The latest installment of the blockbuster Call of Duty videogame franchise went on sale Tuesday with publisher Activision saying pre-orders had topped last year\'s record-shattering \"Call of Duty: Black Ops.\" \"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3\" hit stores at midnight with thousands of fans lining up to be the first to get their hands on the game, the eighth title in a franchise that has won a devoted following since it was launched in 2003. The Santa Monica, California-based Activision, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, said launch parties were held at more than 13,000 retailers around the globe. \"Call of Duty: Black Ops\" rang up 360 million dollars in sales in North America and Britain on its first day of availability last year to become the highest-grossing entertainment launch ever. Activision did not provide figures but said pre-orders for \"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3\" had already topped pre-orders for \"Call of Duty: Black Ops,\" which sold 5.6 million copies in North America and Britain on its first day. \"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,\" which was developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, picks up the storyline from \"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2\" and segues into World War 3. \"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3\" is going up against a military first-person game from Electronic Arts -- \"Battlefield 3,\" which was released last month and has become EA\'s fastest-selling videogame ever. \"Battlefield 3\" is set near in a near future, with players taking on roles as US Marines tackling missions in places such as Paris, New York and Tehran.