Call of Duty faces competition from the likes of multiple blockbusters for each year the series sees its annual release, but ever so often, the yearly staple has to go up against the likes of a juggernaut like Grand Theft Auto, raising the stakes.
As Grand Theft Auto 5 has a fair chance of knocking Call of Duty down the list this year, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has told CVG there's room for both Rockstar's game and Call of Duty: Ghosts to succeed this year.
"Obviously, [GTA] is a hugely successful franchise, and I get asked about our big competitors every year," he said.
"We're always up against iconic titles, and I know people like to tell a clash-of-the-titans story, but I feel there's lots of evidence that there's room for more than one successful game, and indeed more than one successful blockbuster. And if people only have money for a few games, I like our chances that Call of Duty will be one of them."