Activision sent out a news release today touting the Modern Warfare 2 installation base - 8 million strong and growing - as larger than most real world armies. Indeed it is. How does it compare to history?

Acti says the 8 million highly irregular, untrained MW2 fighters outclass:

• The active-duty forces across all 28 member countries of NATO.
• China (pardon, Chiner for you United Kingdomians) 2.3 million strong.
• The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines (what a great place to start ...) by more than 6 million.

You get the idea. Who else? We put the question to Kotaku Jane's Defence and Fighting Ships:

• More than 30,000 times the size of the American force at The Alamo.
• More than 13,000 times the size of the similarly ill-fated Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava
• More than 37,000 times the size of G.I. Joe's entire roster.

In short, a lot of people are playing this game, in numbers that could easily overwhelm more courageous, better trained forces. If they were fighting on a teevee.