To quote an elder statesman of the basketball genre, NBA 2K13 is on fire. 2K Sports announced today that the the game broke franchise sales records in its first week, toppling the previous franchise record-holder NBA 2K11.

According to 2K, 2K13 sold 49% more than 2K11 did. The company credits the global market for this, since the international sales of the game were 66% higher than 2K11. The company also boasts that online users doubled from last year's installment, and the number of online games increased 127%.

2K is getting more of a foothold in the basketball market, which will make for an interesting battle next year. EA recently canceled NBA Live 13, the third time in a row the company nixed one of its basketball titles. It claims to be aiming for next year, but after so long of going unopposed, 2K may have a competitive edge in the market. And Jay-Z.