With each new installment of Call of Duty (to date) outselling its predecessors, will Modern Warfare 3 continue this trend? Or will it be a combo breaker?

You know, I'm really not sure...

I believe the peak has been achieved with Black Ops.

If Black Ops is any indication, the average dudebro doesn't really care who is developing Call of Duty. 
 
Will it sell more than Black Ops? More than likely. But there's still a chance of backlash for basically being a game that is more of the same.

I think it will, but probably for the last time

I honestly don't know.

Yes. All the 12 year olds in the world will have it.

Probably

It probably will. The average Joe-schmo walking in off the street isn't going to know anything about the whole "scandal" and lawsuit. I'd be willing to bet that most people who play  games regularly don't know or don't care. People are going to see there's a new CoD out, and buy it, regardless of who's making it or how good it actually is.  

It's MODERN WARFARE. The game that brought everyone to the franchise in the first place. It will outsell Black Ops.

I don't think so, so many people play it that this time round there will be a lot of people who won't buy it simply because it is too 'popular'. (I also have first hand experience of this already!)

Most likely.

@DougQuaid said:

If Black Ops is any indication, the average dudebro doesn't really care who is developing Call of Duty. Will it sell more than Black Ops? More than likely. But there's still a chance of backlash for basically being a game that is more of the same.

I think this.

I'm not really sure.

ANYTHING with Call of Duty stamped on the cover will sell millions in days.

Nobody thought Black Ops was going to outsell MW 2 and then look what happened.

I don't think so. Yeah, it'll sell a shit load, but not as much as Black Ops.

i feel like it could only because the series gets bigger and bigger..and still bigger however the series has also had problems that have set a large number of people off for life so i think it may actually see more rentals then sales.

im really not sure considering i thought Black Ops sales were gonna flop.  i dunno, there hasnt been a huge critical backlash by the people that play CoD games and theres always going to be a new younger generation the ages of 9-14. 

I think there is a chance that it won't, but it probably will.  I was sure Black Ops wouldn't sell as much as MW2 did, and it busted the ass of MW2 in sales.

No, a lot of the "casual" audience was disappointed in blops. These are the guys who bought MW2, and said "Hell yeah, I'm getting the next CoD day one!". 
It's getting stale.
People who follow gaming aren't very hyped.
Battlefield 3 won't sell more, but will put a significant dent in sales. 
 
All the factors combined say lower, but still massive. Or at least this is the peak, the Modern Warfare name may have more benefit than I think. It's a boost upon CoD itself.

Yeah probably...a lot of less "hardcore" people still fucking love CoD, especially ones with modern warfare after the title, so even if people on forums like these are tired of CoD (and not even all of them are) they'll continue to sell well.

Outsell Black Ops? Hell yeah!

Of course

No, a lot of the "casual" audience was disappointed in blops. These are the guys who bought MW2, and said "Hell yeah, I'm getting the next CoD day one!".  It's getting stale.  People who follow gaming aren't very hyped. 

I don't know. I think it won't, but not because of the developer reason. I just feel that the peak reached with Black Ops is so high, and (at least for a bit, perhaps) BF3 will take a small bite out of sales. Skyrim's coming too, a game which has a surprising amount of mass market appeal. I know loads of non-gamers who loved oblivion. Weird. But this year, at the moment, looks more competitive (as opposed to when EVERYONE RAN AWAY FROM MW2) and the change in developer and general fatigue in COD, I think the peak has passed.

It'll still sell fucking millions, just less millions.

@Winternet said:

I believe the peak has been achieved with Black Ops.

I sure hope not

Yes, I don't see any indication otherwise.

It has the Modern Warfare name on it which will probably sell it a few more than the slightly harder to market Black Ops. I think it can do it, especially as more and more consoles get sold each year as the current cycle reaches it`s end.

Yes. The World is peaking with idiots ready to throw their money at Activision. Hell, even that online monthly subscription thing will be successful.

Eventually the public is going to tire of the CoD formula, but probably not for another 1 or 2 years. So yea expect MW3 to break sales records.

While i think it may, i doubt that it will be better than other of its predecessors.