Irish Bookmaker Pays Out Early On Modern Warfare 2 As Xmas UK #1

The best-selling game of 2009 is already decided even though the year's not over, says Ireland's largest bookmaker, which has decided to start paying out early on bets that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 will come out on top. Bookmaker Paddy Power says it saw a late surge of bets in favor of FIFA 10 -- but nonetheless determined that "Activision’s [Modern Warfare 2] had built up an unassailable lead in this year's best sellers stakes." The game has racked up $550 million in worldwide unit sales since its November 10 launch, a figure that leads Paddy Power to pay out some €12,000 ($17,674) to Call of Duty 2 backers -- who it said saw two-to-one odds back in September. "Three out of every four bets placed on the Christmas number 1 video game were backing [Modern Warfare 2]," said the bookmaker. "With this level of support, I don’t think we’re taking too much of a risk by paying out early." The company released a list of closing odds as follows: 2/7 Call Of Duty 2: Modern Warfare 9/4 FIFA 10 6/1 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games 6/1 Wii Sports Resort 10/1 Assassin's Creed II 14/1 New Super Mario Bros Wii 25/1 Wii Fit Plus 33/1 HALO 3: ODST 33/1 Need For Speed: Shift 33/1 DJ Hero 33/1 Football Manager 2010 50/1 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves 66/1 James Cameron's Avatar: The Game 66/1 PES 2010: Pro Evolution Soccer 80/1 Planet 51: The Game 80/1 Guitar Hero 5 100/1 Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues 100/1 Left 4 Dead 2 100/1 The Saboteur 100/1 Ghostbusters: The Video Game 100/1 Tekken 6 150/1 Rogue Warrior 150/1 Brutal Legend 150/1 Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time 150/1 Saw: The Video Game 200/1 WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2010