it's always a good idea to stay on top of the latest updates. In this guide, we'll rank each primary weapon in Modern Warfare 2 across all categories (with the exception of the Riot Shield). This ranking is in descending order, with the first spot being the best and the last spot being the worst. We'll also link to loadout guides for the weapons on this list so you know exactly which attachments to use.
Assault rifles