Activision Blizzard an investor's 'haven' in 2009

Activision Blizzard is the publisher you want to invest in if you hope to weather 2009's economic storm, says investment firm Lazard Capital Markets. (Note: They didn't use any terrible, meteorological puns when they said it and generally approach financial matters with a little more gravitas than we do.)

According to Edge Online, the monolithic publisher has been dubbed a "relative haven" for investors this year, thanks to "industry-leading operating margins, a diverse online and offline revenue base, several of the strongest videogame franchises, and a depressed valuation following the recent market downturn." We don't know what a valuation is, but we hope it cheers up soon.

Here's one thing we do know: When you're buying shares in the game industry, look for the safe bets if you're trying to find the safe bet.