Analysts haven't been shy about predicting a downward slide for the Call of Duty franchise. Last year's Call of Duty: Ghosts underperformed compared to 2012s Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and analysts are predicting that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will continue the downward trend. Activision, however, is remaining positive, and is convinced Advanced Warfare will do better than Call of Duty: Ghosts.

"We see purchase intent well above last year and we see engagement with the brand in social media channels all being markedly up, so I'm still optimistic," Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision told GamesIndustry.

"Preorders are a good barometer for day one, but I don't think they reflect the overall demand for the product," says Hirshberg. "[They] don't represent what they used to - because of the move to digital and all the ways people can buy the game."

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches today (yesterday for those who pre-ordered the Day Zero edition), and is already garnering better reviews than Call of Duty: Ghosts. Our own Steve Hannley awarded the game a 4.5/5, praising the changes to the Call of Duty formula. Activision is hoping that a three-year development cycle under Sledgehammer Games is enough to bring back fans that have grown tired of the franchise, particularly after the disappointing Ghosts.