Nov. 27, 2009 (United Press International) -- The "Call of Duty" video-game franchise has surpassed $3 billion in retail sales worldwide, California's Activision (NASDAQ:ATVI) Blizzard, Inc., announced Friday.

Fifty-five million units of the various incarnations of the war-themed games have been sold since 2003.

The latest title in the franchise, "Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," earned a worldwide estimated five-day sale of approximately $550 million, establishing the game as the biggest entertainment launch in history, the company said.

"'Call of Duty' has become one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time," Bobby Kotick, chief executive officer of Activision Blizzard, Inc., said in a statement. "If you consider the number of hours our audiences are engaged in playing 'Call of Duty' games, it is likely to be one of the most viewed of all entertainment experiences in modern history."