Xbox all set for Xmas

It's going to be a green Christmas if Microsoft's X'09 event on Tuesday is any indication.

Designed to give Canadian media a chance to test-drive upcoming first- and third-party Xbox 360 video games, Microsoft's annual soirée – this time held at the This is London downtown nightclub – proved that the green-logoed gaming giant is optimistic about holiday sales of its console, games and online services.

"This is really our kickoff to the holiday season, the place to play with the biggest and best games on the horizon," Craig Flannagan, platform manager for Xbox Canada, said at the event.

Despite the ailing economy, Flannagan said the industry remains positive about the all-important season.

"We're optimistic – I think it's a great time to be a gamer, not just because of amazing content but there's some good deals out there."

Microsoft also announced an "Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle" for $299, which includes a premium Xbox 360 Elite console (with 120 gigabyte hard drive) and two family-friendly games: LEGO Batman: The Videogame and PURE.

An entry level Xbox 360 costs as little as $149.99. (Sony and Nintendo recently dropped the prices of their video game systems to $299.99 for the PlayStation 3 and $219.95 for the Nintendo Wii.)

Flannagan said the Xbox 360 offers uses beyond gaming, such as upcoming support for 1080p movie streaming, TV shows and social networking including Twitter and Facebook access.

But X'09 was mostly about the games, such as Microsoft Game Studios' Forza Motorsport 3 (shown with three-monitor support and vibrating racing pods) and third-party titles from the likes of Activision, Ubisoft, Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, MTV Games and Valve Software.

Along with the awesome-looking Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction from Ubisoft Montreal (seen at the last two XO events, but finally on track for a March release), the following are a few highlights:

DJ Hero: Given the extraordinary success of the Guitar Hero series, it's no shocker that Activision is looking to expand its rhythm game offerings to other genres. Move over rock, it's now time to dance. Due out Oct. 27, DJ Hero challenges you to spin and mix more than 100 songs like a club DJ by mashing up two songs into one – such as Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" vs. Kid Cudi's "Day 'N' Nite," Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" vs. Foo Fighters' "Monkey Wrench" and Nirvana's "All Apologies" vs. Rick James' "Give It to Me Baby." Bundled with a peripheral that resembles a turntable, you must earn points by pressing the correct buttons at the right time, scratching and cross-fading between the tracks. Some tracks also let you connect a guitar peripheral.

Forza Motorsport 3: Award for loudest game of X'09? Forza Motorsport 3, which lets you slip behind the wheel of 400 tunable dream cars – be it an American muscle car, sleek European sports coupe or high-tech Asian import – and tackle more than 100 tracks and road courses from around the world. Third time's the charm with this photorealistic sequel, which features 10 times more car details than its predecessors. While vehicle handling is authentic, those who need driving assists can turn them on with the press of a button. Xbox Live subscribers can access multiplayer matches and tournaments as well as downloadable extras and can have the ability to share custom paint jobs with other racers.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Despite being a "behind closed door" demo, the game that garnered the most buzz at X'09 was Activision's Modern Warfare 2. Due out Nov. 10, this intense sequel drops players into a fictional near-future in which a Russian ultranationalist threatens world security. As demonstrated in the graphically intensive single-player and split-screen co-op levels, the first-person shooter once again gives you an assortment of powerful weapons, vehicles and interactive environments in which to fight, ranging from the snow-capped mountains of Kazakhstan to the gritty streets of Rio de Janeiro.