world of warcraft

The Weirdest Things Your Taxes Pay For

Sen. Tom Coburn has released his Wastebook 2012, a look at over $18 billion in projects that are bizarre and hard to justify. Admittedly, that's just a drop in the federal budget. But ... Thoreau-based video games? Robot squirrels?! Take a peek at our gallery of weird government expenditures.

Wall Street Watch: Activision Blizzard Earnings Get Bonus Points

Activision Blizzard,the company behind the "Call of Duty," "Skylanders," and "World of Warcraft" video game franchises posted better than expected results after Wednesday's market close. Adjusted earnings more than doubled to $0.15 a share as revenue rose nearly 20% to $751 million.

Pop Quiz: What's the Weirdest Stuff Your Tax Dollars Get Spent On?

Each year, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla) puts out his Waste Book, pointing out federally funded programs he considers especially absurd. They're the funniest -- and strangest -- things paid for with taxpayer dollars. Think you'll recognize the real weirdness? Take our quiz to find out.

Why Activision Blizzard Will Never Be Great Again

Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 posted a new sales record last week. But Activision Blizzard just can't keep a hold on fickle gamers. Guitar Hero hit a high note, then went silent, and now World of Warcraft is losing population fast.

Blizzard's StarCraft Sequel Takes the Gaming World by Storm

StarCraft II, the sequel to one of the most popular PC games of all time, has been a dozen years in the making. But the wait has paid off. Game maker Blizzard Entertainment says it sold 1.5 million copies in the first 48 hours after launch.

World of Warcraft Servers Go Down For 24 Hours

World of Warcraft players chomped at the bit waiting for WoW servers to come back online after a 24-hour maintenance cycle left them hanging. And for game operator Activision Blizzard, time is money when it comes to the hugely successful subscription-based online role-playing game.

As HarperStudio Publisher Quits, What Next?

The publisher of HarperCollins imprint HarperStudio has left, leaving in jeopardy the future of an eccentric book operation with a small staff, lower-priced titles, profit-sharing with authors instead of huge advances, and a returns policy that rankled retailers.