Mobile game-focused BlackBerry 10 delayed into 2013

As part of its fiscal 2013 first quarter results, BlackBerry manufacturer RIM said that its upcoming BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system, with its new focus on the mobile game market, has been delayed into 2013 to ensure the quality and reliability of the platform. The BlackBerry 10 operating system is RIM's push into the mobile game space, as is looking to take on Apple's App Store, Google Play for Android and the Windows Phone Marketplace. A new hub called 'Games' will be integrated with BlackBerry Messenger and Scoreloop's social game network, and will act as the BlackBerry equivalent to Apple's own Game Center for iOS devices. A handful of high-profile games, including Jetpack Joyride and Sonic 4 are already confirmed for the platform. However, RIM president and CEO Thorsten Heins said that the planned launch of the platform has now been pushed back to the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year, as the integration of key features has "proven to be more time consuming than anticipated." RIM also confirmed that it is planning to reduce its workforce by around 5,000 employees by the end of fiscal 2013, in a bid to swing its quarterly losses to profits. For the quarter ended June 2, 2012, the company posted revenues of $2.8 billion, down 43 percent year-over-year, and losses of $518 million, compared to profits of $695 million year-over-year.