Worlds Inc (WDDD)

[MarkmanRunup]

Top 10 reasons I like WDDD #9 Blitzkrieg

Let's continue this series with #9...

#9 Blitzkrieg

Step 1: Amass a strong patent portfolio — check: Worlds invents and patents technology via an unbroken chain of continuation patents back to 1995.

Step 2: Attack — check: Worlds begins their patent infringement battle against NCSoft in late 2008.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 and rinse — check: Now they are targeting Activision.

If a successful settlement/judgment comes against Activision (as it did with NCSoft), Worlds will no doubt pursue other infringers. I have no idea who they might go after next, but there are plenty of targets in this space. Here’s just a few they might consider:

Disney Interactive Studios Disney Infinity



This is scheduled to be released on Aug 18:

https://infinity.disney.com/
http://www.examiner.com/article/preview-disney-infinity

Disney Infinity is similar to Skylanders; the game uses collectible figurines that are then synthesized within the game, allowing for characters from Disney and Pixar properties to interact and go on adventures. It supports multiplayer. You can do two player couch co-op and four person multiplayer online. To help keep kids safe while playing online they’ll only be able to invite others into their games that are on their friend’s list.

Disney has spent over $100 million developing this title.

Electronic Art’s Battlefield



This series was initially released in Sep, 2002. On Oct 31, Electronic Arts is scheduled to release their latest sequel and the 13th installment in the Battlefield series, Battlefield 4:

http://www.battlefield.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_4

Battlefield 4 multiplayer has been confirmed to contain 3 playable factions; U.S., China and Russia. Also confirmed are a new game mode known as "All Out War! Vehicle Combat" and the return of the "Commander Mode" last seen in Battlefield 2142, which gives select players an RTS-like tactical map and the ability to give orders to teammates.

Valve's Dota



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dota_2

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena video game. The game is currently available for early test access and will utilize a free-to-play business model when released. Dota 2 is exclusively available via Valve's content delivery platform Steam.

Dota 2 consists of session-based online multiplayer matches in which two teams of five attempt to destroy the opponents' fortified strongholds.

Riot Game’s League of Legends



http://na.leagueoflegends.com/

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena video game. It is a free-to-play game, supported by micro-transactions. It was first released in Oct, 2009.

Rockstar Game’s Grand Theft Auto



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_V

The new multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto V is called Grand Theft Auto Online. Multiplayer will feature "Crews" similar to Max Payne 3. The new Social Club functionality will connect play across multiple titles, starting with Max Payne 3 and GTA V. By playing both games' multiplayer, crews that the player set up in one will be carried over to the other. GTA V will let players form private crews with friends, or join public crews. In late 2012, Rockstar said that "refining open-world multiplayer into something really special" had been a huge focus in the development of GTA V.

Microsoft Studio’s Halo



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(series)

Halo 4 grossed $220 million on its launch day, with an estimated gross of $300 million in its opening week, marking a new record for the franchise. More than one million people played Halo 4 on Xbox Live within the first 24 hours of release. U.S. retail tracking firm NPD reported that Halo 4 was the second most sold retail video game of November 2012, the third most sold retail video game of December 2012, and the third most sold retail video game of the year. As of Dec, 2012, the game has sold approximately four million copies. In 2012, Halo 4 was the third most played game on Xbox Live based on average unique users per day.

The franchise has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, with the games alone grossing almost $3.4 billion.

Gearbox Software’s Borderlands



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderlands_2

Borderlands 2 was one of the best selling games of 2012 with a total shipment of over 5 million copies since the game was released in September 2012.

The game supports two-player cooperative play through split-screen (on consoles), and up to four players playing co-operatively online or over a LAN.

Bethesda Softwork’s The Elder Scrolls Online



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elder_Scrolls_Online

The Elder Scrolls Online is an upcoming massively multiplayer role-playing video game developed by ZeniMax Online Studios, to be released in Spring 2014. It is the first open-ended multiplayer installment of The Elder Scrolls video game franchise. It was announced on May 3, 2012.

Sony Computer Entertainment’s Gran Turismo



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Turismo_(series)

In Japan, Gran Turismo 5 debuted in the software chart at number one, and this helped PS3 console sales more than double for the week ending November 28, 2010.

As of September 2012, Gran Turismo 5 sold over 9 million units. For 13 days, 423,000 copies of the game were sold per day, helping to break sales records in Europe. Gran Turismo 5 is the best-selling video game for the PlayStation 3. The Gran Turismo series as a whole has now totalled more than 65 million units sold so far worldwide and remains the highest-selling PlayStation-exclusive franchise of all time.

Summary

Defending a litigation action for infringement is extremely expensive. Companies usually want to avoid that and so are likely to settle out of court. If Worlds can reach settlements with just some of these and other infringers, they will be able to generate substantial revenue.

And that is reason #9 why I like WDDD.