What Will Be the Best-Selling Holiday Video Games in 2009?

The holiday season is busiest time of the year for the gaming industry. Most of the biggest games are usually released at or around this time in order to take advantage of the spending frenzy. While more and more gaming companies are moving their games out of this period, the holiday season is still a preferred time to launch a title. So which video game that will be released this holiday season will end up selling the most in 2009? Here are five titles that have a realistic shot.

Assassin's Creed II (PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360)
^{Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Ubisoft, Release Date: November 17th}
Despite some flaws, the first Assassin's Creed game managed to become a breakout hit thanks to a slick marketing campaign. Ubisoft has made sure that Assassin's Creed II won't be all smoke and mirrors this time around as they have seemingly addressed all of the problems from the first game. With brand power to boot, you can expect Assassin's Creed II to be one of the best-selling games released in the holiday season.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360)
^{Publisher: Activision, Developer: Infinity Ward, Release Date: November 10th}
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare took the world by storm when it came out in late 2007. The online multiplayer hooked many unsuspecting players. As a result, the game ended up being one of the best-selling games in recent years. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to the 2007 hit and will easily sell millions based on this connection alone.

Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
^{Publisher: Microsoft, Developer: Bungie, Release Date: September 22nd}
Bungie returns once again after developing three multi-million selling games in the Halo series. Although Halo 3: ODST is more of an expansion pack than an actual sequel, die-hard Halo fans will buy the Xbox 360 exclusive title irregardless. So while the game is only appearing on one platform, the Halo faithful is big enough to make Halo 3: ODST into one of the best-selling games coming out in the holiday season.

Left 4 Dead 2 (PC and Xbox 360)
^{Publisher: Electronic Arts, Developer: Valve, Release Date: November 17th}
Left 4 Dead was a surprise to many as it ended up selling millions. The four-player cooperative game managed to accomplish this due to the excellent word of mouth. Left 4 Dead 2 may have some troubles, however, as a group of gamers are boycotting the game due to the lack of support from the first title. In the end, the number of consumers who boycotted the game will be minuscule compared to those who will buy it. With the much respected developer, Valve, behind Left 4 Dead 2, you can expect another best-selling title for the growing series.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo Wii)
^{Publisher: Nintendo, Developer: Nintendo, Release Date: Fall/Winter}
The 2D Mario games that many consumer has grown up on returns to the home console. New Super Mario Bros. Wii on the Nintendo Wii also adds one unique element to the classic formula: four-player cooperative play. Some of the best-selling games of all-time are Mario titles. So you can expect New Super Mario Bros. Wii to be a hot item this holiday season.