With E3 starting this week, investors with stakes in the video game industry will be watching to see the new and exciting announcements that could make or break the struggling companies within the sector.Let’s take a look at where some of the biggest players are right now.First up, is Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA). One of the biggest video game publishers announced its new lineup of games including titles like the highly successful Madden NFL franchise and their online multiplayer game Star Wars: The Old Republic. One that is in the news right now however is Battledfield 3. This first-person-shooter will soon have a $50-per year service for players to unlock extra online features and content. This is similar to Activision’s Call of Duty Elite Premium service. EA has not been doing well this past year though. The company is down 35%, and is currently trading over 1% lower today at $12.94.Next is EA’s big competitor Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI). The company behind the Call of Duty franchise and the newly released Diablo III has had some negative press recently. A civil lawsuit hit the news with game maker Infinity Ward suing Activision for wrongful dismissal after the company fired them in March 2010. Infinity Ward claimed the video game publisher fired them to avoid paying more than $36 million in bonuses. Both parties settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.Activision Blizzard has not taken much of a hit this past year though, its stock down just 5%. Currently, the company is trading relatively flat, the stock up fractionally to $11.65. Finally, Take Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO) one of the smaller publishers has an exciting lineup for this year and the future. The company is well known for its titles from Rockstar Games and 2K Studios. Some of the new games include BioShock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V, the long anticipated sequel to the franchise. Currently in the news, the company will begin bringing its Max Payne 3 game to the PC and has suffered major criticism over delaying its new BioShock game till February.For the year, the company is seeing double digit declines and currently is falling in trading today. Take Two Interactive is down over 2% to $10.80.That’s it for the Video Game Sector Report. For more industry news and financial analysis, keep it right here to the Financial News Network.
