With Halo 4, one of the biggest releases of the year, coming exclusively on its gaming system, it should come as no surprise that Microsoft’s console should be high on your priority list for the gamers on your Holiday List.

With Nintendo compassing a wide variety of gamer, when it came to the other two major consoles, people found themselves split down party lines. Not Republican or Democratic parties, the parties of Xbox 360 versus PlayStation 3. Such has been the issue since the original PlayStation and original Xbox faced off. And those without a 360 may be tempted to sit on their hands and wait for the mythical “Xbox 720” to come out on the market. However, Microsoft has put together a bundle that will not only tempt you out of waiting for the long-delayed eighth-gen Xbox, but could also tempt die-hard Sony players to explore the other side.

The Xbox 2012 Holiday bundle can be found at many major retailers, and most include a 4GB Xbox 360 console, at least one controller, at least one game, and the Kinect sensor. Coinciding with Microsoft’s push to make the Xbox the hub of your everything-entertainment system, many of the bundled games take advantage of the Kinect’s motion sensor capabilities. But the exact bundle specs really depends on where you shop for it.

For example, those who head to the Bullseye Boutique (aka Target) for the bundle will find the console, Kinect, one wireless controller, and Kinect Adventures and Kinect Disneyland Adventures for $199.99. As a bonus, shoppers will receive a free one-month trial of XBox LIVE. The same bundle waits at the Microsoft Store, without the free trial, but fear not: they will offer a 3-month membership for only $12.99, half-off the regular price. Wal-Mart has the bundle at a higher price, $229, but includes a second wireless controller.

For peripherals, the obvious choice would be a Microsoft store, but we like Best Buy’s offerings, since the Big Blue is offering some great deals. For example, how about some brand-new Turtle Beach Ear Force X12 Gaming Headset? Oft lauded by our own Ramon Aranda, Turtle Beach is one of the preeminent makers of personal audio headsets designed for and by gamers, and their equipment usually carries top dollar. Best Buy is offering the headset, which normally retails for about $60, for $34.99 on Black Friday. We like deals, yes we do.

The Big Winner: There’s two this time around. For the console bundle, your Big Winner is Best Buy. We told you the Big Blue is going for gold this year, and their Xbox 360 takes the cake. It’s the same price as the regular bundle, marked at $199.99. However, this bundle include the Xbox 360 S 250GB console (not just the 4GB console), the wireless controller, a headset, and two blockbuster titles: a hard copy of Forza Motorsport 4 and a digital copy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Sure, this bundle doesn’t come with the Kinect sensor, but we believe for the content provided, Forza + Skyrim are much better offerings than Kinect Adventures + Kinect Disneyland Adventures. You can pick up the Kinect at another time.

Your Big Winner on the games side of things, however, is not Best Buy (though they will have some good game deals to be sure). If you can find yourself a Microsoft Store on Black Friday, head on down. While they might not have the greatest bundle, they do have the discounted XBLA membership. And remember, you don’t have to activate them right away. Pick up two, activate one and save the other one for three months down the road. Or pick up for and be set for the year.

But the killer at the Microsoft Store are their game deals. They’re not just discounting older games, folks. Listed on their ad alone: Dance Central 3 for $14.99 (save $30), Forza Horizon for $14.99 (save $45), and Assassin’s Creed III for $24.99 (save $35).

For all the suffering your credit card may endure this Black Friday, those prices are like a spa treatment. A Spa of Savings.

A look back at Mission 1: Handhelds

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Disclaimer: The bargains reflected in GotGame’s “Call of Duty: Black Friday Ops” articles or any other published works, either in print, on-line, or on air, are subject to availability and many, if not all, are available only for limited amounts of time or while supplies last. GotGame and GotGame.com cannot be held responsible for stores running out of availability, changing pricing without notice, or discontinuing brands or titles. Readers are advised to call ahead to verify stock on hand.