By Michael Jordan – Staff Basketball Player

Do you play online computer games? Are you a fan of instances, raiding, and character selection? Or are you a fan of the South Korean pro scene? These, and many other classic games, may be no more after a recent announcement from Blizzard Entertainment.

In a surprise turn of events, Blizzard Entertainment has announced a file for bankruptcy. The multi-million dollar gaming industry, known best for popular games such as “Starcraft” and the mass multiplayer online platform “World of Warcraft” has announced a sudden monetary decrease in sales and a need to close their doors. The announcement comes as a surprise for many gaming fans as Blizzard was due to release multiple expansions and continuations of games throughout the next few years.

Blizzard’s bankruptcy announcement is due, in part, to the mass popularity of MMORPG’s online. With the creation of “Star Wars Online” and “Warhammer 40K” it seems as if the age of Blizzard dominancy in gaming is far behind us. Subscriptions for paid games have dropped significantly since the economy fail and sales of non-subscription games have fallen to the wayside. Although still in beta testing, “StarCraft 2” is scheduled to be released shortly. The fate of the “Diablo III” release, the third installment of the popular “Diablo” franchise, is still up for debate. Blizzard Entertainment representatives have limited discussion on the recent announcement, with more press conferences expected in the next few weeks. Many in the gaming industry fear the fall of Blizzard Entertainment will only be the start of a decline of big business in the gaming industry. Nintendo and Sony representatives have started to look over their business strategies in order to compromise for the drop in Blizzard sales.

So what does this mean for Blizzard Entertainment fans? What does the bankruptcy announcements mean for the future of the “World of Warcraft” online community, which spans the globe and includes nearly 12 million subscribers? And one must also know the legal process involved with filing for bankruptcy. Blizzard Entertainment has released no information, but it is expected that the highly anticipated Cataclysm expansion will still drop in November. The extent of its content, which is meant to include two new races, multiple new worlds, and a complete overhaul of old zones, is still unknown. Rumors circulating the web suggest that the massive rift in Azeroth, meant to occur at the beginning of the expansion, will instead occur after multiple hours of game play, allowing for a conclusion to the series. Whether that game play finale will include a final summation to the popular story about the Lich King is yet to be seen. The game itself will most likely close its doors entirely at the end of 2011 when bankruptcy discussions come to a final close.

The future of gaming is up in arms over this decision, as one of the most well-known computer platform gaming industries sets to close its doors. Stay tuned for more on the Blizzard Entertainment bankruptcy announcement. For more details, visit www.ChargerBulletin.com/12743/