'Call of Duty: Black Ops' Pre-Orders Beating 'Modern Warfare 2'?

Treyarch has already indicated that they may one-up "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" by using dedicated servers for "Black Ops," but the game could be poised to outdo "MW2" in terms of pre-order numbers as well. Their November 9 release date is still months away, but some numbers from the retail sector have "Black Ops" tracking to do just that.

Right now, "Black Ops" pre-orders are outpacing "MW2," Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson said, based on accounts from retail sources, according to Industry Gamers.

Sales numbers may come up short in the long term, however, Wilson noted, predicting that "Black Ops" would be the first Call of Duty title that fails to outsell its predecessor. Though he foresees "Black Ops" selling 12 million copies, he also believes that "competition, weaker marketing, and the Infinity Ward situation" will prevent Treyarch from eclipsing the 16 million mark that "MW2" hit in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Now that Treyarch is a "100-percent Call of Duty studio," they will of course be hoping that Wilson is mistaken about post-launch sales, but this year's holiday is liable to be a fierce one in the games market. When the final store flyers are out and the receipts are printed, there may only be so much Treyarch and Activision can do to connect with more buyers.

Do you think "Black Ops" will sell better than "MW2"? What do you think the best-selling game of the 2010 holiday shopping season will be? Share your guesses in the comment section below.

Tags activision, call of duty, call of duty: black ops, call of duty: modern warfare 2, treyarch