If Activision's internal estimates are to be believed, then the much-hyped, much-anticipated launch of Modern Warfare 2 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC was successful as it was planned out to be, selling five million copies on its first day in North America and the UK combined.

Activision is positively raking in the dough in the wake of Modern Warfare 2's release. Biggest entertainment launch of all time? Could be. In the UK alone, the game has already sold more than a million copies in a 24-hour period.

The success stories continue to surface for Sony and the PS3. We already know that sales week-on-week grew 999%, and the Slim has already smashed old Japanese sales records. Adding to those today is MCV UK reporting that the slimmed-down model of the console sold 40,000 units in the United Kingdom in just the first week of release.

Now that the Japanese porn industry has gotten a foot in the PS3's on-demand service door, some other purveyors of visual erotica have expressed interest in joining them. One of these is Vivid Entertainment, widely regarded as the world's largest adult video producer.

Is this a sign of things to come? Over in the UK, High Street retailer Asda has reportedly already started discounting their stock of 80GB PS3s. Quite the opposite compared to earlier reports of Xbox 360 Arcades getting a price hike in the region.

With so much mystery still looming around the rumored PS3 Slim and a possible PS3 price drop announcement, Microsoft's Xbox Euro VP Chris Lewis believes the Xbox 360 is still in a good place in the console race. According to Lewis, any announcement from their opposition won't disrupt their plan, which is also rumored to include countering Sony's move with a price cut of its own.

Brace yourselves. The time may be ripening for the eagerly anticipated, rumor-worn major PS3 announcement. MCV reports that the stock of PS3s in the UK are running low, which may indicate that Sony is preparing for a big move that could prove to be a crucial factor in the life of their console. Price cut? PS3 Slim? Or both?

Activision's decision to raise the suggested retail price of Modern Warfare 2 in the UK to UK£ 54.99 (almost US$ 90) has raised a furor among gamers in the region. Former SCEE president Chris Deering recognizes that a conundrum exists: prices for blockbuster titles should be even higher in order to support the industry, but people "just don't have that kind of money."

Thanks to Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, and PC), UK gamers are about to have their wallets bled out dry as retailers look to hiking up their prices as well for this holiday season. As it stands, Activision's war title from the popular Call of Duty franchise is pegged at UK£ 54.99. Converted to US dollars, that's almost a crazy US$ 90. And that's just for the regular copy, no fancy schmancy bundles yet.

Neil Thompson, Microsoft's regional director of Xbox in the UK, has emphasized the need for the videogame industry to impress upon parents that consoles and videogames have grown far beyond what they were in the past.