Each new Call of Duty title seems to sell more than the last. It’s been a trend since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare turned the series into the blockbuster franchise that it is today. Some were concerned that Black Ops II wouldn’t be able to match the success of past games, but those concerns have been proven false.

Activision announced this morning that Call of Duty: Black Ops II made $500 million in its first day of sales. Once again, Call of Duty has proven to be the one entertainment brand that just can’t be beat. It’s not exactly fair to compare games and film due to the price discrepancy, but this year’s top film performer, The Avengers, was only able to draw in $200 million in its first weekend.

“With first day sales of over half a billion dollars worldwide, we believe Call of Duty is the biggest entertainment launch of the year for the fourth year in a row,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc. “Life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars,” the two most successful movie franchises of all time.

Activision notes that over 16,000 stores around the world participated in midnight launches for the title. The game was also on top of social media with Black Ops II trending in 23 cities around the world. The company also notes that its wonderful “Surprise” live action trailer has now been viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube.

Black Ops II has officially become the most successful Call of Duty title to date as Joystiq notes that Modern Warfare 3 made $400 million in its first day. The game went on to make $775 million in its first five days on sale. At its current pace, Black Ops II may just become the most successful Call of Duty to date.

It should be noted that Black Ops II has yet to launch on one platform. The Wii U version of the title hits on Sunday. It won’t do as well as the Xbox 360 or PS3 version, but it could help add to Activision’s bottom line.