Investors nervous of Starcraft 2 delays

Investors in Activision Blizzard have voiced concerns that Blizzard's Starcraft 2 may be delayed until 2010, causing shares in the mega-publisher to drop by 14 percent this month as investors prepare for the announcement.

According to MarketWatch (via GI.biz) the problems have risen because investors are worried that the public beta for the game has yet to kick off even though the game is supposedly set for an October release.

A number of market analysts have echoed worries that game will soon be delayed until 2010, with analysts claiming that even if a public beta were announced tomorrow then it may still not be possible to ready the game for the planned release date.

"The beta testing for Starcraft hasn't started yet. If it starts in August and takes 5-6 months, then launching the game this year is next to impossible," offered Jess Lubert, videogame analyst with Brean Murray.

Worries about Starcraft 2 shouldn't impact on the company too heavily though - with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 still on-target for a 2009 release (and at an inflated price, no less) investors are confident that Activision will still be able to hit projected targets without Starcraft 2.

"Even without Starcraft, I think Activision should be able to get to their current guidance for the year. But without Starcraft, getting an upside to that number might be challenging."

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