Activision’s latest Call of Duty continues to smash records, besting last year’s Modern Warfare 3 by $100 million.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II generated half-a-billion dollars in day-one revenue. Activision announced today that 24-hour sales for Treyarch’s new Call of Duty game reached $500 million worldwide, according to sell-through information and internal company estimates.

Black Ops II cruised past Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was the previous top-performing Call of Duty game to date at $400 million in day-one revenue. Additionally, Black Ops II easily surpassed first-day sales of the original Black Ops, which netted a then-record $360 million.

In a statement, Activision CEO Robert Kotick said life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise have now surpassed worldwide box office revenue for the Harry Potter and Star Wars franchises.

Despite the success of Black Ops II, Kotick reiterated the feelings of forward-looking caution he expressed last week during a financial call. “Given the challenged macro-economic environment, we remain cautious about the balance of 2012 and 2013,” he said.

Additionally, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said Call of Duty is no longer a mere product, but rather an annual worldwide event.

“Call of Duty has become more than a product people buy, it’s a brand people buy into,” he said. “And every November, we do more than just the launch of a game, we kick off an annual, unofficial but worldwide phenomenon called the Call of Duty season.”

For more on Call of Duty: Black Ops II, check out GameSpot’s review.

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