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Violent Games, Tranquil Stocks

Topics:Earnings | Nasdaq | NYSE | Stock Picks | Stock Market

Companies:Electronic Arts Inc | Take Two Interactive Software Inc | Activision, Inc.

By: Andrew Fisher | 20 Feb 2008 | 11:02 AM ET

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Video games are full of action and adventure, but the stocks of the companies that make look surprisingly safe to Kaufman Brothers cable and satellite analyst Todd Mitchell.

"This is a discretionary item that is bought by a demographic that typically is not that economic-sensitive," Mitchell told CNBC from the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco. "There's other things that go first. I don't think this sector's going to be that impacted by any sort of economic slowdown."

There are even big opportunities for some firms.

"You saw Guitar Hero," he said. "That came out of an independent studio that Activision bought for, I think, a hundred million dollars and turned into a billion-dollar franchise."

Mitchell rates Activision [ATVI Loading... () ] and Electronic Arts

[ERTS Loading... () ] at "hold." He's much more enthusiastic about Take Two Interactive Software [TTWO Loading... () ].

"Take Two is coming out with GTA [the latest version of its blockbuster Grand Theft Auto] in April, and that's going to be a huge release," he explained. "That's going to be a $250-$300 million weekend, and I think the stock is extremely cheap at these levels."

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