 | World of Warcraft subs fall to 8.3 million May 8th 2013, 20:18 Subscriber base for aging MMO dips 1.3 million in three months; Activision Blizzard posts $456 million profit on $1.32 billion in revenue for Q1. 
Gamers are continuing to exit Azeroth. Activision Blizzard announced today that as of March 31, World of Warcraft has 8.3 million subscribers, down from 9.6 million at the end of 2012. According to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, World of Warcraft subscriber declines were mainly from the East, but the Western market also made an impact, he said in a statement. He further explained that subscriber figures are expected to fall throughout the year. Despite the subscriber attrition, World of Warcraft remains the number one subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, according to Activision. By comparison, Electronic Arts' Star Wars: The Old Republic has fewer than 500,000 subscribers as of March 31. The news comes as part of Activision Blizzard's first quarter earnings report, which saw the publisher post $456 million in profit on $1.32 billion in revenue for the three-month period ended March 31. Kotick said that though the year has gotten off to a solid start, there is reason to be skeptical about Activision Blizzard's prospects for the second half of the year. "While we have had a solid start to the year, we now believe that the risks and uncertainties in the back half of 2013 are more challenging than our earlier view, especially in the holiday quarter," Kotick said in prepared remarks. "The shift in release dates of competing products, the disappointing launch of the Wii U, uncertainties regarding next-generation hardware, and subscriber declines in our World of Warcraft business all raise concerns, as do continued challenges in the global economy." These issues are cause for concern, Kotick said. However, he also acknowledged that Activision Blizzard will be able to deliver shareholder value by employing the same tactics that has made the company one of the industry's biggest publishers for the past 20 years. "For these reasons, we remain cautious," he said. "However, our focused and disciplined approach to our business has served us well in the past, and through continued investment and careful management of our costs, we expect to continue delivering shareholder value over the long term as we have for the last 20 years.” Activision is currently holding a post-earnings financial call. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Warner Bros. to reboot Dungeons & Dragons movie May 8th 2013, 19:26 The Hobbit film company picks up rights to make movie based on fantasy role-playing series aimed at attracting new viewers. 
Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to make a film based on Dungeons & Dragons, Hollywood news site Deadline reports. The project will reportedly use a script--called Chainmail--penned by Wrath Of The Titans and Red Riding Hood writer David Leslie Johnson. The studio's ambition is to use the film to reboot the franchise for a new generation of viewers, Deadline claims. It will be the latest high-profile fantasy production at Warner Bros., following Game Of Thrones and Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. The Dungeons & Dragons film will be produced by Roy Lee (The Departed, The Lego Movie). Courtney Solomon, who directed the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons, is also on board to produce. That movie starred Jeremy Irons (The Lion King, Die Hard With A Vengeance) and reportedly could have fared better. No casting details or a release window have been revealed. Capcom will release its '90s arcade Dungeons & Dragons titles Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, PC, and Wii U this summer as part of the $15 Chronicles of Mystara Collection. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Ubisoft fires another Assassin's Creed producer - Report May 8th 2013, 18:48 Patrice Desilets claims producer Jean-Fran”ois Boivin also let go this week. 
It appears that Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Desilets did not leave Ubisoft alone yesterday. The developer claimed on Twitter today (via Polygon) that Ubisoft also fired Assassin's Creed producer and co-worker at THQ Montreal Jean-François Boivin. "Thinking of my good friend and producer @JFBoivin who also got fired yesterday," Desilets wrote. "I'm sharing your support with him”" According to his LinkedIn page, Boivin joined Ubisoft in 2005, when he served as project manager for Star Wars Lethal Alliance and Splinter Cell Essentials. In May 2006, he became a production manager at Ubisoft, overseeing development on Assassin's Creed and its sequel. In 2009, Boivin shifted to an associate producer role at Ubisoft, where he managed and led a multidisciplinary team and shipped Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. He left Ubisoft in 2010 to begin work at THQ Montreal on an all-new IP. Ubisoft purchased this studio and its games during the THQ bankruptcy auction for $2.5 million. Desilets claimed yesterday that Ubisoft fired him without merit. In a statement sent to media, he alleged wrongdoing on the part of Ubisoft and said he plans to fight back. "Contrary to any statements made earlier today, this morning I was terminated by Ubisoft," Desilets said at the time. "I was notified of this termination in person, handed a termination notice, and was unceremoniously escorted out of the building by two guards without being able to say goodbye to my team or collect my personal belongings." "This was not my decision," he added. "Ubisoft's actions are baseless and without merit. I intend to fight Ubisoft vigorously for my rights, for my team and for my game." An Ubisoft representative was not immediately available to comment. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | EA shares skyrocket May 8th 2013, 18:14 [UPDATE] Company share value closes up 17 percent after earnings report, Star Wars deal, and FIFA license extension. 
[UPDATE] Shares of Electronic Arts closed today up 17.11 percent (+$3.15) to $21.56, the highest valuation since the end of 2011. The original story follows below Shares of Electronic Arts are up more than 15 percent today after the company's busy week of big news.The publisher announced a new partnership with FIFA today, reported full-year revenue of $3.79 billion yesterday, and signed a new Star Wars deal with Disney on Monday. At press time, EA shares are up 15.59 percent (+$2.87) to $21.28 for the day. This represents the company's highest stock value since the end of 2011. EA's new partnership with FIFA will give the publisher exclusive license for future games through 2022. As part of the recent EA-Disney pact, EA will make new Star Wars games for consoles, PCs, tablets, and mobile. Battlefield developer DICE and Dead Space studio Visceral Games are currently working on the new games, powered by the Frostbite 3 engine. EA's stock is hot today and if the company can execute its near- and far-term goals, growth will only continue, according to the publisher. "As we enter a new fiscal year, EA is well-positioned for dynamic growth on next generation consoles, PCs, and mobile platforms," executive chairman and interim EA CEO Larry Probst said yesterday. "With world-class games, a rapidly growing digital business, and top-notch creative talent, we are excited about EA's strategy for FY 2014 and beyond." In an effort to reduce costs, EA recently cut 10 percent of its global workforce, or around 930 people. The publisher will pay $16 million in severance expenses as a result. EA is not the only game company to see its share value rise today. Grand Theft Auto parent publisher Take-Two Interactive is up 3.8 percent (+$0.60) to $16.35 today, while Activision is up 2.8 percent (+$0.42) to $15.36. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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