Activision’s wealthiest competitors are preparing themselves for a ‘Modern Warfare 2 Christmas’ – forecasting that the game will hit a record-breaking 1.7m UK sales in its opening week.

According to sources close to top rival publishers, the figure has been estimated as the game secures 500,000 pre-orders at retail.

If the prediction becomes reality, the game would become the UK’s most lucrative entertainment launch of all time, smashing the previous record set by Rockstar’s GTA IV.

According to GfK-ChartTrack, that title generated 926,000 unit sales in its first five days on sale – taking £40 million at tills.

If Modern Warfare 2 hit 1.7 million sales at £40 per unit, it would net Activision a whopping £64 million. The game has an RRP of £55.

Activision’s marketing director for the UK & Ireland David Tyler told MCV: “The level of pre-order success we are experiencing here in the UK sets us on a trajectory to be the largest video game launch in history.

“The feedback from retailers is that the recent surge in pre-orders is a result of consumers making sure that they don’t miss out should stores go out of stock on November 10th.

“The industry has a multitude of titles which attract a good level of buzz pre-launch. However, Modern Warfare 2 is something unprecedented, even in our marketplace.

“The marketing machine around the title will ensure that it is the title everyone is talking about throughout November and December.”