Let us reflect for a second. In retrospect, the Christmas season has always been crowded with the best offerings from top tier studios. I feel the industry is slowing progressing away from this trend, but for now, once the snow falls, the major studios come full force. And 2011 is no exception.

Continuing the stellar performance from last year, this holiday season is looking to be one for the ages. Just to name off a few titles: Gears of War 3, Dark Souls, Rage, Forza 4, Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3, Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim, Minecraft, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary and Skyward Sword. (The bold titles I'll discuss in this post.) With so many prominent and beloved franchises having releases, brand recognition will be the deciding factor of which developers can solely rely on. There's guaranteed successes and there will be categorical failures, but which games will be which? Read on to find out.

It's always sad for fans to part with a franchise, but Epic seems to throwing everything the studio has at Gears of War 3. Planned as the developer's longest ever campaign and jam-packed with plenty of modes to delight fans, Epic's biggest-to-date hits shelves September 20. But how will it fare against competitors?

Originally pegged as a 2010 release, Microsoft pushed the project back for "development" then "marketing" purposes. Whatever that means, being first on the docket has its pros and cons. Soaking up all the attention plus heavy advertising from Microsoft will guarantee sales early on, but as the days number and Christmas approaches, all that built-up hype will switch to other games. The most important thing to remember is a majority of shoppers get their business done a week or two before the big day. The massive lineup for November will hurt sales down the road, but the pre-order numbers are booming. So it's a win-lose situation. But, we cannot forget the tirelessly passionate fan base. They will camp out in droves for the endless satisfaction of chainsawing each other; therefore the third game should be perfectly fine.

With its predecessor holding the Guinness World Record as the Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever, early expectations for Batman: Arkham City are soaring. Rocksteady, based in London, was mostly unknown to gaming fans and they are the prime example of how quickly a studio's reputation can turn around. The studio even won the "prestigious" Studio of the Year at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards. That being said, could the young studio's newfound reputation get the better of them?

As an iconic figure, anything Batman is destined to be successful. But Rocksteady has done something magical. The studio has taken an established figure (with a bad history in the gaming world) and spun it into a masterpiece. Nerds of every specialty rejoiced at the sight of Arkham Asylum and its sequel, quite the change of past Batman games. And this fandom created around Rocksteady's take on the universe will surely generate even more interest as the days push forward to October 18. Having the release date mid-October is favourable because the only other major title that month is Battlefield 3. For many, this will be their first purchase of the holiday season and we may not see them until November.

When DICE first commissioned the Bad Company series, many first-person shooter fans were left stunned. However, the studio was masterful in creating buzz for the Battlefield franchise on consoles and they were one step closer to their ultimate goal: ruling the gaming world. Now that Battlefield 3 has been confirmed, PC and console players are anxiously peering over calendars marking the days until October 25. Does the growing battle with a hefty competitor hurt the game's chance at success?

Probably not. Battlefield is a religion amongst the PC community and players still invest hundreds of hours in Battlefield 2 which came out six years ago. The failure that was Modern Warfare 2 pushed the Bad Company series into the forefront of the genre, and the rise on consoles gave birth to a bitter rivalry between the world's two largest publishers. The business tongue-jarring has intensified this rivalry and passionate fans are rallying the naysayers to squeeze as many sales as possible. Therefore, DICE will be sitting pretty once sales numbers are unveiled to the world.

The follow-up to the unanimous Game of the Year candidate and winner of 2009, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception follows Nathan Drake, the mirror image of the infallible Nolan North, as he searches the globe for the Iram of the Pillars. The game won several "Best of E3" awards including Best PS3 game from several publications. Will the brash of awards and an established brand help or hinder sales?

It could quite possibly do both. Uncharted is in the same boat as Gears of War; a prominent exclusive franchise meeting its end. The one disadvantage, however, is the positioning of the release date. The casual audience may overlook the title because it's smack dab in the middle of the plethora of other games coming out. Plus, I've seen very little advertising from Sony Online Entertainment and Naughty Dog but that could be because of the channels I watch. While the graphics are gorgeous (and could qualify as the best looking game this year) and the gameplay translates to sheer brilliance, I don't feel confident the overall market will share my view. As with Gears of War, the dedicated fan base means a certain sales threshold but I'm remaining skeptical until November 1.

I was actually having trouble formulating an opinion about Modern Warfare 3 without sounding redundant. Activision's most cherished franchise will undoubtedly produce massive sales numbers. But the one hindrance of the franchise is how tiresome the industry is of hearing about Call of Duty annually. It's a common complaint on Internet message boards, and honestly, anticipating to hear about Modern Warfare 3 right from the get-go drained my aspiration to watch E3 in June. There's not much more to be said: ten million copies plus sold, $15 map packs, and Activision grinning with a mouth full of money.

Where to start? Arguably the most wanted game of the last half-decade, Bethesda is bringing back its crown jewel franchise for a fifth time. The famed and highly regarded Elder Scrolls series is a favourite in the gaming community and (except for a few hiccups with overpriced DLC) has managed to sustain lingering success. Even five years after, a staple of any friends list is someone playing Oblivion. Will Skyrim be a soaring success this holiday season?

It's undeniable. It's almost a universal truth of the industry that an Elder Scrolls game sells millions. The extremely detailed settings, eclectic combat options and the inclusion of dragons is a surefire solid package. Hell, even the interactive menu is beautiful. Bethesda takes delicate care with the slightest of details and not only does the effort show through gameplay, but fans are all the more appreciative. A Game of the Year candidate obviously, Skyrim should be the best selling game this Christmas.

Seemingly the most talked about game of the last two years, Minecraft is the definitive example of what makes indie gaming a spectacle. Although the title has been available for purchase for quite a while, November 11 will be the full release. The little-game-that could gave birth to a brand new studio and a charismatic Swedish millionaire criminally entertaining on twitter. Can Mojang pull out a winner come November?

What's there to say? Minecraft has passed the three million mark and hasn't even seen a wide-scale release yet. The simple idea of surviving toppled by the multitude of complexities through each update consistently grows the fan base, and more importantly, the revenue stream. The launch date won't necessarily see a massive growth in sales, but word-of-mouth is a powerful form of advertising. So who knows, Mojang's masterpiece could hit five million by Christmas.

The return of Ezio hasn't been without distaste or disgust from some fans, and his prompt return I believe will hurt Revelations. Fans will infinitely adore this series for a captivating and unpredictable plot, realistic reconstructions of civilizations past, and the likeness of feeling badass, but the same character starring three games consecutively doesn't forcibly constitute a deep connection with that character. Part of what makes the Assassin's Creed universe so amicable is the sympathetic feeling toward the assassins in their ageless battle. That in mind, we shouldn't feel tiresome of playing as the main character. (Anyway, that's another blog post.)

Annual releases was not the smartest move on Ubisoft's part. Especially against the collective popularity of competing franchises this winter. The sales will falter but probably pick up into next year, and maybe Ubisoft could reconsider pitting their undermined franchises against the likes of The Elder Scrolls. Early spring or February would be the preferred choice.

There we have it! After a productive two hours of writing and two cups of coffee, I am finally finished. And famished! Now I must reward myself for finishing by stuffing my face. A BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) with extra mayonnaise sounds good right now. Jeff out.