Despite much drama and what looked like a significant potential fanbase loss, Activision has done it again, breaking the day-one video game release record for the third consecutive year with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

In its first 24 hours the game sold 6.5 million copies (including its record-breaking pre-orders), which equals out to $400 million. That breaks last year’s record of $360 million set by Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the prior year’s record of $310 million set by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Wow. Apparently September/October has become the time for video game companies to release any game connected with a superhero franchise. Last week saw the release of X-Men: Destiny, Batman: Arkham City will be out in a couple of weeks, and this week sees the release of Spider-Man: Edge of Time. This new game from Activision/Beenox, the makers of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, allows players to play as the Amazing Spider-Man in the present day, as well as his 2099 counterpart in an adventure to stop the death of the web-slinger.

Brothers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, the highly respected directors and duo behind Scott Free Productions, will be collaborating on a brand new web series for Activision’s hugely popular Call of Duty franchise through Ridley Scott Associates.

The series, which will be called Friday Night Fights, will be on the brand new service being launched by the company, Call of Duty Elite, where the biggest fans can pay a monthly fee to gain access to bonus content in the form of monthly DLC, the ability to compete for prizes, and something called Elite TV, which is where this new Ridley and Tony Scott web series will air. If you don’t want to pay a monthly fee you can sign up for free, but you won’t have access to the things listed above and more. You can learn more about Call of Duty Elite at the official site.

For those of you who don’t know, Activision’s Call of Duty video game franchise has been the top dog when it comes to warfare and especially when it comes to online (non-MMO) multiplayer action for a long while now. But after they forced out many of the top talent they had working for them at Infinity Ward, most fans were angered by the harsh, overdramatic tactics used in basically just “firing” these gentlemen, and confidence in how good the next chapter in their ultra-popular series, Modern Warfare 3, would end up being.

As all of that drama was playing out, DICE was busy making a game titled Battlefield 3 for EA using the new Frostbite 2 engine. And when a demo of how the game looked showed up, many bitter Call of Duty fans seemed ready to jump ship without a second thought…especially with rumors of Activision starting to charge people to play online. We eventually found out that the new pay service was simply an added bonus for those who wanted to get it, and that everyone could continue playing online as they have been…but is it too late already?

Both titles are being shown off in-depth at this year’s E3 convention, so all we can do is watch and see which way we’re leaning. You can see video “arguments” for both games below””watch them and share who you plan on playing come this fall! Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3…who will it be?

All those rumors you’ve heard about Activision thinking about charging players a monthly fee to play their hit Call of Duty game franchise online with others? It turns out they were true, even though it was crystal clear that it would be the worst idea ever and that no self-respecting gamer would pay to play something they’ve been doing freely since online multiplayer has become so popular, the company is going to try their luck anyway.

The new service will be called Call of Duty Elite, and it will launch this fall along with the much-anticipated third installment in their ultra-popular Modern Warfare series, Modern Warfare 3.