2. Xbox Live Arcade Games: Where would I be without games like Geometry Wars 2, Monkey Island or Defense Grid? I’ll tell you exactly where I’d be, caught in a nebulous purgatory between the desire to watch a movie and play a full length game. Sometimes, we as gamers don’t want to have to play an entire game a la Bioshock or Mass Effect, we just want something that we can tune out and slaughter our way through like Heavy Weapon or something from a not-so-big game studio like the Penny Arcade titles. Really, it’s the arcade as well as the Indie titles where we’ll always see the most innovations as gamers because literally speaking, it is the ground floor where just about anyone can get their foot in the door if they put in the real effort and frankly speaking, some of the best games I’ve ever played were independently developed. But the XBLA now offers such a vast array of content that I’m fairly certain the cornucopia of veritable gameplay would overwhelm even the most steadfast of gamers. It’s stuff like this that keeps the gamers coming back and I for one will hoist my glass and be thankful for the Live Arcade games that I feel so thankful to be playing.
1. Xbox 360 Retail Games: If you’ve read any of my other top 10 articles, you know how I feel about video games. I sincerely believe that they are art first, regardless of the topic matter and they all possess the potential to make the audience feel something in one way or another. So, I feel it most apropos that I should make my number on thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving my collection of past Xbox tiles as well as my past, present and future Xbox 360 titles. Yes, I love all my consoles equally, but this Thanksgiving, I won’t be playing my Wii or my Playstation 3, instead opting to nestle up with what little time I do have and enjoy the comforting green glow of the 360 loading screen. After all, what is a system without games to play it? Ultimately, just a fancy paperweight that can stand in for either a stereo or DVD player, but I sincerely believe the 360 is something gamers should whisper a little thanks for when they enjoy their slice of turkey this year, because without it, Modern Warfare 2, Assassin’s Creed 2, Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2 would become very difficult to play in the coming months, so from myself and Planet Xbox 360, happy gaming and Happy Thanksgiving.
