The 10 Biggest Video Game Blockbusters

We've become so used to hearing about how one movie, or the next, has gone on to become the highest grossing ever, in the history of man. But, what about the games, man, the games? 

Year: 2007
How Much It Made: $700 Million
Publisher: Activision

You know it and you love it. It's the world wide phenomenon that is Modern Warfare. Developed over the span of two years with over 100 programmers, Modern Warfare is a perfect example of the contemporary blockbuster. Using current events (Mid-East assassinations, Russian Nationalists) as a backdrop, Modern Warfare put players in control of scenarios we only read about in the newspapers. The online multiplayer and single player campaign received endless praise and a small country's weight in awards making the game an instant classic, a voice acting cameo by Bill Murray didn't hurt either.

Year: 2000
How Much It Made: $740 Million
Publisher: EA

What's more exciting then taking out the trash, being rejected by women, and interviewing for a job? Doing it all as a Sim. The cultural juggernaut, responsible for the disintegration of countless, real-life relationships, allowed players to roam free in an open ended sandbox universe doing...whatever. The game's key characteristic, initially, was a total lack of any defined goal. No princess that needed rescuing, no portals to hell needing to be sealed, just endless virtual desires to be fulfilled. The "strategic life simulation" shipped over 16 million copies worldwide, spawning countless sequels, expansions, and downloadable content. Continue to enjoy, shut-ins!

Year: 2009
How Much It Made: 780 Million
Publisher: Activision

When a game sells 4.7 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release and then another 22 million on top of that, the dollars say it all. This massively hyped sequel tweaked a few, but thankfully not many, changes to the first Modern Warfare game. The single player campaign was a little shorter, but with all the additional bells and whistles: online co-op, full co-op spec mode, and a ton of downloadable content, the game surpassed its predecessor to the tune of about 80 million bucks.

Year: 2004
How Much It Made: $850 Million
Publisher: Rockstar Games

Best. Selling. Play Station 2 game. Ever. San Andreas pushed the PS2 to the limit of what it was capable of, before current next-gen consoles made the top the bottom again in regards to hardware and performance. The game has sold over 17.33 millions copies for the PS2 alone, that's not including later cross console re-releases. The first of the GTA series to incorporate role-playing game elements; players could change hair, weight,clothing, and could learn martial arts by working out in a gym, San Andreas is considered by most to be the best entry of the series.

Year: 2006
How Much It Made: $1.2 Billion
Publisher: Nintendo

That's right, that's a capital 'B' up there, as in original baller. Billions in sales from one title for the Wii is no joke. The first four days in Japan saw nearly a million units fly off shelves, and the domino effect only intensified from there. This proves one thing, that people are psychotic for Mario titles. Re-hashing, sorry, re-imagining, the very first Super Mario Bros., players lined up the world around for a chance to jump punch some koopa troopas. The story, and nostalgia effect, is less important than the fact that this was only the third best selling Wii game of all time. Still, to crack the billion dollar mark, is something that even Princess Peach should give it up for.

Year: 2006
How Much It Made: $1.25 Billion
Publisher: Nintendo

Holy moly, do you remember when the Wii came out? People on Ebay, and Amazon, were bidding, and reselling, the Wii like it was covered in platinum, and contained the launch codes for the Russian nuclear arsenal. The Wii Fit, and balance board, were the cause of more than one bout of fisticuffs in a Wal-Mart electronics department. More fights broke out over the console than a discounted family pack of Monster Energy drinks during a gaming convention. Wii Play, in all reality, when the hype wore off, was not that great of a game. It had a bunch of mini-games like Table Tennis, and an updated version of Duck Hunt, but it still sold millions of copies. 37 million plus, to be exact. But, it took advantage of all that Wii heat, and helped countless retirement home residents learn how to play virtual bowling.

Year: 2008
How Much It Made: $1.35 Billion
Publisher: Rockstar Games

Just when you thought Rockstar couldn't outdo themselves after San Andreas, they knocked the gaming world on its collective ass by dropping GTA IV. Garnering universal praise from every gaming outlet, 10/10 was pretty much all the game received in reviews, GTA IV is considered a near perfect game. A more developed, detailed, and complex Liberty City were all central to the game's success. The 3.6 million copies it sold on the first day, 6 million copies in its first week, and capturing the Guiness World Record for "highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours," all cemented the game's iconic greatness.

Year: 2008
How Much It Made: $1.4 Billion
Publisher: Nintendo

Capitalizing on the insane demand for Wii peripherals, Nintendo released a Wii version of Mario Kart complete with a steering wheel controller. The game has gone to sell over 31 million copies and is Nintendo's best selling game ever. With the introduction of motorcycles, tons of new tracks, and a massive online multiplayer mode, the game has been a giant money printer for Nintendo. I still play this thing when friends are over, it's one of the few must have titles for the Wii and it's blockbuster supremacy can't be denied.

Year: 2010
How Much It Made: $1.5 Billion
Publisher: Activision

25 million copies worldwide. Best selling console game of all time. More money than some small countries earn in a decade. People sleeping outside of Gamestop like it was opening day of The Phantom Menace. Black Ops reigns as the king of next gen home consoles. Taking place during the Cold War, players blast their way through the 1950s and the 60s. We even get a chance to assassinate a Fidel Castro body double. The game is a super polished gem, and the king for a reason. When a game lets you play as JFK, and Richard Nixon, then slay astronaut zombie Nazis on a secret moon base, well, here's my money, just take it already.

Year: 2004
How Much It Made: $10 billion
Publisher: Blizzard

World of Warcraft has over 11 million users worldwide, and generates over a billion dollars a year. The grand architect of all mass multiplayer online role playing games, Blizzard has the gaming world by the short hairs when it comes to PC gaming. Such distinct style and gameplay has made WOW a cultural phenomenon. Anytime South Park does an episode about you, you know you've made it.