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According to opinion data from social networking service Raptr, more players were excited about the launch of Battlefield 3, thought that DICE was a more innovative developer than Infinity Ward, and that the Battlefield franchise has had a bigger impact on the FPS genre than Call of Duty. That data comes from a survey of over 6,000 respondents. But when you break down the numbers comparing hours played from Raptr’s user base of over 10 million gamers, it looks like most players prefer Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to Battlefield 3.
The statistics in Raptr’s latest report reveal that Xbox 360 players spent 40% more time playing Modern Warfare 3 on launch day than they did playing Battlefield 3 when it launched. “The battle for dominance for the first-person shooter market in 2011 is clearly in Activision’s favor,” said Raptr CEO Dennis Fong. “EA made a valiant effort evangelizing its fan base and generating massive support around the launch of Battlefield 3. Given how well received the game was, EA has a powerful opportunity to take things further next year, though it’s clear at this point that Call of Duty is a phenomenon that is unrivaled.”
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Here are the key findings from Raptr’s report on playtime tracking:
- Xbox 360 players logged 40% more launch-day playtime in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, averaging 6.19 hours compared to 4.45 hours of Battlefield 3
- During each game’s first week of launch, Xbox 360 players logged 17% more per-user playtime in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, averaging 20.45 hours compared to 17.37 hours of Battlefield 3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 accumulated more total hours played in one week post-launch than Battlefield 3 has in three weeks post-launch
- 53% of Battlefield 3 players on Xbox 360 are also playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, compared to just 31% of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players who also played Battlefield 3
- During the first week of launch, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 stole more playtime from Battlefield 3 than any other game
- For the first time ever for any franchise, three Call of Duty games were in the top 10 playtime charts on Raptr
Here are the results from the survey:
- 81% of respondents were more excited for the launch of Battlefield 3
- 92% of respondents consider DICE a more innovative developer than Infinity Ward
- 58% of respondents said the Battlefield franchise has had a bigger impact on the FPS genre
- 80% of respondents feel the Call of Duty franchise generates more hype through its marketing
The survey paints a picture of a showdown between mainstream Hollywood-style blockbuster Modern Warfare 3 – and the more important and innovative Battlefield 3. So you’d think that this would lead to more playtime logged for DICE’s big shooter. The difference between the results of the survey and the hours logged in Raptr’s playtime report could have something to do with the survey itself, which offered respondents a chance to win a high-end custom gaming PC. Since the Call of Duty franchise is now considered by many to be more of a console shooter than Battlefield, the difference between player opinion and actual playtime in the recent Raptr report seems to make more sense. You can check out GamesRadar’s David Houghton’s take on the Modern Warfare 3 vs Battlefield 3 showdown here, but which title do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!
