Some gamers compared the London launch to a film premiere.

The widely-anticipated video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been tipped to be the biggest selling video game in history.

Hundreds of gamers gathered at shops around the world ahead of its release at 00:00 GMT.

Retailer HMV has predicted more than 1m UK sales in the first week, 20% more than previous record holder Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4).

Online shop Amazon said the pre-order sales were 50% higher than GTA4.

Play.com say that in the run up to launch it was getting more than 150 pre-orders per minute.

The publishers of Modern Warfare 2, Activision, are cautiously predicting total sales of 3m across the UK whilst some analysts believe it could sell 10m copies globally in the run up to Christmas.

HMV stores in the UK opened at midnight to allow eager gamers to get their hands on the game as soon as possible.
crowds at Modern Warfare launch in London

"We estimate that the game will exceed 1m UK sales in its first week, which would be a new record," said HMV spokesperson Gennaro Castaldo.

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