GameStop: Modern Warfare 3 pre-order already outpacing those for Black Ops

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, pre-order numbers for a Call of Duty title are going to be huge, and according to GameStop, pre-orders for the latest outing are no exception.

Bob McKenzie, SVP of merchandising at GameStop has stated that Modern Warfare 3 pre-orders have already kicked-off at "a record-setting pace," and are already outpacing Black Ops which itself beat out previous record-holder Modern Warfare 2 - a title which “previously set the industry standard”.

"Last year, Call of Duty: Black Ops became the most pre-ordered title in our history," said McKenzie in a press release.

"Already, this year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is significantly ahead of that pace. Our customers' response to the reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been amazing."

McKenzie failed to provide any preliminary figures for the title, but considering Call of Duty titles always set a sales record upon release and beat out it predecessor in the series each time, MW3 looks to set yet another record for Activision.

Call of Duty: Black Ops was UK's top entertainment title of 2010, moving 3,266,298 units for the year, and beating out other entertainment juggernauts such as Avatar and the Twilight series.

In March, a study from IGN claimed that 1 in 8 American homes had Black Ops sitting in the house. NPD reported during the same month that the game was "the best-selling game in US history," topping the former title holder Wii Play with 13.7 million units sold.

So, if GameStop's figures are correct, Modern Warfare 3 could possibly surpass it's Call of Duty predecessor. We'll just have to wait and see once it releases on PC, PS3 and 360 in November.