According to Activision, Call of Duty: World at War launched in 2008 and sold 9 million copies and 9 million downloadable map packs. Modern Warfare 2 shipped in 2009 and went on to sell 19 million retail copies and 11 million map packs. Black Ops, released in November, has not only sold 23 million copies, it has moved 18 million $15 map packs.
There are now 20 million active monthly Call of Duty players online, Activision continued -- a number that eclipses the reported 12 million World of Warcraft subscribers worldwide. And while the $76 average annual spend on Call of Duty is roughly half that of a full year WoW subscription (anywhere from $155.88 to $167.88 annually depending on the plan) it's safe to say a significant portion of
Call of Duty: Black Ops' online players picked up all four of the game's map packs, spending $80 in the process. Added to the $60 price of the game, that's $140 -- just about the cost of a full year in Azeroth.