Modern Warfare 3 launch: By the numbers

There's little doubt that today's launch of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" will set new entertainment industry records for first week revenues. But to put things in perspective, here are a few numbers – some hard, some estimated by analysts –showing how big of a monster this franchise has turned into.

19 million – The number of units estimated to sell by the end of the year by R.W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian. If the number proves true, it would generate $1.1-$1.2 billion in revenue for the company.

9 million – The estimated number of pre-orders on the game by Lazard Capital Markets' Atul Bagga. (Activision hasn't given a precise number, but said pre-orders were at a record high for the game.)

5 million – The number of copies EA's competing "Battlefield 3" that sold during its first week on shelves.

"Hundreds of thousands" – The number of people Activision said it has already registered for its Call of Duty Elite subscription service today. The crush to sign up for the service (which is much larger than anticipated) has made it impossible for many to sign onto the service today.

$49.99 – Amount those Elite users are paying for a one year subscription.

2.8 billion – Number of hours "Call of Duty: Black Ops" (the previous game in the franchise) have spent playing online.

29 percent – Increase in players "Black Ops" saw over "Modern Warfare 2"