Dubai-based video game smashes sale records

A video game part set in Dubai has become the fastest-selling entertainment product of all time, the publisher of the game has said. Sales for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which features a final mission that takes place in a Dubai hotel, hit the $1bn sales barrier just 16 days after its release, beating the previous record set by Avatar in 17 days, Activision Blizzard said. “Engagement of our Call of Duty audience continues to rise around the world,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.  “Call of Duty as an entertainment franchise has made an indelible mark on popular culture and its broad and continued success is further validation that audiences increasingly value interactive experiences over passive experiences,” he added. The video game, which is estimated to have more than 30 million players, notched up $400m in sales within 24-hours of its launch date last month.