Over the last few weeks, we've documented just about everything you'll ever want to know about Microsoft's latest piece of gaming hardware, the recently launched Xbox 360. We've told you all about the system's cutting-edge multimedia capabilities, the tremendous Xbox Live support, as well as the games that were available at launch. Of course, this is just the beginning of the console's life cycle, so we figured that now would be as good a time as any to check out what's in store for the future of the system. Over the next few days, we'll be taking a look at some of the games that you can expect to see in 2006 and beyond. Although most of these titles have been officially announced, we don't really know all that much about them, a fact that isn't about to stop us from speculating. So, without further ado, let's take a look into the Xbox 360's future.



Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter

As one of the original Xbox's most important franchises, we weren't surprised to hear that the Ghost Recon series would be coming to the Xbox 360. After all, each of the previous games were critical and commercial successes, even spawning several "expansion packs." With the first next-gen game, Ubisoft will be introducing a new kind of super-soldier, one that uses bleeding-edge technology to gain the upper hand on the battlefield. The Integrated Warfighter System ties together a number of intriguing elements, including satellite-based communications, advanced weaponry, and a new "Cross-Cam" device that allows you to spot enemies (as well as your allies) from afar.


You'll need to use every advantage possible, as the Ghosts (once again led by Captain Scott Mitchell) are tasked with rescuing the President of the United States from a renegade band of soldiers. The Commander in Chief was kidnapped while attending a summit in Mexico City, guaranteeing that you'll see plenty of urban warfare (although expect to take the fight into the countryside as well). One of the coolest things about the game is that the battlefield technology is actually being developed in the real world, and while it's still a decade or so from being completed, it'll give you a taste of the future of warfare. Looks like Mr. Clancy's getting a little competition from the U.S. Government.



Burnout Revenge

For the last few years, Criterion's Burnout franchise has been setting the gaming world on fire. Literally. The series' combination of insanely fast racing and car-shredding crashes is unparalleled in the racing genre, and everyone was overjoyed to hear that it would be coming to a next-gen machine. With the addition of some new Xbox Live features (including the ability to upload and share your greatest hits with your friends), as well as better visuals all around, this will be one hot game.


While we aren't exactly sure how the Xbox 360 version of the title will differ from the current-gen iterations, you can be sure that it'll look a whole lot prettier. Of course, anyone who played the previous games will know that that's really saying something, as they were some of the most amazing looking games we've ever seen. You'll now see the vehicles take more cosmetic damage, break apart more realistically (perhaps "shatter" would be a better word), and explode into, er, bigger balls of flame. Best of all, thanks to the 360's hefty media capabilities, you won't have to listen to any more of those pesky EA Trax!