Demand was high for the game and over 1.5 million copies were sold on pre-orders alone . It was the highest earning entertainment product launch of all time in the US , earning $ 125 million dollars in its first 24 hours . The game sold 2.4 million copies and earned up to US$ 125 million in its first 24 hours on store shelves , thus out-grossing the film Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest as the highest grossing release in entertainment history .