Even the most fervent fanboy will agree that 2011 was an amazing year for games, regardless of your platform of choice. Gamers across all systems had at least one game that they can truly be proud of, that offers an experience you can't find elsewhere, and that will stand the test of time as a true classic. For Xbox 360 fans, we were treated to an amazing lineup of games and incredible experiences, be it traversing the snow-capped mountains of Skyrim, bringing down the Locust in Gears of War 3 , gliding through Arkham City as Batman, or getting behind the wheel in Forza 4 The console had a bang up year; Thanksgiving week was the biggest week for the system ever, and the system had mix of high-profile exclusives as well as AAA cross-platform games that simply sold better on the system than on its competitors. However, as great as 2011 was, the future is more uncertain now than it has ever been, and it remains to be seen if the system can carry its momentum into 2012 and beyond.2011 marks the first year that we've had both a Gears of War and a Halo game, with Gears of War 3 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary hitting within a couple of months of each other; one game closed the book on a beloved franchise while the other reminded us of why we fell in love with one in the first place. Gears of War 3 had an amazing story and really offered some real closure by the time the experience wrapped up, a rarity in an industry that is far too often driven by a constant demand for sequels and frustrating cliffhanger ending copouts. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was a love letter of sorts for fans, taking the original game, and adding a new engine; the game blended old and new, showing us where we stand now and where we came from.

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Additionally, the Xbox 360 proved again and again that it is the go-to place for cross-platform games. Multiplatform games on the 360 continue to outsell those on other platforms by a respectable margin, further showing that the Xbox 360 is the preferred platform for many gamers. When it came to playing blockbusters like Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3, or Battlefield 3, the majority of gamers did so on their Xboxes.Xbox LIVE Arcade also continued to be an amazing outlet for value-priced titles. Indie darlings like Bastion Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet , as well as titles from big-name publisher titles like From Dust and Hard Corps: Uprising did extremely well both critically and commercially, further cementing XBLA's role as a great destination for downloadable titles.As great as XBLA has been, Games on Demand has been showing some real legs as a new outlet for Xbox 360 gaming. While it began and continues to mostly be a different purchasing option for Xbox 360 owners, snippets of great experiences that you can't find on XBLA or at retail have been showing up on the service. Games like the original Crysis and Deathsmiles 2X show Games on Demand to be a great avenue for "in-between titles"; games that are too big to be Xbox LIVE Arcade games, yet not quite retail games. Hopefully, this trend will continue in the future and deliver unique and engaging experiences to Xbox 360 gamers the world over.The latter portion of 2011 also brought with it a substantial update to the Xbox 360's Dashboard. It began with a rocky start (its official release arrived hours late and was mired by service outages and a litany of connection problems), but it's potential for cementing the Xbox 360 as a true entertainment device cannot be denied. The update brings with it a ton of new entertainment apps and television providers, with many more planned in the near future; if you really wanted to cut the cord on your cable provider, the Xbox 360 is now one of the best ways to pull it off.However, looking toward the future, it's hard to do so without feeling a little bit of unease. This was the first full year that Kinect was available on store shelves. Championing the device and gaining support for it has been a huge initiative for Microsoft , but all of its commercial success and impressive technical specs, it simply hasn't resonated with core gamers. There have been a few wins for the device, including the fantastic Gunstringer (a game whose reception resulted in Microsoft snatching up developer Twisted Pixel ) and Child of Eden , but on the whole Kinect has struggled to gain respect from hardcore Xbox 360 owners. One year down, and the device has yet to live up to its potential.Looking forward to 2012, the rarity of real AAA-exclusives is problematic. Microsoft may have blown their wad in 2011, as we saw so many top tier Xbox 360 exclusives hit store shelves within the same span of months, that it's tough to tell what to look forward to in the future. Of course, the 800-pound gorilla for 2012 is Halo 4, which is all but guaranteed to do gangbusters for Microsoft, but other than that, it's hard to tell what's left to really be excited for that is unique to the platform.Additionally, rumors of a new console can definitely be disheartening. As a fan of the original Xbox, I remember all too well the abruptness with which Microsoft ended support for it once the Xbox 360 was made available. The PS2 enjoyed the twilight years of its life well into the PS3's availability, but the Xbox's first-party support was pulled out from under it quickly in favor of the new hotness of the Xbox 360. I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to do it again, though this time the effects will be felt a lot more than in past. There are many new 360 gamers just in this past year as well as brand new Kinect owners who are rightly expecting years of enjoyment and support from their investment.As we draw a close to the massive gaming year that was 2011, it's great to be able to chart the success that Microsoft has had in the console business after only being a player on the scene for 10 years. A company once known for operating systems and word processors has cemented itself as a powerhouse in the video games industry, setting the bar and more often than not surpassing its own high watermark. The system continues to enjoy a huge install base, a peerless online service, and an amazing library of games. Regardless of what the future might hold, raise your glass and celebrate the fantastic past year in gaming.

Steven Hopper is the Executive Editor for IGN's Xbox channels. Check him out onand