Investors looking to capitalize on the popularity of the video game industry might do well to closely watch sites like Metacritic.com, a reviewers’ portal. When users who review games on such websites offer overwhelming praise for a newly released title, it’s a good bet the issuing company’s stock will bump upwards, as was recently the case with Take-Two Interactive and its release of “Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” The phenomenon has also been observed in reverse. A slate of poor reviews for a newly released game may forecast a downward tumble in the publisher’s stock price. While these market fluctuations are generally short-lived, investors who closely watch “the boards” for an early word may be able to use the information to advantage. Stock analysts seem wary of assigning too much influence to the relationship between reviewers’ game ratings and game maker share price, but one analyst, Evan Wilson, admitted to reading the major game review websites religiously at any rate.

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