Game consoles 'cause skin sores'

A new skin disorder caused by use of games consoles has been identified by skin specialists.

The condition, dubbed PlayStation palmar hidradenitis, is described in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Researchers outline the case of a 12-year-old girl who attended a Swiss hospital with intensely painful sores on the palms of her hands.

The girl, who had been using a games console regularly, recovered fully after 10 days of abstinence.

If you're worried about soreness on your hands when playing a games console, it might be sensible to give your hands a break from time to time
Nina Goad
British Association of Dermatologists

Doctors who examined her at the Geneva University Hospital concluded she had a condition known as 'idiopathic eccrine hidradenitis', a skin disorder that generally causes red, sore lumps on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

The condition has been previously found on the soles of the feet in children taking part in heavy physical activity, such as jogging.

It it is thought to be linked to intense sweating.

Unusual symptoms

For the disorder to only affect the hands is very unusual.

The patient had not participated in any sport or physical exercise recently, and could not recall any recent trauma involving her hands.

However, her parents did say that she had recently started to play a video game on a PlayStation console for several hours a day, and had continued to play even after developing the sores.

The doctors suspect that the problem was caused by tight and continuous grasping of the console's hand-grips, and repeated pushing of the buttons, alongside sweating caused by the tension of the game.

The researchers said cases of addiction to using games consoles had been recorded, but the symptoms had initially been thought to be psychological.

However, some physical symptoms, such as acute tendonitis, dubbed Wiitis, had begun to emerge.

They said 'PlayStation palmar hidradenitis' could now be added to the list.

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists said: "This is an interesting discovery and one that the researchers are keen to share with other dermatologists, should they be confronted with similar, unexplained symptoms in a patient.

"If you're worried about soreness on your hands when playing a games console, it might be sensible to give your hands a break from time to time, and don't play excessively if your hands are prone to sweating."

A spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd, manufacturers of PlayStation, said: "We firmly believe that video gaming is a legitimate entertainment pastime like watching movies, listening to music, or reading books.

"As with any leisure pursuit there are possible consequences of not following common sense, health advice and guidelines, as can be found within our instruction manuals.

"PlayStation was launched in 1995 and has sold hundreds of millions of consoles over the last 13 years.

"We do not wish to belittle this research and will study the findings with interest. This is the first time we have ever heard of a complaint of this nature."

Killzone 2 is a highly anticipated game for PlayStation 3
Killzone 2 is arguably the most important release in the short history of the PlayStation 3.

Announced at the unveiling of PlayStation 3 (PS3) in 2005, it was used as a battering ram to convince gamers of the power of the as yet unreleased console.

But the trailer shown at the E3 games conference in 2005 became mired in controversy when it was revealed the footage was a "target trailer" and a render running on unfinished hardware, rather than on a PS3 itself.

Despite the controversy, and the four years that have elapsed between that announcement and the imminent release of Killzone 2, the game remains a crucial release for Sony, which will be hoping it can drive sales of the PlayStation 3.

Sony needs a title to help define its console in the minds of core gamers. The PS3 lags in sales behind its rival Xbox 360, and the price difference between the two machines means Sony's exclusive titles have to work harder in order to justify the higher price tag of the PS3.

Just as the Halo franchise came to define the Xbox and, more importantly, make people go out and buy the console, Sony needs Killzone 2 to push hardware out of the doors of retailers.

The developers have been working on the game for four years

Hermen Hulst, managing director of Killzone 2 developer Guerrilla Games, says the game has always been an advert for the console.

"Our mission for the title was to build a showcase for the PlayStation 3 hardware. I think we have pushed the machine, so I am hopeful that we can help Sony push hardware units.

"It's a great title for gamers to show off what they can do with their HD set. I am quite hopeful it will make an impact."

Reviews of Killzone 2 have been very positive, with Metacritic.com putting the average score at 92%.

Set in the future, the game pits the human race against the Helghast in a ****c science fiction battle of good versus evil, with plenty of references to the march of the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s.

The game has been praised for its graphical fidelity and solid design, while criticisms have mainly centred on a lack of overall innovation and a rather stolid narrative.

We've delivered in most areas on the vision we set out. We have pushed the machine hard
Hermen Hulst, Guerrilla Games

When it finally hits shops at the end of February, every pixel of its 720 by 1280 resolution will be pored over by gamers looking to see if the finished article matches the original vision.

Mr Hulst insists that the game has surpassed that vision in some places.

"We've delivered in most areas on the vision we set out. We have pushed the machine hard. The vision was about the graphical fidelity we were creating, and the other thing was the intensity and chaos around the player - there's plenty of that in that game."

The game certainly stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the most graphically rich titles released on any gaming platform. It also boasts 7.1 surround sound, making the most of its atmospheric audio design.

He adds: "If you analyse down to the nitty gritty, there are some areas to improve.

"But in some areas we have pushed it further; the weapons look better in game than they do in the target trailer, for example."

Guerrilla has had the PlayStation 3 hardware longer than most and claims, contrary to popular belief, that the machine is not harder or more difficult to develop on than other consoles.

Killzone 2 is set in the future and pits humans against the Helghast

"I'm surprised by how much room our technology producers have squeezed out of it. We were reviewing some levels and thought that 40 or maybe 50 dynamic lighting elements were possible in one particular level at a time.

"But there were many dozens more. There were well over 100 active dynamically at the same time.

"Our tech team have been optimising right up to the last minute and rather than shaving things off we were able to let a lighting artist and texture artist know there was room for more polish," he says.

The launch of the title has missed the crucial Christmas window but Mr Hulst says it was a conscious decision.

"We wanted to take extra time to put in the polish. The window we are coming out in now is good for us. People have played their Christmas titles and are ready to get their hands on something new and fresh."

Mr Hulst says he is loath to compare his own game to other First Person Shooters on the market but he adds: "It's perhaps got a little more polish and is realistic and smoother. But now it's up to the consumers to give us the final verdict."

Sony will be hoping the final verdict is reflected in a lift in console sales.

Hackers target Xbox Live players

Xbox Live is being targeted by malicious hackers selling services that kick players off the network.

The booting services are proving popular with players who want a way to get revenge on those who beat them in an Xbox Live game.

The attackers are employing data flooding tools that have been used against websites for many years.

Microsoft is "investigating" the use of the tools and said those caught using them would be banned from Xbox Live.

"There's been a definite increase in the amount of people talking about and distributing these things over the last three to four weeks," said Chris Boyd, director of malware research at Facetime Communications.

Attack tool

"The smart thing about these Xbox tools is that they do not attack the Xbox Live network itself," he said.

He said the tools work by exploiting the way that the Xbox Live network is set up. Game consoles connecting to the Xbox network send data via the net, and for that it needs an IP address.

Even better, said Mr Boyd, games played via Xbox Live are not hosted on private servers. The tools mean anyone with a few dollars can boot rivals off Xbox Live

"Instead," he said, "a lot of games on Xbox Live are hosted by players."

If hackers can discover the IP address of whoever is hosting a game they can employ many of the attacks that have been used for years against websites, said Mr Boyd.

One of the most popular for the Xbox Live specialists is the Denial of Service attack which floods an IP address with vast amounts of data.

The flood of data is generated by a group of hijacked home computers, a botnet, that have fallen under the control of a malicious hacking group.

When turned against a website this flood of traffic can overwhelm it or make it unresponsive to legitimate visitors.

When turned against an Xbox owner, it can mean they cannot connect to the Live network and effectively throws them out of the game.

"They get your IP address, put it in the booter tool and they attempt to flood the port that uses Xbox traffic," said Mr Boyd. "Flooding that port prevents any traffic getting out."

Skill set

The hard part, he said, was discovering a particular gamer's IP address but many malicious hackers had honed the skills needed to find them.

Some interconnect their PC and Xbox and use packet sniffing software to hunt through the traffic flowing in and out of the console for IP addresses. The hackers target the way Xbox consoles connect to the net

Others simply use con tricks to get the target to reveal their net address.

The technical knowledge needed to hunt down IP addresses was quite high, said Mr Boyd, but many of those who had the skills were selling their expertise to those keen to hit back at their rivals on the Xbox Live network.

For $20 (£13) some Xbox Live hackers will remotely access a customer's PC and set up the whole system so it can be run any time they need it.

Some offer low rates to add compromised machines to a botnet and increase the amount of data flooding a particular IP address.

Defending against the attack could be tricky, said Mr Boyd: "There's no real easy solution to this one."

Although IP addresses regularly change, people could find it takes hours or days for their ISP to move them on to a new one.

In response to the rise in attacks, Microsoft said: "We are investigating reports involving the use of malicious software tools that an attacker could use to try and disrupt an Xbox LIVE player's internet connection."

It added: "This problem is not related to the Xbox Live service, but to the player's internet connection. The attacker could also attempt [to] disrupt other internet activities, such as streaming video or web browsing, using the same tools.

In its statement Microsoft warned: "This malicious activity violates the Xbox Live Terms of Use, and will result in a ban from Xbox Live and other appropriate action.

It urged anyone falling victim to such an attack to contact their ISP to report it and get help fixing it.

In January 2009 Microsoft announced that Xbox Live had more than 17m members.

Video games should have a "red button" parents can press to disable inappropriate games, says a report.

Drafted by a European parliament committee, the report backs games for children but says parents need help policing how and when they are played.

The committee said games have a "broadly beneficial effect" on the mental development of children.

The report comes as research shows that more than half of European children are unsupervised when using computers.

Skill set

The call for the "red button" was made by members of the European Parliament committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection as it adopted a wide-ranging study of younger game players.

"Videogames are in most cases not dangerous and can even contribute to the development of important skills," Toine Manders, the Dutch MEP who drafted the report, told Reuters.

Games can help instill facts in children and encourage the use of important skills such as creativity, cooperation and strategic reflection, found the study.

Despite the positive conclusions, the committee said "not all games are suited to all age groups and the possibility of harmful effects on the minds of children cannot be ruled out".

Because of this, it said, parents needed more help to police which games their children play and for how long.

The report backed the European Pan European Game Information system (PEGI) and called for it to be strengthened and win more support from member nations.

PEGI is a voluntary system backed by many video game makers which bestows age ratings on titles.

The committee proposed that, while work was going on to improve PEGI and extend its oversight to online games, consoles and computers and games could be outfitted with a "red button" to turn off a machine or disable a game.

Research released by Microsoft on 10 February found that 51% of the 20,000 Europeans aged 14-19 it questioned browsed the web without parental supervision.

A Japanese computer games maker has agreed to buy Eidos, the UK company behind the Tomb Raider and Championship Manager games, for £84.3m ($120m).

Square Enix said it would pay 32 pence a share in cash for Eidos, which has been hit by weak US sales of its latest edition of Tomb Raider.

Eidos shares more than doubled in value in early trading, to 31 pence.

The company said last month that it had received an informal takeover approach from an unnamed bidder.

US media giant Time Warner owns 20% of Eidos and had been tipped as a potential bidder.

Square Enix, known for its Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy video games, wants to extend its reach in Europe.

"Eidos's products are highly complementary to our business and will accelerate our aggressive expansion into Western markets," said Square Enix president Yoichi Wada.

Separately, Midway Games, the firm best known for its Mortal Kombat video games, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US.

It said it did not think it would be able to pay back debt obligations s that stemmed from the sale of a majority stake in the company.

Video games are poised to "eclipse" all other forms of entertainment, according to games studio boss Mike Griffith.

The Activision chief made the bold call during a keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

He said video games were prospering as interest in almost every other category of entertainment declines.

Mr Griffith said social gaming, more interactivity and better technology would help gaming dominate the entertainment landscape in future.

He said: "Movies, recorded music and TV - these are all stagnating or contracting entertainment sectors."

40% growth

He quoted US market statistics which showed that between 2003 and 2007 sales of movie tickets fell by 6%; the number of hours of TV watched dropped by 6%, sales of recorded music slumped 12% and purchases of DVDs remained flat.

Over the same four-year period, said Mr Griffith, the video game industry grew by 40%.

"Video games are poised to eclipse all other forms of entertainment in the decade ahead," he said.

Gamers will spend longer with James Bond than moviegoers

The success of Guitar Hero, said Mr Griffith, showed how influential gaming had become on many other entertainment sectors.

He quoted Nielsen SoundScan data which showed that artists whose music featured on Guitar Hero had seen a rise in download sales of 15-843%.

The game had proved so popular that some bands, such as Metallica and Aerosmith, were bringing out a version of the game that only features their music.

"Music has a history of evolving through technology and we are at the beginning of the latest chapter in that story," he said.

Technology, community and interactivity were the three factors that would help the video game industry become the driving force in entertainment, said Mr Griffith.

'Story telling'

The powerful processors in consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360 meant that games were getting ever more realistic and immersive, he said.

"Games are no longer pre-set trips through linear mazes," said Mr Griffith. "They are becoming a legitimate story-telling medium that rivals feature films."

He cited the video game of the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace (QoS) as an example of how games were taking over.

Guitar Hero players are sharing their own musical creations

"The moviegoer is passive whereas the gamer is active and part of the game itself," he said, adding that anyone who played QoS would spend more than 50 hours in the company of James Bond compared to only 106 minutes if they watched the movie.

The communities growing up around titles such as Guitar Hero World Tour also showed how entertainment was changing, he said.

Owners of the game had created 141,000 tracks of their own using its in-built mixing studio and uploaded them to the Guitar Hero community site, which now has more than 600,000 members, he said.

More interactive controllers such as the guitars and drums in Guitar Hero and the Wiimote on Nintendo's gaming console were also helping encourage more people to take up gaming, said Mr Griffiths.

"Those new controllers are encouraging new ways to become more socially active in gaming," he said. "They are bringing in a whole new group of consumers that have never before been involved in gaming."

Video games are poised to "eclipse" all other forms of entertainment, according to games studio boss Mike Griffith.

The Activision chief made the bold call during a keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

He said video games were prospering as interest in almost every other category of entertainment declines.

Mr Griffith said social gaming, more interactivity and better technology would help gaming dominate the entertainment landscape in future.

He said: "Movies, recorded music and TV - these are all stagnating or contracting entertainment sectors."

40% growth

He quoted US market statistics which showed that between 2003 and 2007 sales of movie tickets fell by 6%; the number of hours of TV watched dropped by 6%, sales of recorded music slumped 12% and purchases of DVDs remained flat.

Over the same four-year period, said Mr Griffith, the video game industry grew by 40%.

"Video games are poised to eclipse all other forms of entertainment in the decade ahead," he said.

Gamers will spend longer with James Bond than moviegoers

The success of Guitar Hero, said Mr Griffith, showed how influential gaming had become on many other entertainment sectors.

He quoted Nielsen SoundScan data which showed that artists whose music featured on Guitar Hero had seen a rise in download sales of 15-843%.

The game had proved so popular that some bands, such as Metallica and Aerosmith, were bringing out a version of the game that only features their music.

"Music has a history of evolving through technology and we are at the beginning of the latest chapter in that story," he said.

Technology, community and interactivity were the three factors that would help the video game industry become the driving force in entertainment, said Mr Griffith.

'Story telling'

The powerful processors in consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox 360 meant that games were getting ever more realistic and immersive, he said.

"Games are no longer pre-set trips through linear mazes," said Mr Griffith. "They are becoming a legitimate story-telling medium that rivals feature films."

He cited the video game of the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace (QoS) as an example of how games were taking over.

Guitar Hero players are sharing their own musical creations

"The moviegoer is passive whereas the gamer is active and part of the game itself," he said, adding that anyone who played QoS would spend more than 50 hours in the company of James Bond compared to only 106 minutes if they watched the movie.

The communities growing up around titles such as Guitar Hero World Tour also showed how entertainment was changing, he said.

Owners of the game had created 141,000 tracks of their own using its in-built mixing studio and uploaded them to the Guitar Hero community site, which now has more than 600,000 members, he said.

More interactive controllers such as the guitars and drums in Guitar Hero and the Wiimote on Nintendo's gaming console were also helping encourage more people to take up gaming, said Mr Griffiths.

"Those new controllers are encouraging new ways to become more socially active in gaming," he said. "They are bringing in a whole new group of consumers that have never before been involved in gaming."

Record high for videogaming sales

More than 82.8m games were sold in Britain during 2008

Sales of videogames in the UK hit an all time high of 82.8m in 2008, figures from the industry trade body show.

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) said that consumers spent £4.03bn on video game hardware and software.

Total video game sales were in excess of £1.9bn, 23% more than the previous year and more than double the total earnings over the past five years.

Console sales accounted for another £1.422 billion.

Nintendo's console was pitched squarely at non-gamers

ELSPA's managing director, Michael Rawlinson, said the growth of games pitched at the casual user had help fuel the growth.

"Videogaming is increasingly bringing families together with the introduction of so many outstanding family-based console titles.

"These have really opened up the market to those who may never have even considered playing a videogame before," he said.

But with economic worries, and a shortage of blockbuster titles, some experts think 2009 may not be so rosy.

Speaking to the BBC, veteran game designer Peter Molyneux said he had concerns.

"While there is stuff in 2010 we can look forward to, off the top of my head, I cannot think of anything this year that really excites me."

"Everyone says games are good value for home entertainment, despite the relatively high price. I'm not so sure.

"I think we're going to see a lot of price pressure put on games," he added.

As 2008 draws to a close and with 2009 just around the corner, it has been an eventful year for the games industry. Will the recession and a lack of triple-A titles make 2009 a year the industry will want to forget?

Call of Duty: World at War surpassed expectations, Wii Fit showed us that you can play video games and still keep the spare tyre in check, Gears of War 2 proved the Xbox 360 was still a force to be reckoned with, selling over two million units world wide.

World of Warcraft released the Wrath of the Lich King and kept millions of gamers glued to their PCs for another six months, and Grand Theft Auto IV took the world by storm.

But with the economy cooling, games companies like Sony shedding jobs, and a shortage of triple A titles scheduled for release, what does 2009 have in store for gamers and the video game industry?

We put that question to some of the industry stalwarts, asking them for their thoughts on how 2008 has been for them and what they think the next year will bring.

PETER MOLYNEUX: Video game designer, Lionhead Studios

"2008 was the year that the Nintendo Wii got even better, more than anyone really thought possible when it first launched. The 360 did well, although it was put into the shade somewhat by the Wii. PlayStation 3 has been disappointing to say the least.

On the gaming front, GTA IV was a real moment for the industry. Rockstar nailed how you characterise a game and their engine and cut sequences are state of the art. However, only a few people actually saw all the cut sequences because the game was so tough to play. Are we making games too difficult? That's a question the industry has been asking itself of late.

We - as developers - are finally comfortable with the next-gen consoles and we saw a slew of sequels this year. Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Fable II, the seventh Tomb Raider.

One of my personal favourites was Little Big Planet; superb artistry and a fantastic marketing job by Sony - yet it didn't make the numbers. I wonder if Christmas is really the right time to release a new title. We've got into a rhythm [of sequels at Christmas] which is all fair and well while people are buying games but we have to make sure we don't get complacent.

Next year, well, it's all looking a bit dry. All the triple A titles came out this Christmas and while there is stuff in 2010 we can look forward to, off the top of my head I cannot think of anything next year that really excites me.

Everyone says games are good value for home entertainment, despite the relatively high price. I'm not so sure. I think we're going to see a lot of price pressure put on games.

And as for Lionhead: now we've got Fable II out of the door we can focus on our other project - it's super secret for now - but we might announce it next year."

PAUL BARNETT: Creative director, Mythic Entertainment

"Personally 2008 was like giving birth: lots of pain, struggle, huffing, and puffing. But the end result [Warhammer Online] was worth it; it's no longer ours, it belongs to the players.

It was a year of disappointing big games; budgets too big, development too long, platforms underdeveloped, and expectations were too high. The Wii produced some kooky games that defied logic, the 360 continues to do well, the PS3 is desperately trying to find a market, and the PC was coming to terms with DRM (digital rights management).

At the same time, 2008 was the year that web browser games came of age: proof that backroom coders, great art design, and business know-how can exist under the same roof: Passage, Shift, World of Goo, and Portal were all very curious.

GTA IV was the most impressive game of 2009, because it's almost impossible to deliver a game that good. It was a proper computer game, it sold bucket loads, and it improved on the original. Not only that, but it was British! I'm not a fan of the game but I am really respectful of what they [Rockstar] have done.

Bioshock proved that art direction matters in a game - and it was truly a triumph of art. It looked good and every icon and element felt connected. People get wrapped up in the story and narrative. Bioshock never had a story - people pretended it does - it doesn't. It's simple and linear, but in terms of art it is fantastic.

That said, some people confuse games with art and developing a game as an art title (as opposed to a good game with great art in it) will lead us into madness.

As for Warhammer, we're going to make good on our promises. We've got RvR [Realm vs Realm] hobby experience; this means bigger battles, more character, a stronger campaign. Basically, war is everywhere.

As for next year, it's going to be a year of pain for all the big labels and a continuing fight between games defining themselves as 'art', 'design' and 'entertainment'.

The games industry is going to go through the pain the music industry went through when the traditional way of making and selling their products goes through a radical shift. The route to the customer is undefined and income streams are uncertain. Large firms have a history of not being responsive (and being fearful) of change - the DRM fiasco (with Spore) is a ****c example of that.

I expect to see some large studios go under and some big name titles fail."

RICHARD GARRIOTT aka 'Lord British': Video game designer

"For me, the high point - quite literally - was spending 12 days on the International Space Station. As a result, I've been somewhat outside the gaming scene; I was in quarantine for nearly three months in 2008.

That said, Halo's sequel was a big deal. World of Warcraft continues to dominate the massive multiplayer arena - more power to them. If I had to pick a developer who has done a bang up job, it would be Blizzard [the development team behind World of Warcraft]. The number of people they have converted is just amazing. They have shown all of us what good game development is all about.

After 25 years at Origin, the last thing I wanted to make was yet another medieval fantasy game. Now, after a very interesting break, I'm keen to get back into the fray and work on a new game. Probably medieval fantasy and probably online; there's something very powerful about getting people together."

WILL WRIGHT : Video game designer, Electronic Arts

"2008 was the year that the console hit its stride, we're seeing the rise of mobile gaming (along with user generated content) and, as we hear every eight years, the death of PC gaming.

The Wii took everyone by surprise - not for its looks, but its accessibility. Games like Guitar Hero attracted non-gamers and Sony and Microsoft are responding to that with things like the 'Avatar' system and Little Big Planet.

Next year, we're going to see more connected games - more social networking rather than just multiplayer. What's more, they are going to be more fractal in nature; how you interact with the game will depend not only on what you play (360 vs mobile) but where you play. So, for example, a mobile game that interacts with a GPS (global positioning system) so that where you physically play the game in the real world will have a direct effect on the game you are playing."

JOHNATHAN 'Fatal1ty' WENDEL: Professional games player

"The high point for me was getting my new line of headphones. I've been working really hard to develop them with Creative and we saw our sales increase by 50% since 2007.

That said, I think the credit crunch and subsequent fall out really hurt sponsorship of professional gamers. We used to have 300 people making a living from playing games; now we have less than 100.

Because of that, I want to start sponsoring other gamers. They're having a tough time at the moment, so I want to give something back to help them follow their dreams to become a professional gamer.

I'm going to continue working on a professional series of headphones. I want people to use my headphones, not just to talk smack, but to use them in the real world by making them stylish and attractive. We're close to getting that finalised and then we can launch.

And as for the future, well I hope we'll soon start seeing real 3D. You already get that experience in an iMax cinema. I think games will eventually go that way. I still want to use a mouse and keyboard to play, but if I can get that kind of graphical feel, that would be great. We really need to change the way we view a game."

Sony's Pulse video show reckons PAIN has been the most downloaded PlayStation Network game this year.

The physics-based hurl-an-avatar-into-things-for-points title was released in March, and has benefited from extra levels and Trophy support over the subsequent months.

Even David Hasselhoff hopped on board, re-recording Culture Club and perhaps slopping a cheeseburger on the floor in the process.

High Velocity Bowling managed to take second, according to the list on PS3 Fanboy, followed by Super Stardust HD and the excellent PixelJunk Monsters. FlOw eased into fourth, tailed by Warhawk at five and Aquatopia at six.

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection kicked up a fuss at seven, beating High Stakes Poker at nine and Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty at 10.

But where is WipEout HD? The game Sony Europe told us (on Friday, in a statement about the Trial version) was the "fastest-selling" PSN game to date and the "top seller" for the whole of November?

The WipEout HD trial will go live from 24th December, which is when we will be doing our Christmas shopping.

Sony has updated the PlayStation Network shops with several new downloadable games, including Crash Commando for PS3 and Football Manager Handheld 2009 for the PSP.

There's also Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer, which Wikipedia reckons means Mercenary-X: Romantic Idealist, and which is a horizontally scrolling shooter with screenshots worth admiring in our Soldner-X gallery.

Sony hasn't quite sorted out its pricing structure for downloadable PSP games, though, with FM Handheld up at a whopping GBP 29.99 (versus about 25 quid in the shops) while Buzz! Brain Bender is GBP 19.99 (15 quid). At least Ultimate Board Game Collection is only GBP 9.99.

Otherwise there's the usual assortment of Rock Band and Guitar Hero stuff, and those Christmas bits for LittleBigPlanet. Yay.

PS3 Games

• Crash Commando (GBP 7.99 / EUR 9.99)
• Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer (GBP 7.99 / EUR 9.99)

PSP Games

• Buzz! Brain Bender (GBP 19.99 / EUR 29.99)
• Football Manager Handheld 2009 (GBP 29.99 / EUR 34.99)
• Ultimate Board Game Collection (GBP 9.99 / EUR 12.99)

PSP Add-ons

• Super Stardust Portable Expansion Pack (GBP 3.19 / EUR 3.99)

PS3 Add-ons

• Everybody's Golf World Tour - Costume Pack Pirate (GBP 3.19 / EUR 3.99)
• LittleBigPlanet Santa Hat and Beard (free)
• LittleBigPlanet Festive Goodies (GBP 2.39 / EUR 2.99)
• Mercenaries 2: Blow it up... Again! (free)
• Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Pack 3 (free)

PS3 Guitar Hero: World Tour stuff

• The Eagles Track Pack (GBP 4.39 / EUR 5.49)
• The Eagles - "Frail Grasp on the Big Picture" (GBP 1.49 / EUR 1.99)
• The Eagles - "Life in the Fast Lane" (GBP 1.49 / EUR 1.99)
• The Eagles - "One of These Nights" (GBP 1.49 / EUR 1.99)

PS3 Rock Band stuff

• Going Country Pack 01 (GBP 5.25 / EUR 6.59)
• Brad Paisley - "Mud on the Tires" (GBP 0.99 / EUR 1.49)
• Brooks & Dunn - "Hillbilly Deluxe" (GBP 0.99 / EUR 1.49)
• Dierks Bentley - "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)" (GBP 0.99 / EUR 1.49)
• Dixie Chicks - "Sin Wagon" (GBP 0.99 / EUR 1.49)
• Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder & Lead" (GBP 0.99 / EUR 1.49)

Sales of FIFA 09 surged this week in the UK to give EA its sixth Christmas No. 1 in eight years, just a week after Call of Duty: World at War outsold it by 27,000 units.

Thanks to an 89 per cent rise in sales, and a 13 per cent dip for COD, those of you who put a fiver on the game at 6-1 last week will be happy, anyway.

Below FIFA and COD, which sit in first and second, Mario Kart Wii holds on (sales up 40 per cent - to within 3,000 units of COD), while Need for Speed: Undercover holds at fourth and Brain Training does likewise in fifth.

Otherwise it's the usual shuffle with a few decent movers, but the most impressive performance is surely Professor Layton and the Curious Village, up to eighth from outside the top 40 last week, which compiler Chart-Track attributes to Christmas appeal and renewed stock.

In other big-game news, LittleBigPlanet celebrates Christmas at 15th, Prince of Persia continues its slow climb, to 16th, and Grand Theft Auto IV creeps back into the top 40 at 39th, in a Lips and Nintendogs sandwich. Woof.

Crowning the king of the consoles

2008 has seen a three-way tussle between console makers

At the start of 2008 there were three key questions that needed answering about the future of the games industry:

· Could the Xbox 360 sustain a lead over the PlayStation 3?

· Would anything derail the success of Nintendo?

· And could 2008's video games match the heights of 2007?

If you are reading this and pushed for time, then the short answers are Yes, No, Not quite.

Early lead

At the start of the year the Wii was way out in front in terms of an installed base with 20 million machines in homes. By comparison the Xbox 360 was in 15.5 million homes and the PS3 nine million.

Analysts Screen Digest predicts that Nintendo will more than double its installed base of the Wii by the end of this year to 42 million, amplifying its lead over Sony and Microsoft.

The Byron review highlighted worries over game ratings

Piers Harding-Rolls from Screen Digest said Nintendo had enjoyed a "fantastic year".

"The Wii has maintained its price and they gain a profit from every bit of hardware sold," he added.

But a significant slowdown in sales in November and December in Japan points to a trickier 2009 for the company in which it may not enjoy the same blockbuster success.

The picture in 2008 was mixed for Sony and Microsoft, he said.

"The 360 and PS3 have performed fairly similarly, with just a few hundred thousand units difference over the year between them."

Screen Digest predicts that the PS3 will have an installed base of 19 million by the end of 2008, while the 360 will have 24 million.

"When we looked at the 360 at the beginning of the year we didn't think it was going to do as well as it has done."

An aggressive price cut and marketing campaign across Europe has seen the 360 do well in traditional PlayStation heartlands around the continent.

By contrast, the lack of a price cut for the PS3 combined with difficult economic circumstances for many consumers has seen the console fail to ignite as some predictions foretold.

"We think there have been corporate pressures to aim towards profitability," said Mr Harding.

"They are pretty exposed on price. Adoption has slowed and will be delayed.

He added: "We always felt that 2008 was the year that PS3 kicked off - but we think that will now be 2009."

Playing safe

This year was always going to be one of transition and development, rather than shock and awe. With no new consoles or significant hardware launches, the focus was firmly on hardware sales and software development.

The first big industry event of the year was the publication of the Byron report. In it, Dr Tanya Byron won the praise of many developers and publishers for highlighting the positive impact of gaming on children, but sparked a row which has yet to end over how games should be classified.

LittleBigPlanet was eagerly awaited by PS3 owners

Should it be the BBFC's role as an independent classifier, or self regulation through PEGI? Dr Tanya Byron seemed to be on the fence when she suggested a dual approach.

This infuriated all sides involved in rating games and it is still not clear how games will be classified in the future.

In June, E3 returned to its spiritual home of the Los Angeles Convention Center. But the more sombre and professional approach to a trade show only succeeded in making the event seem cheap and second rate.

There were few highlights from the show. Microsoft showed off its New Xbox Experience, a new front end and UI designed to take the best bits of the existing system and replicate the success of Nintendo's family-friendly Mii approach.

Sony's pitch was all about emphasising the long game. "Don't judge us now; judge us in 10 years," was the mantra, as Jack Tretton, head of PlayStation's US business, told the audience: "It took some time for mass market migration from PlayStation to PlayStation 2."

At least Sony had some decent games to finally talk about, including Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet.

Nintendo's press conference was the biggest disappointment - Wii Music garnered groans and sales on release have confirmed the limited appeal of the title, there were no updates on a new Zelda or Mario game, and the Japanese giant seemed to be resting on its laurels.

The UK games industry enjoyed mixed success in 2008.

Two of the biggest releases of the year, LittleBigPlanet and Fable II, were home-gown titles, but the financial pressures on developers were reflected in the closures of firms such as Pivotal Games, Sega's Racing Studios and NCSoft's European development office in Brighton.

Gears of War 2 was a favourite among FPS fans

And with the end of the year approaching it seemed that the most high profile closure would be Free Radical, the makers of Haze and TimeSplitters.

On the content side, the big winners of plaudits were Gears of War 2, Fable II, Dead Space and Fallout 3.

Games like LittleBigPlanet and Mirror's Edge continued to prove the level of vitality and creativity that remains in the industry.

But modest sales for the latter showed that gamers' tastes may be more narrow and limited than are suggested by opinion polls - which often decry the sequel-heavy nature of gaming.

Looking forward to 2009 I expect a few of the following questions to be answered:

· Will Killzone 2 disappoint after a protracted development cycle and endless hype?

· Can Heavy Rain really offer the narrative freedom that the developers seem to suggest?

· Will Xbox Live in Europe start to offer decent film and TV content or will it continue to be second rate?

· Do we really need a next-gen version of Wolfenstein?

· Has Bungie squeezed every last drop of creativity from Halo or will Halo 3: Recon prove there's more left in the tank?

· Can the community-developed recreation of Half-Life, Black Mesa, really be as good as the trailer suggests?

Take-Two has announced "a new incentive compensation programme" based on profit sharing for the Rockstar Games label, and "long-term employment agreements" for key team-members including Sam and Dan Houser and GTA producer Leslie Benzies.

Although Rockstar is wholly owned by Take-Two, the creative personnel are hardly slaves, and could, in theory, have wandered off at some point. Now they can't. "The new employment agreements have an initial term ending on January 31, 2012," Take-Two said yesterday during the usual financial report circus.

Q4 profits for the year that included the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV dived and missed estimates according to people who understand what the hell any of this means, but Take-Two CEO Ben Feder declined to sate investors with news of any plans for a full sequel to its blockbuster third-person action game.

"We're not saying no, it's just way too early to be talking 2010, especially GTA in 2010," MTV reported him saying in the earnings call following the financial announcements.

However, the company did talk about a "newly formed company controlled by key Rockstar Games team members", currently working on "certain new intellectual property" that would be "published exclusively by Take-Two". GameSpot speculated that it might be related to a previously announced, but unidentified PS3-exclusive, but there's no real word yet.

Finally, with GTA Chinatown Wars preparing for release on 17th March for DS, CEO Ben Feder also addressed the issue of adult-orientated content from labels like Rockstar for Nintendo formats. "You just have to because you can't ignore the installed base. You just can't," he pointed out, adding that the company would "do a lot of learning" with GTA on DS.

"Our partnership with Nintendo is as strong as it's ever been...They provide great feedback for us. We're highly focused on it," he added.

Sony will patch PlayStation Home this Thursday, according to Home Community Manager "TedTheDog", whose real name we did know once but now can't remember.

"We'll be patching Home this Thursday and part of this change will be the first step in tackling the connection issues that you'll know as C-931 errors," he wrote on the official forum (thanks vg247).

According to a post elsewhere, C-931 "is related to very high levels of traffic", and in theory if you keep hammering away the game will let you in at some point anyway.

We asked Eurogamer's resident technical experts - i.e. the people who try and stop our servers exploding during key giveaways - whether trying again and again is a sensible workaround for connection time-outs. They cried.

Sony launched the PlayStation Home open beta last Thursday after nearly two years of build-up and the response so far has been lukewarm.

Eurogamer MMO complained about its "stiff, airless lack of character" and games of pool that aren't instanced, but was careful to note that "its defining feature - how it feeds into and connects with PlayStation gaming as a whole - is missing", and won't be introduced for a bit.

Meanwhile, Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson complained about being basically sexually harassed by drooling morons because she's a girl. MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John apparently had the same problem, but went on again the other day and got into some sort of conga line and therefore forgave it.

Xbox 360 currently has a combined lead over PlayStation 3 of around one million lifetime sales across five key European territories - the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

That's according to GfK Chart-Track data seen by Eurogamer that shows like-for-like sales of console hardware across October and November.

The installed base totals suggest that Sony is catching up on Microsoft, which launched Xbox 360 over a year earlier than PS3.

But following a price cut in September, Microsoft's figures have jumped and the platform holder can be confident of holding its lead into the New Year.

Earlier this month, Sony Europe president David Reeves told MCV that PS3's installed base was 300,000 bigger than Xbox 360's "in PAL territories", which also includes countries outside Europe, like Australia.

On the same day, Microsoft claimed its "biggest ever sales month" in Europe for November, declaring a 124 per cent improvement year-on-year.

"Xbox 360 has sold more than seven million consoles in Europe since its launch in November 2005," the platform holder said at the time.

Sony declined to comment on the GfK Chart-Track figures when we contacted the company late last week.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has called the odds on the race for the number one game at Christmas in the UK, and made Call of Duty: World at War its firm favourite.

Ladbrokes reckons the World War II shooter's chances at 1-3 for, versus 6-1 against for the next best contender, FIFA 09.

Constant seller Mario Kart Wii, despite having been released much earlier in the year, isn't far behind with a 7-1 shot. Those are good odds for a single-format game; Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 could only muster respective odds of 20-1 and 25-1 from the bookie.

Fallout 3 is at 10-1, while regular seasonal chart-topper Need for Speed is surely worth a punt at 12-1. Nintendo must have been hoping that Wii Music would stand better than a 66-1 chance of making the top of the Christmas charts, though. Likewise Sony and LittleBigPlanet.

Today is a day of lists. Here's another:

• Call of Duty: World at War - 1-3
• FIFA Soccer 09 - 6-1
• Mario Kart Wii - 7-1
• Fallout 3 - 10-1
• Need for Speed Undercover - 12-1
• Wii Fit - 16-1
• Tomb Raider: Underworld- 16-1
• Gears of War 2 - 20-1
• WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 - 20-1
• Guitar Hero World Tour - 25-1
• Fable II - 25-1
• Resistance 2 - 25-1
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 - 33-1
• Far Cry 2 Ubisoft - 40-1
• Wii Play - 50-1
• Quantum of Solace Activision - 50-1
• LittleBigPlanet - 66-1
• Mirror's Edge - 66-1
• Wii Music - 66-1
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 100-1

Users can play numerous mini games within PlayStation Home

Sony's long awaited next-gen social networking site for PlayStation users goes into open beta today.

PlayStation Home will let gamers create their own avatar -a virtual representation of themselves - and then interact with other users in a 3D environment.

Players can chat to other users, invite them into their own "home", and will soon be able to stream music and video.

PS Home will be available free to all registered PlayStation Network users.

The concept of a virtual clubhouse for PlayStation owners has been under development for a number of years, although it was not officially announced until early 2007.

Tim Clark, editor in chief at Official PlayStation Magazine UK, told the BBC that delays were expected, as the project was a "hugely ambitious undertaking".

"The idea behind Home is to create a virtual space for PS3 owners to meet up, talk and play games - the easiest way to think of it is as a hybrid of Facebook, Second Life and the prettiest game lobby ever."

"Given the experience is dependant on a stable, lavish 3D environment, and the fact that while every PS3 is broadband enabled - that's obviously not the case with a PS2 - so it's not surprising the project has taken some time."

Cash for corduroys

Although the service is free to PlayStation Network users, Sony is looking at future revenue streams.

Players can buy new clothing to dress their avatar, new more lavish homes will go on sale, and there are plans to add advertising to billboards and video screens.

Sponsorship deals and a source of real-world (as opposed to in-game) money will be welcome news to Sony, which earlier announced plans to cut 8,000 electronics jobs - 5% of the division - as well as shutting 10% of its manufacturing sites.

It is no coincidence that PlayStation Home is launching during the festive season.

According to Chart Track - which report on sales of music, video and software throughout the UK - more than 40% of all console sales take place in the last six weeks before Christmas.

But will PlayStation Home be enough to sway potential customers Sony's way?

Speaking to the BBC, Alex Pell - the assistant editor of The Sunday Times' gadget section, In Gear, said he was sceptical.

"PlayStation Home is great for existing users. It might not have the complexity or depth of Second Life, but it can be played on a console, rather than a computer."

"As you have an avatar, this means it's much more than just a flashy chat room, and as a medium, it's a great way of getting more out of the games you already own," he said.

"But ultimately what really matters is the price of the console and the availability of good exclusive games. You can get an Xbox 360, with four games and two controllers for £130. The best deal I managed to find was a PS3 with three good games for £270"

"Sony needs to find new customers and while Home is great for existing PS3 users, will people rush out and buy such a pricy console on the back of PS Home availability? I don't think so."