‘Call of Duty’ video game blitzes on debut

The latest "Call of Duty" video game boasted an opening weekend that blew away any other game, film, book or music debut this year, the company behind it said.

"Call of Duty: Black Ops III – 12th game in the series – racked up more than $550 million in sales in the three days after its release on November 6, according to California-based Activision Publishing, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard.

"Call of Duty’s millions of passionate fans have shown us, yet again, the strength of their commitment to this enduring franchise," said Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick.

It was "the biggest entertainment launch this year in any medium, and bigger than any theatrical opening weekend ever," he added.

Fans played the game online for more than 75 million hours, setting a new record for the blockbuster franchise.

"Our fans are engaging more deeply with the franchise than ever before," said Activision Publishing chief executive Eric Hirshberg.

"Call of Duty is more than a game, it’s a year round passion for a growing base of millions of fans and it’s only gaining momentum."

The latest mission in the first-person shooter franchise sends players into a "dark and twisted future."

"Black Ops III" was created by Treyarch studio and published by Activision.