New releases of juggernaut video game titles make this November the month of the gamer.

This year’s holiday season is slightly unusual for the video game industry. There are usually only a few major titles released each fall, but this year there are nearly a dozen.

Titles such as Microsoft’s “Gears of War” and Halo franchises and id Software’s “Rage,” along with “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” and “Battlefield 3,” are hitting the market.

Activision Blizzard Incorporated’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3″ recently broke the record to become the most preordered video game of all time and sold 9.3 million copies in its first day of sales.

The stream of major video games has kept members of ABXY, the University’s video game student group, with their hands on their controllers.

“A lot of times, there’s a big rush right before Christmas,” said Lauren Liebe, president of ABXY. “There’s also usually a rush in April, right before the summer. The fact that there have been so many good games in close proximity is a little bit odd, but not unprecedented.”

“‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’ is probably going to be the best-selling game of the season,” said Micheal Mintz, vice president of ABXY. “‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ is definitely going to provide the most content, with hundreds of hours of content expected.”

The glut of new major releases has not stopped most members of ABXY from buying video games on the first day of release, Liebe said. Titles such as “Batman Arkham City” and “Assassin’s Creed” may have long play times, but many in ABXY have found a way to balance video gaming with studying. “I always play on the weekends and every night when I finish any school work I have for the night,” said Patryck King, a senior majoring in history. “Everything in moderation,” Mintz said. “Video games are a hobby, and I balance my time spent playing video games the same way I would any other hobby. If I have time free from studies, I play games, but school comes first.”

There has been a persistent image that video gaming is a hobby that makes gamers alienate themselves from the world, but ABXY members are a close social bunch.

“It’s the same as any other social activity,” Mintz said. “A friendly but competitive atmosphere allows people to get together, compare their interests and compete against each other, all while having fun.”

“Being social is the entire reason why ABXY is here,” Liebe said. “Others can come play the games they love and share that passion. It’s a community for gamers.”

ABXY offers plenty of opportunities for gamers to become involved with the group. After the first week of the semester, ABXY meets weekly. Fight Night is held every Tuesday, where gamers can play the latest fighting games with others, and Wednesday is Handheld Night, which features the Pokémon series of games.

Liebe said more events are scheduled to come, but many of them are in the process of development.

“We’re working on Pixelcon, our annual video game convention,” Liebe said. “We’ve done charity video game marathons in the past, and we want to work on more this year.”

November’s AAA Video Game Releases

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception – November 1

Metal Gear Solid Rising – November 1

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – November 1

GoldenEye Reloaded – November 1

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – November 8

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – November 11

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – November 15

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary – November 15

Saints Row: The Third – November 15

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – November 20