Activision-Blizzard filed its annual report for investors on March 1, which summarizes the publisher's 2009 fiscal year. The report isn't exactly what most players would consider a leisurely read, although it does provide a few interesting details about the publisher's concerns with World of Warcraft's performance as of late. When it comes to investor reports, concerns like these—and the detailing of potential risk factors—is standard practice. Still, the report provides some insight into recent community topics like WoW's subscriber base finally leveling off, as we discussed in a news-editorial last month.

If you've been following the recent NetEase fiasco in China, it should come as no surprise that Blizzard's international subscriber base took a substantial hit last year. WoW's continued success in the Chinese market—which accounts for several million of its worldwide players—hinges on its approval in 2010: "Having World of Warcraft unavailable for play or available only on an unpaid basis would result in lost revenues and income, and having it unavailable for a prolonged period could have a negative effect on our reputation and subscriber base in China," according to the report.

Aside from the obligatory factors like "inflation, recession, rising unemployment and volatile gasoline prices," Activision-Blizzard is keeping a close eye on the social networking (Facebook games) and portable (iPhone) markets, fearing these burgeoning mediums could someday render WoW obsolete:

"Future increased consumer acceptance and increases in the availability such games or other online games, or technological advances in online game software or the Internet, could result in a decline in platform-based software and negatively impact sales of our console and hand-held products. Newer technological advances in online game software may also render products such as World of Warcraft obsolete."

The company also recognized a few WoW- and MMO-specific risks it's facing. "If consumer demand for World of Warcraft games declines and we have not introduced new MMORPG or other products that replace World of Warcraft 's potentially decreasing revenue, or added other sources of revenue, our financial condition could suffer," the report reads. In addition, Activision-Blizzard reiterates its need to "refresh World of Warcraft or develop new MMORPG products," according to the report.

The publisher also mentions the emerging prominence of "online functionality" in video games, echoing the recent changes to its Battle.net platform and its upcoming integration with other Blizzard games like StarCraft 2 and Diablo III. In addition, Activision-Blizzard refers to itself in the report as a "hit-driven" business and recognizes its need to stay one step ahead of competitors, who "may develop titles that imitate or compete with our 'hit' titles, and take sales away from them or reduce our ability to command premium prices for those titles."

With the 3.3.3 patch around the corner, raiders in Icecrown Citadel get the blessing from their respective commanders to boost health, healing and damage. Get more details after the break ...

Can't get enough World of Warcraft goodies? Well, the World of Warcraft Community site has more items for you to sink your teeth (and money) into. Oh, and a few free things as well. Read on for the details.

Although Cataclysm may still be months away, the developers at Blizzard aren't about to let us simply forget about their world-changing upcoming expansion. In a tightly crafted forum post by Eyonix, the Blizzard development team outlined the major gear and stat changes that are on their way with Deathwing's return. Some of the highlights include the complete abandonment of Defence and Weapon Skill, along with major changes to Stamina, Spirit, and Intellect.

Keep reading to find out more!

Blizzard just released BlizzCast Episode 13, and this one focuses mainly on StarCraft II. Game Director Dustin Browder and Production Director Chris Sigaty discuss what's happening with the game now that it's entered beta testing.

World of Warcraft becomes the focus of attention around 32 minutes into the podcast when WoW Community Manager Zarhym and Diablo Community Manager Bashiok start discussing both of these games. They go back and forth on Icecrown Citadel and the road to Cataclysm before jumping into some Diablo III questions.

You can download an mp3 of BlizzCast #13 or read the entire transcript on the official Blizzard site.

Blizzard announced today that the next World of Warcraft developer chat on Twitter will be held tomorrow, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. PST. Players will get the chance to submit questions to WoW's lead content designer and lead systems designer that focus on Icecrown Citadel and other Fall of the Lich King content.

To participate, all you need to do is tweet your question using the #BlizzChat hashtag tomorrow between 5-6 p.m. PST. If you don't have a Twitter account or aren't available during the event, don't worry; the transcript of the entire Q&A will be posted in the official forums.

This will be Blizzard's third time hosting a dev chat on Twitter. The first one was held in October 2009, while the second one was held last month. Did you participate in the previous chats?

When Blizzard confirmed the rumors at BlizzCon 2009 that Cataclysm will be the next World of Warcraft expansion, the audience erupted into cheers, with an overwhelming show of approval. From an observer’s point-of-view, it would have been difficult to imagine that there were quite a few WoW fans who didn’t like the idea of Cataclysm when the rumors first broke. Back then, we didn’t have all the facts; a new expansion that didn’t include a new hero class, only raised the level cap to 85 and revisited Old World content didn’t seem nearly as fulfilling as what we had become accustomed to, according to some players.

After the BlizzCon announcement, the developers put most fans’ minds at ease when they revealed their true plans for Cataclysm, which included quite a bit more than just adding the Goblin and Worgen playable races and "sprucing up" old content. In ZAM’s live coverage of the Cataclysm preview panel discussion, we learned that the expansion will introduce seven new zones and feature a wealth of new abilities and gameplay mechanics. Blizzard is also breaking new ground by offering more horizontal expansion than ever before; Deathwing's emergence in Cataclysm will influence almost every aspect of Azeroth, from its shape and terrain to its quests and story arcs. Now that the final chapter of the Lich King saga has come to an end, we thought this would be as good a time as any to look forward and highlight the top five things about Cataclysm that we're the most excited about.

Blizzard has unveiled the 19th tile of the World of Wacraft Battlecry Mosaic, which means there's just one tile left to go before the entire mosaic is unveiled. Only 788 photos are needed to complete the puzzle, so submit yours ASAP if you'd like to be a part of the project. (UPDATE: Blizzard is no longer accepting photo submissions.)

As always, the appearance of the tile has unlocked content on the mosaic page. This time it's the epic musical piece "Tournament Battle One" from Wrath of the Lich King! This is the second time Blizzard has released a song as part of the mosaic; the musical piece "Invincible" was released last month when the mosaic hit 50%.

About two weeks ago, we reported that Blizzard planned to make Wind Rider Cub and Gryphon Hatchling plush critters available for purchase in the Blizzard Store, complete with matching in-game pets. Well, that day has arrived! Both companions are now available for purchase for $24.99 each.

Just to be clear, the Gryphon Hatchling and Wind Rider Cub plush toys both come with a matching in-game, non-combat pet that is applied to all present and future characters on one World of Warcraft account. Both pets are accessible by Horde and Alliance characters, so feel free to buy whichever toy you like the best.

There's one other important thing to note: The toys are available for a limited time only. If you want one (or both), it might be a good idea to place your order sooner rather than later.

While we all patiently wait for Blizzard to unveil the last two tiles of the Battlecry Mosaic, the team surprised us by kicking off a new series of player interviews on the World of Warcraft five-year anniversary site. The first Q&A is with Shadowclan, a roleplaying guild on the Ravenholdt server.

Shadowclan is a guild that consists entirely of orcs and the few trolls who prove their worth and dedication. Whether you roleplay or not, the interview is a fun read. You can check it out after the jump.

It looks like the next player interview will be with Palehoof, who is a member of the forum MVP program. We're also still waiting for Blizzard to continue its series of developer interviews and post its Q&A with Production Director J. Allen Brack on the anniversary site.