Modern Warfare 3 Pre-orders Ahead of Black Ops

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Activision's upcoming, highly anticipated shooter, is on track to receive more pre-orders than its predecessor Black Ops, according to retailer GameStop. Released late last year, Call of Duty: Black Ops outpaced the record held by Modern Warfare 2 to become the most pre-ordered video game ever. Now the latest title is set to up the ante even more, noted Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop. "Last year, Call of Duty: Black Ops became the most pre-ordered title in our history. Already, this year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is significantly ahead of that pace," he said. "Our customers' response to the reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been amazing." Activision also revealed today that its recently announced Call of Duty Elite online service will see an invitation-only public beta beginning on July 14, implementing the service in Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer. The company defended the new service last week, promising customers that "nothing will be taken away" from the Modern Warfare experience for non-paying customers.