Mon, Oct 24, 2011 | 23:46 BST

Pachter predicts Modern Warfare 3 sales to double Battlefield 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will sell twice as many copies as Battlefield 3, according to Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter.

Pachter told Forbes he expects Modern Warfare 3 to shift 16 million copies worldwide this financial year, while Battlefield 3 will manage 8 million.

The analyst doesn’t believe EA will pull much of Activision’s market share.

“I’d guess that around half of the console copies of Battlefield 3 will be bought by people who also buy Modern Warfare 3, so around 2 to 3 million will buy both. I don’t see much cannibalization of the titles,” he said.

The two games combined will bring in $1.4 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter, Pachter said, accounting for 15% of total packaged software sales over a three month period.

Pachter believes both titles will go on selling, with a further 8 million copies of Modern Warfare 3 and 2 million of Battlefield 3 to come in the following financial year.

Battlefield 3 releases this week and has already garnered rave reviews. Modern Warfare 3 is expected in November. Both titles are multi-platform.

Thanks, IndustryGamers.

7 comments

xino
25/10/11, 12:15 am

obvious is obvious!
people who thinks the opposite have a thick skull.

lol

JimFear-666
25/10/11, 2:10 am

NOOOOOOO SHIT!

IL DUCE
25/10/11, 3:50 am

OMG he may actually be right about something!!!

I’m one of the people buying both…completely different games and I always love me a good shooter although CoD’s repetition is getting tiresome…

Deacon
25/10/11, 9:37 am

I wonder if Mr Pachter actually PLAYS any of these games?! anyone??

I have never bought a CoD in my life. Likely never will. However, there’s something in the team-orientated mechanics of BF3 that makes me want to get involved. That, and the engine just impresses the hell out of me.

Maybe it’s because I’m not a teen (or even a twenty-something) anymore, but I definitely look for camaraderie in my online experiences these days.

I hope Pachter’s wrong (as he usually is). If CoD really does outsell BF3 2:1, then I’m going home. Forever.

Fin
25/10/11, 10:14 am

| If CoD really does outsell BF3 2:1, then I’m going home. Forever.

It probably will, so I hope you stand by that remark!

freedoms_stain
25/10/11, 10:48 am

I’m sure a lot of people will not buy BF3, the sort of people who bought BC2, stood in the open spraying their LMG’s at tanks then giving up after 2 rounds when that tactic didn’t work.

The concept that you need to use something a bit more destructive than small arms fire to damage heavy vehicles is too much for some people. Best stick to games with 10 meter noob tube kill radii.

Deacon
25/10/11, 11:01 am

I don’t even know why, but I still hold a vague slither of hope that the majority of the gaming populace AREN’T just in it for instant gratification & cheap thrills.

@5 – by home I mean my mothers vagina.