Xbox Christmas Wonderlands

Don’t know about you, but this is the one time of year I make sure the boss gives me the holiday I deserve. Okay, all year round feels like a festive season when you work at Xbox but Christmas is when family and friends usually get spoiled.

However, and I don’t think this makes me selfish; I’m looking to get some quality time with my solo campaigns this yuletide. This is because I’m not nearly done with Mass Effect for one thing, and I’d like to try Halo 3 on Legendary without distraction (that’s the only reason I struggle, see). Before I can do this, I’m going to need everybody else in the household exhausted so they’ll leave me to it!

I already have a terrific plan.

Christmas day, everyone is going to want to play Guitar Hero III and Viva Piñata Party Animals I’m cool with that. But I’ve decided ahead of time that the latter will be played before dinner, so as to get teams sorted and have everyone talking tough before, during and after the meal. By 7pm we’ll be done testing our party-game skills, in high spirits and ready for some serious boogie-woogie in GHIII. By 9pm my family and friends will be just about worn out and ready for a movie, which we’ll choose from Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store. They can decide because it’s Christmas.

Probably my mates will want to go a few rounds on the new Heroic maps in Halo 3 and grudge matches in Call of Duty 4 before turning in for the night. I’m ready, and they’d better be too.

So, err, my plan is to stay awake long enough after this to complete Halo 3 in Legendary before the birds start singing! After being the host the day before, I think I’ll deserve waiting on all during Boxing Day while I revel in Mass Effect.

Merry Christmas, and we’ll talk again in the New Year!

Graeme Boyd, Xbox.com Community Manager, Gamertag: AceyBongos