The latest analyst notes from Cowen & Company research analyst Doug Creutz estimate that whatever Activision releases this year in the Call of Duty universe will sell at least 25 million copies in its first year. Â This is almost three times as much as Battlefield 3 is predicted to sell. Â In the figures the analyst takes the assumption that Battlefield 3 will sell more than DICE’s last Battlefield release, Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Â The analyst sees DICE selling more copies of Battlefield 3 than they did with Bad Company 2 estimating that the franchise will see growth of around 50%, up from 7 million units to 10 million.
These claims aren’t something that DICE is unfamiliar with. Â Patrick Bach recently spoke about the difference between critical and commercial success. Â The developer claims that the Battlefield series of games has already proven itself to be a better experience than Call of Duty, and just because it sells more doesn’t make it a better game.