'Call of Duty: Black Ops' sales hit 25 million

As many readers here are well aware, Call of Duty: Black Ops is kind of a big deal.

But just how huge is the first-person shooter? During a recent earnings call, Activision revealed sales of the game have reached 25 million since launching last November.

The sales haul is staggering when you consider its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, has sold 22 million since its debut in November 2009.

And the downloadable map packs are equally popular. Activision publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg revealed 14 million DLC packs for Black Ops have been purchased since the first one launched on Xbox Live in February. The figure represents a 40% increase compared with sales of DLC for Modern Warfare 2.

Activision is releasing a fourth map pack, Rezurrection, on Aug. 23 for Xbox 360. The download will focus solely on the game's Zombies mode, where players must survive hordes of the undead.

Then in November, the publisher will launch the franchise's next game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Pre-orders for that game are already "significantly ahead" of Black Ops, according to Activision estimates.

Activision also revealed a Wii version of Modern Warfare 3 will launch with versions for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Also arriving in November is the online service Call of Duty Elite, where players can track stats or gain other perks through a monthly subscription.

Can anything slow the franchise's momentum? One game that will likely try is Battlefield 3, from Activision rival Electronic Arts, which launches in late October.