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The summer “slow season” is quickly ending now that we have hit autumn, and that means we will have a variety of new titles to take us through the holidays. Microsoft isn’t launching any new consoles, and while they’ll be blasting the airwaves to the tune of Zune; they’ll also need to hammer out a few strong releases to snag our holiday cash. November is the blitz month for MS, they will be hitting the market hard with some promising titles in an effort to dull the release of the PS3 and Wii - or at least provide some darn good alternatives for when fans run into stores devoid of those machines. Without further ado, let’s look at some of the titles the DPAD Microsoft department is getting excited about.

It has been far too long since the last Splinter Cell title; maybe Ubisoft wanted people to let their heads heal before going back to hitting the wall in frustration. Okay, that might be bit of an exaggeration; the Splinter Cell games have been well-received and they do require a bit of tact to complete entirely. Splinter Cell: Double Agent should follow nicely (and silently) in the footsteps of some of the older titles. E3 gave us a sneak peak at one of the levels in the game and your buddy Sam Fisher is old but more detailed than ever. If they can keep the gameplay solid, this could be a very impressive title. We should be headed back to stealth killing in October, let’s hope the release isn’t as complicated as the plot is bound to be. Expect a release price of $59.99.

Gears of War could be considered the poster child for the 360 this holiday, and if the game plays as well as it looked at E3, there’s good reason. Most 360 owners are excited for the game and hope the genre and multiplayer live up to the huge expectations. The horror genre is not as developed as some other areas, but it has huge potential. Emergence day (launch date) is pegged on the 7th of November and can sell them as soon as they get them.

Speaking of horror games, F.E.A.R is coming to the 360 sometime in November, nothing new here, we all know what to expect. Horror games have an edge over their film counterparts; when you are actually a part of the horror storyline, the experience is way more terrifying. (Having said that, I’ve been rather enjoying F.E.A.R Combat on my PC.) I do wonder if making the multiplayer free for the PC will dent sales for the consoles, but if you’re looking for a game with a scare without needing a PC that will terrify your wallet, it will be worth the investment.

Viva Piñata may seem like a child’s game, but for some reason I just couldn’t be more excited about it. At first, I looked at it as more of a joke, an attempt to bring the youngsters into the 360 market with a spinoff from a cartoon. But the more you look at the game, the more potential it has. It isn’t Spore, but the stunning graphics and unique style make for a really interesting title. The visuals at E3 were beautiful, and if the gameplay nails it, this could gain a following across a wide variety of markets. There’s a ton of people who really got into Animal Crossing, I could see this game popular among the same crowd. Guys, take a break from Madden, suck up the pride, go explore that world of piñatas, and you might just have fun (or lose that 360 to the girlfriend, but that isn’t so bad, you might get your DS Lite back for a while.) Early November is the release target for Viva Piñata.

Fusion Frenzy 2 will be the sequel to one of my favorite party games on the original Xbox, and with Xbox Live this title could replace some of those arcade games. For those who have never played the original, it consists of minigames for you to beat your friends up in. There’s supposedly is a story somewhere in there, but when was the last time you tried to follow a story in Mario Party? It’s a perfect title to hop on and play a few quick games with your friends, although it will not be the subject of compulsive buying like Uno. On November 7th, you can get your game on with custom tournaments, plenty of minigames, and trash-talking action.