Dueling Fools: Electronic Arts

I grew up on EA. Really. Just when Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS  ) was cutting its teeth -- before Trip Hawkins left to form the ambitious, yet ultimately doomed, 3DO -- I was a fan of the early EA Sports titles.

I didn't care that Earl Weaver Baseball was a simulation with simple graphics. I gathered some friends together, drafted teams using Topps baseball trading cards, and kept a league going the old-fashioned way.

EA has come a long way since then. The whole industry has. It's been rough over the past few quarters, but that may not last. With Nintendo (Nasdaq: NTDOY  ) and Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) coming out with their next-generation gaming consoles next month, the upgrade cycle is under way, and video game publishers don't usually peak until a couple of years into that process.

As a popular Motley Fool Stock Advisor newsletter selection, EA has plenty of fans, but there are some bears in the woodwork, too. This week, we've got Alyce Lomax arguing in favor of investing in Electronic Arts, while Ryan Fuhrmann believes that it's not a game worth playing.

Where do you stand? That's what this Duel is all about.

Duel on!

• Read the bull argument
• Read the bear argument
• Read the bullish rebuttal
• Read the bearish rebuttal
• Vote for the winner