Bare Knuckles: A half-billion reasons to marvel at MW2

By Rob Watson

As expected, Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is kicking the competition all over the place, and by competition we mean everything, not just games.

Just to get some perspective, let's examine.

Activision estimates MW2 sales pulled in $550 million in the first five days of the game's release. Yeah, more than half a billion dollars.

The guys over at Kotaku.com put that up against some other interesting entertainment numbers.

First five days of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Princess? Smashed. ($394 million worldwide)

First five days of Grand Theft Auto IV? Nada. ($500 million worldwide)

Now granted, games cost about $50 to $60 a pop, so there is some skewing of these numbers, but half a billion is half a billion. Also, Activision's projections are based on U.S. and U.K. sales alone.

Hard to front on that.

We are not alone

Earlier this year, I commented on a survey by the magazine Game Informer, which found more than 54 percent of domestic Xbox 360s had, at one time or another, been defective. That was pretty much in line with friends who own the system.

The tech Web site, www.cnet.com, has published a survey of Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii owners in the U.K. and, well, let me just say MS has done a marvelous job managing this fiasco long-term.

The CNET survey found that 60 percent of Xbox 360s owned by those who took the survey had been rendered useless compared with 16 percent of PS3s and 6 percent of Wiis. A disconcertingly high 32 percent say their 360s were repeat un-performers.

Now to be fair, participants took this survey on their own. They weren't part of a scientifically accurate survey. In other words, these may be random folks, but console owners weren't chosen at random.

Still, that would only knock a couple of percentage points off of the findings. That is just crazy. Imagine if that was a specific brand of TV or stove, or computer? Would the company even survive?

Is the Army playing with men(women)?

The debate still rages about U.S. Army recruitment centers using video games (there is one in Franklin Mills) to facilitate foot traffic, and possibly, more recruits. Personally, you know what I think. Just smells funny, and I can't shake it. War is an emotional affair and until games can make you feel all of those emotions, all of that weight on your mind (people wouldn't play them if they did), then it is best not to mix the two.

Gamepolitics.com reported on a MIT report that was issued to Congress about the recruitment efforts in the armed forces.

Now, what I am about to post is pretty amazing, but here it is, according to MIT:

"Thirty percent of all Americans ages 16 to 24 had a more positive impression of the Army because of the game and, even more amazingly, the game had more impact on recruits than all other forms of Army advertising combined."

For those who don't think this is a big deal, then it is an interesting piece of trivia. For those who think more like me, let me know when that lump leaves your throat.

Mine is still there.

It ain't no game, folks.

Nintendo does the Northeast

Fortunately, if you do choose to visit Franklin Mills and the Army Recruitment center isn't on your list of things to do, you can still play plenty of games.

Beginning Monday, Nintendo will be setting up shop in the mall (location not yet confirmed) with a number of Wiis featuring Wii Sports Resort, new Super Mario Bros, and Wii Fit. DS owners will get at the puzzler Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and Style Savvy, the . . . uh . . . virtual boutique game. Ummm, well, after the release of the Legend of Zelda (Spirit Tracks release on the Dec. 7) that game will be there. DS owners might want to wait until then. Sorry Nintendo but Style Savvy? Really? For people who need some help picking games for gifts, Nintendo will have plenty of people there to drop some knowledge as well.

Contact Bare Knuckles at knuckles@phillynews.com.