There are so many Xbox 360 games released in a year nowadays with some of these games never living up to expectation. In these dire times of economic crunch you need to know the best Xbox 360 games in 2011 and this is what I shall be doing in this article, reviewing the top ten Xbox 360 games 2011.

1. Batman Arkham city: is a sequel to the Batman: Arkham Asylum game. This adventure video game sets the scene in a new location – Arkham City, a year after the events of the previous game. Rocksteady studio is looking to build on the success of Batman: Arkham Asylum by introducing some new features such as Batman being able to dodge bullets and climb walls. The video game is due for release in September 2011.

2. Draon Age II: is an upcoming sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year and is set to be release in Europe on the 11th of March 2011. BioWare the developer of this game has chosen to focus is attention on developing a better dragon age engine and fix issues with the release of the first game like poor graphics quality.

3. Portals 2: This first-person shooter puzzle video game is due for release in April 2011. The game is a sequel to the well received title released in 2007. However unlike the original game which was released as a sort of mini game along side Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2, Portal 2 is here to stand as a video game on its own. Portal 2 will continue to test gamers ability to solve puzzles using the portal gun within the Aperture Science Enrichment Center.

4. BulletStorm: is another first-person shooter game schedule for release on February 22, 2011. The video game is developed by People Can Fly and centres on two Dead Echo members: Grayson Hunt and Ishi Sato who were betrayed by their commander for falling out with their employer. Now banished to a far away abandoned galaxy, Grayson is determined to fight his way off the alien eating planet and execute revenge on those that exiled him. The video game has a reward system based on a player’s ability to create and incite mayhem. Bulletstorm will be including a beta version of Gears of War 3 multiplayer with the Xbox 360 version of this game.

5. Gears of War 3: is a third-person shooter game scheduled for release in the last quarter of this year. The video game is a Xbox 360 exclusive title featuring new playable characters, weapons and a new four-player co-op mode. Gears of War 3 will also be including a new playing mode called Beast which would allow players to attack as Locust. It has been stated that this edition of the game will answer most of the questions that gamers have been asking about the “history of the world”

6. Dead space 2 : is a sequel to an earlier title released in 2008 – Dead Space 1. The game features the return of astro engineer Isaac Clarke who has the misfortune of landing slap bang in another alien territory called the Sprawl. Isaac needs to take on this new onslaught of zombies to survive in this third person shooter game. Dead Space 2 was released on the 25th of January in the US and 28th of January in the UK.

7. Mass Effect 3: is the upcoming sequel to the Mass Effect 2 video game. Mass Effect 3 will be the final game in the Mass Effect trilogy concluding the story started off in Mass Effect and continued in Mass Effect 2. Not much is known about the gameplay however you will be able to import decisions from the previous releases of the game. This action RPG video game is schedule for release in the fourth quarter of 2011.

8. Rage: is an upcoming action packed first shooter person video game. The game is schedule for release in September 2011. The game centres around the events that occurred in a post-apocalyptic world after the impact of an asteroid. The human race must now rebuild however they need defend themselves against a well organised set of enemies if they are to survive. It has been revealed that the uncompressed version of the game is about a terabyte in size and will ship on more than one DVD disc.

9. Deus EX: Human Revolution: is the third game in the Deux series. Deus EX Human Revolution features Adam Jensen who was cybernectically augmented against his will. Adam uses his newfound powers to battle it out against other androidy types in this multiple plot conspiracy game. This first person shooter video game is a follow-up to two previously well received titles: Deus EX and Deus Ex: Invisible War.The game is schedule for release on March 8, 2011

10. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: This role play video game is developed by Bethesda on a brand new engine and scheduled for release on November 11, 2011. The gameplay is a continuation of the previous series with players playing the role of the last dragonborn in the race to save mankind from the hands of the dragons.

If you have an Xbox 360, or if you are thinking of getting one, you have probably heard about mod chips. In fact, if you have anything to do with games consoles these days then you will have heard of mod chips, modded systems, chipped systems and mods. They all refer to the same thing – a chip which is created to make changes to the way a games console works.

Xbox 360 mod chips are like any other mod chip, they designed to take control of your Xbox 360 system and remove specific limitations which were put on by the manufacturer, Microsoft. So the chip is able to access specific functions of your xBox 360 that have been blocked or restricted. This often means things such as playback restrictions. You can import, back-up, hack, homebrew and bypass all kinds of security features or other limitiation.

Mod chips can be used to play games which the system itself has been engineered to reject. Although this isn’t their only use or only function. For the same reason as people like to pimp their car, their bike or their computer, Xbox owners like to pimp their box! Modchips expand the capabilities of your console

Gaming consoles like the XBox 360, Play Station 3, Nintendo Wii and Gamecube are designed by the company to play specific types of disk, from local regions only. These machines have region codes, just like like DVD players have so, for example, someone in the US can’t play a Japanese or Australian version of a game on their American box. In the case of the XBox 360, you can’t play anything that isn’t licensed by Microsoft, including your own creations, back ups, or customised games. A mod chip can allow you to get around this so you can play your own customised games, disks, backed up games, and games bought in countries other than the one where you bought your Xbox.

Of course, the main reason for these security features is to protect against pirating games and protect against code which might damage the system. Unfortunately, in their efforts to secure the machines, the console manufacturers enforced restrictions which many of their customers find to be unnecessary and obstructive. And let’s face it, whoever pimped a car thinking about safety?

The Xbox 360 e68 error is one of the least common problems to affect Microsoft's latest generation gaming console, and is much less frequently talked about than problems such as the red ring of death or the e74 error. In this article you are going to learn what causes Xbox error e68 codes, as well as the steps that you can take to fix them.

The e68 error on your Xbox 360 is caused by a hard drive / HDD problem, much like all of the problems in the "e6x" family of error codes on the Xbox 360 platform. It can be caused by an internal connection error with the hard drive, a general failure of the hard drive, or overheating of the hard drive. Basically, there is quite a large range of things that can cause the Xbox 360 e68 problem, which can make troubleshooting the issue slightly difficult.

Step one to fix the e68 code on your Xbox 360 is to remove the internal hard drive and try playing your console without it. If it then works, then you can be sure that you can permanently fix the problem. If not, then you will have more serious issues on your console that will need to be checked over by Microsoft, as the e68 is generally believed to be related only to your console's hard drive / HDD

One way to do this and get rid of the Xbox 360 e68 error would be to simply purchase a new hard drive. However, this can be quite costy and you will lose all of your save game files etc, which is not really what you want. You can actually fix your Xbox 360 yourself for much less than the cost of purchasing a new hard drive, and you will likely get to keep all of your important data as well.

For those who are unaware of the Xbox Live and how it works, they are really missing out on something big. If you are a fan of gaming and enjoy playing games, then It could literally propel you in a new world altogether. With the help of Xbox Live, you can now experience online gaming by connecting your system to the internet and playing with a whole load of different players. This form of gaming is a lot of fun, and you can easily play your favorite games against international opponents to increase the enjoyment.

The Xbox Live is a way by which you can connect to almost any gamer in the world who has a Xbox Live ID, and with the help of this ID, they can easily talk, converse and play with and against other opponents from different parts of the world. You can easily buy the Xbox 360 and connect it to the internet via a wire or WI FI, and then all you have to do is get a Windows Live ID. However, the catch here is that you would need an Live Subscription Code in order to be able to play games against users from different parts of the globe. Without proper Subscription codes, your account will not be verified and hence you will not be able to use it and/or play against others.

There are several different ways that can be used in order to get Xbox Live codes, and mostly all of these ways are set up online. You can easily buy your live codes from a website that has a license to sell them, because these licenses are given exclusively under the authorization of Microsoft and hence the illegal selling and purchase of Xbox Live codes is strictly prohibited.

Secondly, most of the online websites cannot be trusted on providing you with the accurate codes, which is why it is necessary that you only pay the money once you have the assurance that the website is good enough. Paying on random websites is generally considered a bad idea, and you must make sure that you buy your live codes from websites that are verified by the license granted to them by Microsoft. With the help of these live codes, you can easily play online and revitalize your gaming experience.

Online gaming has never been so popular. Since the launch of the Xbox 360 console and the Playstation 3 console, the online gaming world has grown at an exceedingly fast pace. Even with the hefty XboxLive price tag, it is still the most popular online gaming service worldwide. The XboxLive service can be subscribed to either, monthly, quarterly or yearly. The prices vary for each subscription, with the most cost effective option being the 12 month subscription. With this in mind, the greatest savings can be obtained from purchasing XboxLive Gold from an online retailer of cheap Xbox Codes.

Features of XboxLive Gold include: multiplayer gaming against anyone worldwide; custom match making options within selected games; Gamerscores – a total of the player’s achievement points; friends lists – up to 100 friends are allowed; recent player lists – last 50 players a user has played with; voice and video chat capabilities; instant messaging; virtual avatars – representing the players likeness; Netflix movie sharing; access to Facebook and Twitter social networking sites; Sky Player; last.FM – allows streaming of your favourite playlists and artists music; Zune (allows user to stream movies and TV shows from the Video marketplace instantly in 1080p HD and 5.1 surround sound) and downloadable content, including demos and other exciting content. Xbox Live Gold is bound to keep you occupied and having great fun, for days on end.

Xbox Live Codes can be purchased almost anywhere these days, from your local high street retailer to online retailers that specialise solely in Xbox Codes. The typical Recommended Retail Price (RRP) for a 12 months Xbox Gold Membership Code is £39.99. However, shop around to get the best price.

Is your Xbox 360 behaving oddly? If so this may be the precursor to the red ring of death which is a general hardware failure. It can either be caused by a power supply problem or from damage caused by excessive heat.

Here are the typical warning signs:

1.) When starting up you get a message stating that the disc isn’t readable.

2.) The console freezes up.

3.) The sound freezes or you hear static sounds.

4.) There are problems with the graphics. You see strange effects such as pin stripes, checker patterns, or anything that’s obviously not part of the game.

5.) The only thing that works is the off button.

These problems may appear randomly as occasional occurrences. They may or may not occur with increasing frequency with over time.

If after experiencing any of these problems, your console flashes three red lights after restarting it, then you’ve got the red ring of death. A common human reaction to this is to go into denial. This can happen if the machine seems to work fine the next day and it’s tempting to think that the problem fixed itself. The truth of the matter is that you’ve got an intermittent problem that comes and goes. Each time you get the ring of death, your Xbox suffers more heat damage. Eventually it simply won’t work at all.

The best way to deal with this is to first rule out the simple causes. One of these is that your Xbox isn’t getting adequate power. Another is that the console is overheating because it’s unable to keep itself cool. Is your Xbox getting adequate ventilation? Have you been playing games for hours in a hot environment? Is there a buildup of dust or grit in the vents?

If these simple fixes don’t work then it’s time to get your console repaired. If your warranty is intact and you’re willing to wait a few weeks you can send it back to Microsoft. If your warranty is void, Microsoft will still repair it for a fee ($140-$150 or so). There are some individuals who make a business out of fixing the three red light error. This can also be expensive.

The cheapest way to go is to fix it yourself. This is doable for many people but you need to get good instructions. If you’re serious about this then you’ll purchase a reliable guide ($20-$30) that has a money back guarantee. If you’ve used basic tools and can carefully follow directions, this is certainly the quickest and most cost effective solution.

Some people are a little hesitant when it comes to copying Xbox games, because they are afraid that they may be doing something illegal. However, copying video games is only illegal if you are planning on distributing the copies to others, but if you are just copying Xbox games that you personally own in order to preserve them, it is a completely legitimate and legal act. The producers of video games allow their customers to create as many backup copies of their games as they want, as long as they are only backing them up for personal use and not planning on distributing them. However, it can be somewhat difficult to break the sophisticated encryption that is in place to stop the illegal distribution of these games.

Because of this extremely complicated encryption layer that most of the best video games come with, you will not be able to use your basic DVD burning / ripping software to do the job. And, even if you are able to use this software when copying Xbox games, they will most likely be unplayable on any Xbox system. When you try and play this incorrectly copied backup game you will probably encounter a black screen, this is because the Xbox console will think you are trying to play an illegally pirated game. The problem is that basic DVD burning software will not have the ability to copy the Xbox game's digital recognition license onto your backup disc, and without this license, the Xbox will not be able to play the game.

However, there is hope, there are several programs on the market today that are specifically made for copying Xbox games. These programs are completely legal, and will create a pristine working copy of any video game you choose. These programs are equipped with the ability to break through the layer of encryption that is included on most games, allowing you to make a duplicate copy of any Xbox game you choose. This software will even allow you to copy games from several of the other popular gaming platforms.

Titanfall Review

For fans of arena-based shooters it can be hard to find a game that holds our interest anymore. After being a long-term combatant on the fields of Halo and Battlefield, looking back on my deployments in Unreal and Quake seem distant and childish; like a strange infancy that lead me to what I play now. But this Titanfall review will show you my transition back to arena-based shooters and how the transition wasn’t as painful as I imagined. Titanfall delivers a truly fun and exciting rebirth of great multiplayer gaming.

Leaving the Military Game

Don’t get me wrong, Call of Duty and Battlefield are great games. I’ve enjoyed many years of service with those games. When I started playing Titanfall to write a Titanfall review, however, I remembered the good old days with extreme physics, crazy weapons, and cool, futuristic battlegrounds. For so long I had been confined to a military-based games with weapons based on real weapons, battlegrounds straight from Iraq or eastern Europe, and actual physics. As soon as I started I started jumping high and throwing grenades 100 yards, I thought to myself, “Oh yeah, video games don’t have to be real. They’re actually really great when I can do things that I can’t do in the real world.

Weapons, Weapons, Weapons

Once you break out of the military standard for a arena-based shooter, I found when play for the purpose of writing a Titanfall review, I loved the machines and the weapons you get to play with. Just having a larger gun and big mechanical suits that the game makers balance very well. Having a Titan load and dropping down into the battle is great fun and flows seamlessly during gameplay.

Nothing’s Perfect

There are a few things that Titanfall doesn’t have that were large reasons why I enjoy some other games like Call of Duty or Battlefield like branching objectives, evolving maps or destructible scenery. The game play is great and fluid but even a few more maps would have been nice.

Overall, however, Titanfall was a joy to play. It made me step back and appreciate a first-person shooter that wasn’t based in my reality. I got to play in a new, although not interactive, maps and pilot large machines that flowed nicely from player-to-machine gameplay. All-in-all, Titanfall is a must have for any fan of arena-based gaming. What it may lack in features like interactive maps, game modes, and objectives it makes up for in shear fun and entertainment.

Your Xbox 360 is an amazing piece of technology, it can play the latest games, and movies in HD, play your favorite songs from it’s hard drive, download updates over the internet when it’s on and off. The amount of things you can do with it is probably endless, well, endless unless Microsoft legally restricts it, like they did with mod chips. With new software coming out to support your Xbox 360 you can now connect it to your PC and stream all your music and videos from there, rather than wasting your precious hard drive space on your 360. Some software even lets you stream videos from internet sites like YouTube and AOL. If you want to do this you have three options for streaming to your Xbox 360: Windows Media Player 11, WinAmp Remote, or by using your Windows Media Center PC.

Using Windows Media Player 11

1. First make sure your Xbox 360 is connected to the network and can connect to Xbox Live.
2. Open up Windows Media Player 11, and click on the arrow directly below the Library tab, then click on Media Sharing.
3. A Media Sharing Window will popup, now check the “Share my media to:” box and click on your Xbox 360. Select allow and click okay.
4. Wait a little bit. You’ll have to wait for the system settings to take effect and for the Xbox to show up in the network, if you’ve waited and nothing’s happening try redoing the process or opening up the ports on your router for the 360 (a good place to do that is Port Forward) because they could be blocking it, and also make sure there isn’t a firewall enabled somewhere that is causing problems.
5. After you’ve waited, get on your Xbox and select the Media blade, then Music or Videos, and then press X to change your source and select your computer.
6. Everything you have in your library will show up on your 360 now. Enjoy your songs and videos.

WinAmp

1. Download and Install WinAmp Remote.
2. Right click the WinAmp Remote icon in the system tray, click configure, and then media tab.
3. Add the folders that contain your music and your video files.
4. Again, you’ll need to wait a little bit for the network to show up with the 360.
5. Go to your Media blade on your Xbox 360 and press X to change the source and select your PC.
6. Enjoy your media.

Windows Media Center PC

1. Go to http://www.xbox.com/pcsetup to download the necessary software updates for your PC.
2. On your Xbox 360 go to the Media lade, select Windows Media Center, and follow the easy, on screen instructions to complete your setup.

Each of these options are very easy to implement, and have different pros and cons. Currently, Windows Media Player is faster at streaming and buffering than WinAmp Remote, and it seems like it is more stable, but WinAmp Remote has the ability to stream online videos. And the Windows Media Center PC option is perfect if you have a Media Center PC.

According to a recent news article at CNN, the Xbox 360 will be going on sale on November 22, 2005 in North America. There is a lot of speculation that the shipments of the new next generation
console will be lower then expected. The expected first shipment was allegdly said to be 2-Million units, but Bank of America's Gary Cooper says that number maybe be even lower at anywhere from 1.4 to 1.6 million units. What does this mean? It means that getting a new Xbox 360 will be even harder then you think and the price is more then likely going to be more then what it was first said to be.

Here is quote fromt he CNN article relating this issue:

"Complicating matters is Microsoft's plan for a worldwide launch of the 360. That means those initial shipments, whatever they turn out to be, will be split between North America, Europe and Japan." McNealy said he expects Microsoft to send roughly 900,000 to 1 million units to North American retailers, 600,000-800,000 to Europe and another 100,000-200,000 to Japan. "

Retail Stores in Canada such as EB and Wal-Mart are both taking pre-orders for the new consoles well into the new year. Most premium bundles which include the larger hard-drivers are sold out. However, some locations still have the core bundle available for pre-order.