What we heard: Electronic Arts may be one of the biggest third-party publishers in the gaming industry, but that fact hasn't saved them from the worsening global economic crisis. Reporting on its financial performance during the July-September quarter in October, EA announced plans to reduce its workforce by 6 percent as a cost-cutting measure. By December, the publisher had expanded those layoffs to a full 10 percent of its global headcount.While Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft remains the undisputed champion of the massively multiplayer online gaming realm, Mythic scored a measure of success with Warhammer Online last year. Three weeks after the game launched, Mythic announced a global player base of 750,000 subscribers. As part of a gloomy earnings revision in December, EA CEO John Riccitiello called out the game's success, noting that he expects the game to "continue to perform very, very well." 

Even still, the game has likely not hit the cash-cow status of its Activision Blizzard-owned rival. Following the MMOG's strong debut, server populations have taken a decided skid. Mythic Entertainment has since enacted a number of free character transfers that allow gamers on dwindling realms to join those with healthier player populations.Rather than targetting specific groups with the layoffs, EA was clear in saying that the effort to trim costs would encompass all sectors of its global operations. Ostensibly true to its word, this week delivers news indicating Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning developer Mythic Entertainment was the focus of the publisher's latest round of layoffs.