subject: Guide to the top games for this Christmas [print this page] Guide to the top games for this Christmas
For many people, there's a more pressing issue each December than the number one Christmas single - namely, the biggest games that are predicted by the experts to be sure-fire stocking fillers.
With the current generation of the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii now being firmly established on the gaming market, parents won't have to worry about buying their kids the newest consoles this Christmas and having little left over for the all-important games. But that's not to say there haven't been exciting developments in the world of gaming technology that will make this Christmas, and doubtless the whole year ahead, very different from the last.
The most talked-about development is the advancement in motion sensor technology that has allowed competitors Sony and Microsoft to unveil new control systems for the PS3 and Xbox respectively. The Playstation Move controller responds to the player's physical movements when held, similar to the technology of the Wii, while Microsoft's Kinect takes things a step further and abandons the need for a controller altogether, allowing players to input commands simply by moving their bodies or using the power of their voices.
That means some of the biggest sellers this Christmas are bound to be titles that make use of these innovative new technologies to their full effect. For the Playstation, these include Sports Champions, which often comes bundled with the controller and is the perfect introduction to the system, while Kinect fans can get some great exercise with the help of The Biggest Loser Workout and EA Sports Active 2.
Not all of this year's top Christmas games are slaves to the new technology, however, with more traditional fare such as the latest Halo release Halo: Reach, which is available exclusively on Xbox 360 - proving hugely popular in the run-up to the festive season. The Playstation is holding its own too, with the release of the fifth instalment in the hugely popular Gran Turismo series.
While it may be the oldest kid on the block, Nintendo's Wii is still proving hugely popular with younger gamers in particular, especially with colourful releases such as Donkey Kong Country Returns and PokePark: Pikachu's Adventure being solid new entries into popular franchises. Wii Party is also being pushed as the perfect family game for the Christmas period, featuring more than 70 mini games designed to test various skills that the whole family could enjoy.
