Call of Duty passes $40 billion in lifetime revenue, making it one of the most lucrative videogame franchises ever

It's been 22 years, 11 months, 28 days and counting since we were first graced with Call of Duty. Over those two decades the franchise has emerged as one of the most lucrative in videogame history, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announcing that it's passed the $40billion revenue mark.

Speaking of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's success, Sharma reflects: "One of the most celebrated Call of Duty games in its 24-year history, and now $40 billion in lifetime franchise revenue. An incredible milestone. Congrats to the Activision team. And to the players, thank you for being with us."

$40 billion in lifetime revenue places Call of Duty behind goliaths like Mario and Pokémon. It also means that Call of Duty, on average, has earned $4,762,472 a day, which is particularly terrifying if you ask me.

But how it got there is an entirely different question—one that can be answered by the ravenous appetite of consumers in the free market. …