The ever popular Xbox 360 is still a favorite among modern gamers. Give them what they want this Christmas on one of the most sophisticated, well-balanced consoles available.

Grand Theft Auto IV: If you’re giving someone a 360, make sure this game is included. It ranks as one of the best-reviewed games of all time thanks to its pristine graphics, well-developed storyline and unbelievably expansive environments to explore. Gamers can ignore the outstanding plot and spend days exploring the city, stealing cars and helicopters and creating general mayhem. A true landmark for video games. That said, this is an adult game in every sense of the word, so you might want to stick with a Mario game for the little ones.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: The most recent installment of the massively popular war series brings realism and excitement to the war genre. The single player option offers a gripping story, and the multi-player mode is simply unsurpassed.

Wireless controller: Another remarkable advancement for the Xbox 360. Instead of being restrained by a cord a couple feet long, the Xbox 360 wireless controller gives the player up to 30 feet of freedom. It’s energy efficient, too – the two included AA batteries last for up to 40 hours, with ample warning given for when the time is about to expire. Choose between white, black or red.

Wireless headset: Make your gamer’s experience truly immersive. The wireless headset lets you communicate with players from all across the globe during multi-player sessions. Coordinate attack patterns with your teammates or taunt your opponents with the sleek and simple wireless headset.

Xbox Live Starter Pack: Join the new wave of gaming! Connect with Xbox Live and play with gamers from across the planet. This starter kit comes with three free months of Xbox Live Gold, which includes access to free game demos, exclusive downloads, Facebook, Twitter and Netflix Instant Watch for Netflix members.

Do you ever wonder who writes the summaries and descriptions on the boxes of the videogames that you buy? Well, it’s no other than the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, also known as the ESRB.

Basically, it is the ESRB’s job to provide objective synopses, objectives and other game information in the game boxes and on their official website. However, ESRB’s objectivity was recently questioned when they released the summary of Dead or Alive: Paradise.

The folks over at ESRB seem to take an opinionated stand when it described DOA: Paradise as a creepy and raunchy game where players can watch scantily clad women frolicking at the beach. According to the review, the game also provides other activities where the player may attempt to win the favors of these women in hopes of getting closer to their company. The review also stopped short of bashing the game when it states that DOA: Paradise mostly involved “creepy voyeurism” and portraying women in an imprudent way.

Even though there are no laws that mandate ESRB to maintain objectivity in their reviews, the organization thought it would be better to just revise the whole thing. The newly revised description describes the game as strictly for mature players as it contains mature subject matter such as gambling, nudity and other sexual themes.

After much anticipation, the game Mass Effect 2 was finally released in the United States last month, followed by its launching in Europe. Hailed as the first blockbuster game of the year, BioWare’s Dr. Ray Muzyka is confident that the game is bound to be one of the biggest in 2010.

According to the estimates of EA, the game sold a whopping 2 million units on its first week alone—sealing the second place in the list of the highest-rated games in Xbox 360 of all times.

So what makes Mass Effect 2 stand out from the rest of its competition? First, critics and players alike both agreed that some of the technical aspects of the sequel have definitely seen improvement since the first installment. Some of these technical features include loading time, graphic images as well as the shooting mechanics of the game. Another great thing about ME2 is that it can be enjoyed by anyone. If you never played the first Mass Effect, you don’t have to worry about getting lost in the game’s narrative. If you’ve indeed played the first installment, then your prior experience can come into play in this sequel.

So what about the game’s story? Although the storyline of Mass Effect 2 is not exactly Oscar material, dialogues and characterization take the game to the next level. Despite a predictable plot, the game features gripping dialogue and introduces multiple well-developed characters with detailed back stories. Surely, that’s already more than one would expect from your usual science fiction videogame.