First Modern Warfare 2 DLC Pack Sales Are Stimulating

[Update: 8:54 PM CST - BL] Activision has clarified that this DLC has broken the Xbox Live Marketplace record for most downloads within the first 24 hours and most downloads within the first week of release.

[Original Story] Microsoft has reported that the recently released 'Stimulus Package' downloadable map pack for Infinity Ward's record-selling Modern Warfare 2, has broken a "new record" on Xbox LIVE.

Despite some technical issues when the map pack was released, more than one million gamers downloaded the pack within the first twenty-four hours of release, with an additional 1.5 million gamers making the purchase within the first week. Impressive numbers, to be sure; however, when you consider Microsoft's report that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 players have cumulatively clocked in over 1.75 billion hours of game time since the game's November 2009 release, it kind of puts things in perspective.

Back when the 'Stimulus Package' was first announced, some doubted that it would be successful based on the higher price-point ($15) and the fact that two of the pack's five maps were just updated renditions of multiplayer maps from the original Modern Warfare. These sales numbers will likely silence the doubters, and could set an interesting precedent for the pricing of future downloadable content for triple-A titles. Highly-successful competitive multiplayer first-person shooters seem to be a natural "sweet-spot" for successful DLC sales, given the general dedication of the core audience.

Activision calls the DLC "record-breaking," though it's not entirely clear if they're asserting that the 'Stimulus Package' achieved an unmatched number of downloads, an unmatched profit margin, the most downloads in a two-week period, or something else altogether. We've reached out to Activision for clarification on the issue.

The Modern Warfare 2 'Stimulus Pack' is currently only available via Xbox LIVE, though PlayStation 3 and PC versions are still forthcoming.