World of Warcraft recession proof?

Looks like there's a second videogame brand, along with Nintendo, that scoffs in the face of a recession: World of Warcraft.

Activision Blizzard put out a press release today to boast about the continued success of its mega-MMO. It seems "Warcraft" has now passed the 11.5 million subscriber mark, just about two months after it hit 11 million. Considering that it took about 9 months to get from 10 million to 11 million, that shows the growth rate is increasing, spurred in large part by "Wrath of the Lich King." Last month's expansion pack has sold 4 million copies total so far, after moving 2.8 million on its first day. 2007's "Burning Crusade," by contrast, sold 3.5 million units in about two months.

Posting an update when "Warcraft" gains another half million subscribers (as opposed to a full million) and another million units after a huge launch is a bit unusual. But not in the current economy. Though Activision hasn't felt the need to warn it won't hit guidance for the current quarter, it seems safe to bet that it'll barely reach it, if at all. "Guitar Hero: World Tour" is selling much less than "Guitar Hero III," after all, and there are no signs that high profile releases like "Quantum of Solace" or "Spider-Man: Web of Shadows" are doing much business. "Call of Duty: World at War" had a very strong launch, but in the current state of things, one has to wonder how even that is selling in December.

Investors seem to have this concern too, since Activision Blizzard stock has plunged along with the rest of the market this fall, down about 40%. Which is probably why CEO Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly recently cancelled plans to sell some stock.

But Blizzard, at a minimum, isn't hurting at all. In the face of a recession, spending $15 per month for unlimited entertainment may be looking like a better deal than ever. It's doing so well, in fact, that Blizzard is hiring, as it emphasized in its press release: "To keep pace with the continued growth of World of Warcraft as       well as development on other Blizzard Entertainment games, the company       is currently hiring for numerous open positions." Take, that EA and your 10% layoffs!

In the face of everything, it's tough to blame Bobby Kotick for wanting the world to know that. Looks like that merger came at just the right time.