Research firm NPD Group has released the US games console hardware and software sales chart for January 2012, showing that the Xbox 360 is top of the pile.

Overall there was a decline in software, hardware and accessory sales compared to January 2011.

Commenting on the results, NPD analyst Liam Callahan said: "January retail performance experienced steep declines with a lack of software launches, and poor Hardware and Accessory performance."

He also noted that by comparison, January 2011 was an unusually busy month for games releases, which included LittleBigPlanet 2, Dead Space 2 and DC Universe Online.

Microsoft needs no consoling

The Xbox 360's sales victory comes after Microsoft sold a staggering 270,000 of the consoles in January 2012. Microsoft claims that last month's success makes it 13 months in a row that the Xbox 360 has been top of the US sales chart.

Overall, the top ten best-selling software titles for January 2012 were:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)
2. Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3)
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)
4. NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, PC)
5. Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)
6. Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)
7. Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
8. Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Wii, 3DS, 360, PS3, PC)
9. Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii)
10. Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3, PC)

The Kinect Star Wars special edition Xbox 360 bundle will launch on April 3rd, almost six months after it was scheduled to go on sale.

The bundle includes a copy of Kinect Star Wars, an R2-D2 custom-designed 250GB Xbox 360 console, a C-3PO-inspired gold controller and a Stormtrooper white Kinect peripheral.

The limited edition pack was announced last July ahead of a planned November release, but delays in the game's production forced Microsoft and LucasArts to push the launch back until 2012.

New game features

The news comes from Microsoft's Major Nelson, who also revealed some intriguing new features for the game's Jedi Destiny mode.

He says there will be: "Space battles: As you travel the Galaxy to face an evil that threatens to undermine the fabric of the Republic, you'll engage with forces of the Empire in intense space battles

"Speeder Bikes and Landspeeders: Pilot iconic Speeder Bikes and Landspeeders on your epic journey

"New duels: Battle opponents like Count Dooku and Darth Vader on your journey to become a Jedi

"New Duels of Fate mode, a battle-by-battle experience to sharpen your Jedi skills against the Dark Side.

"New Galactic Dance Off mode loaded with Star Wars-themed pop tunes where those still honing their Jedi skills can take a break to battle Darth Vader on the dance floor or bust a move "Solo style.""

Phantom Menace tie-in

News of the official release date and new features come as Star Wars prepares to return to the big screen with the re-release of The Phantom Menace in 3D on Friday.

US-based Force loyalists will be able to go hands-on with the new Kinect Star Wars game at selected AMC cinemas across the country as part of a Star Wars theme day.

Via: Major Nelson

The French arm of Microsoft has stated that there will be no new Xbox 720 console released before the end of the year.

The marketing director of Microsoft France, Cedrick Delmas says the Xbox 360's life-cycle is not over and that it has no intention of rushing out a competitor for the Nintendo Wii U in time for Christmas.

When asked about the new Xbox for E3 rumors he told Lepoint.fr (translated): "We're in an industry that talks a lot, that likes telling stories. I am not convinced that things will happen this year. The Xbox 360's cycle is not over at all. The proof is that we haven't price cut this year.

"Afterward, what will happen at E3, it's still too early to say. What's certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012. If we wanted to counter Nintendo, we would have to be in a position to release something immediately, and that is not at all the case.

"We're not here to counter Nintendo and they're not here to fight the other manufacturers. Nintendo has put itself in a different cycle, it's going forward to its own rhythm, with success as we have seen with the Wii, and now it's their turn to present their innovation."

Clear run for the Wii U

Delmas' comments suggest that Microsoft does indeed have something up its sleeve for the annual E3 expo in June, but will bide its time until 2013 before making the console available.

Nintendo recently promised to have the Wii U on sale by the end of 2012 and is likely to unleash a largely improved iteration of the device than that which was on show at E3 in 2011.

With no real rumblings of a PlayStation 4 launch, even in 2013, it looks like Nintendo will have a clear shot at the Christmas market with the console so crucial to its future prosperity.

Nintendo has announced that the controller for its next console, the Nintendo Wii U, will support near field communication (NFC).

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata gave some example of some possible uses for NFC in the Wii U, saying that, "By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world."

So games like Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, which currently uses a "Portal of Power" peripheral to recognise character figures placed on it, would be able to work without the peripheral, and potentially interact in more sophisticated ways.

The NFC hardware included in the Wii U will be compatible with the widely-used FeliCa and MIFARE standards.

Pay as you play

Iwata went on to say: "Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments."

Whether these micropayments are made to the Wii U or by the Wii U is unclear, though somehow we can't imagine ourselves waving a Wii U controller around at the supermarket checkout, so using contactless payment cards to pay for downloads could be on its way.

The announcement came alongside the news that the company is launching the Nintendo Network service for 3DS and Wii U which will allow multiple user accounts, full game downloads and more sophisticated gaming interactions than the rather limited Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Find all the latest news about Nintendo's newest console in our Wii U: all the latest details feature.

Nintendo has announced it is launching an online service called Nintendo Network which will be available to 3DS users and then extended to the Wii U when it is launched later this year.

At an investor presentation, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata unveiled the new service, the logo for which had already mysteriously appeared on the Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy game box.

Iwata said the service will include "competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content," for both the current 3DS handheld console and the soon to be released Wii U.

Multiple user accounts

The Wii U offering will also have support for personal user accounts, compared to the current system where software is tied to a single hardware system rather than the user who bought it.

This differs vastly from the rather limited Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection currently available to the original Wii console, and will allow communication between users for the first time.

Iwata also spoke of "Community" matches for Mario Kart 7.

The Nintendo Network could not only serve up add-on content, but also whole games as well: "this concept was built into the design of the Nintendo 3DS, and we already have the necessary infrastructure," Iwata said.

That same infrastructure is being cooked up for the Wii U, but as yet there is no firm release date for its launch.

Can't wait for the Wii U? Techradar has all the latest details on the Wii U and a Nintendo Wii U hands-on review to scratch that itch.

Wii U: all you need to know

As original Nintendo Wiis gathered dust in households across the UK, Nintendo confirmed it would unveil a second-generation 'Wii 2' - the Wii U - at E3 2011.

Nintendo has sold 86 million Wii consoles so far and is clearly keen to capitalise on that huge success with another offering that will appeal to casual gamers.

Remember when you first heard the name Nintendo Wii? Many people laughed and said it would never catch on. It did. Nintendo is hoping that Wii U will capture people's imaginations in the same way.

Since the launch at E3 2011, we've rounded up all the new details on the new console and even seen it - check out our Hands on: Nintendo Wii U review.

But first, more on the name. "You might remember how the Wii name began to make perfect sense once you started hearing it as Wii. It was clear how much fun we all had playing together," said Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime on the E3 2011 stage.

"But in thinking about a new Nintendo system we knew the prevailing thought would be this: yes, the game would probably be right for all of us, but could it also be a perfect fit just for you.

"The answer to that question is an emphatic 'absolutely'. Welcome to the world of Wii U."

Wii U is the Wii logo we all know well, with a small blue U just to the right of it. It looks (and sounds) a bit weird, but we may well get used to it in time. Here's the new console - read on for more details on it and the revolutionary new controller.

Wii U UK release date

Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Wii U will go on sale in time for Christmas 2012. Previous reports indicated the release date might be a bit sooner than that, but you can be sure that Nintendo will be pulling out all the stops to ship the product on time - if it misses the Christmas season it's wobbly financial situation will only get worse.

Wii U UK price and Wii U US price

Pricing is yet to be announced. But the fear is that, with the new controller, it may be a little too high. Latest rumours suggest a $600 Wii U US price which would suggest a £399 Wii U UK price . Earlier rumours close around the $250 mark were swiftly debunked.

Wii U is a Full HD, 1080p console

The new console will be fully HD compatible, unlike its predecessor.

EA boss John Riccitiello says that Wii U is a "stunning breakthrough" that "speaks directly to EA Sports games" and boasts "brilliant HD graphics".

"Imagine a shooter like Battlefield with jaw-dropping graphics and smooth animations from the Frostbite engine, brought to you on a Nintendo system with that brilliant controller… We can't wait to see EA games on this new system."

Wii U has a touchscreen controller

The controller for the Wii U is, as was rumoured, a 6.2-inch touchscreen tablet that also features an accelerometer and gyroscope for motion control, dual analogue sticks, rumble feedback, a D-pad, a front-facing camera, triggers and shoulder buttons, start/select/home buttons and a microphone.

Each Wii U console will come with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible, and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories.

Can Nintendo disrupt the market - just as they did with the original Wii controller - yet again?

Wii U processor

According to IBM, Nintendo's Wii U is powered by a custom 45nm multi-core Power processor with embedded DRAM.

Says the company: "IBM's embedded dynamic random access memory will help deliver a thrilling new game experience to Nintendo fans. The new memory technology, a key element of the new Power microprocessor that IBM is building for the Nintendo Wii U console, can triple the amount of memory contained on a single chip, making for extreme game play."

Wii U Daily claimed in November 2011 that the Wii U has a "3GHz quad-core Power-PC-based 45nm CPU that's very similar to the Xbox 360's CPU."

Wii U graphics

Wii U's graphics carry on the ATI heritage of the Wii, with a custom AMD Radeon HD GPU reports Kotaku.

Wii U specifications and connectivity

It appears the original Wii's Gamecube controller compatibility will be binned. while there will be four USB ports under that hatch/at the rear and there will still be an SD card slot. There will also be some internal storage, though you'll be able to boost that by plugging in an external drive. And, as befits an HD console, there will be HDMI onboard, in addition to S-Video and component. Also expect 802.11n Wi-Fi.

Wii U disc format

We know Wii U will be backward compatible with all past Wii games, but we don't know for sure if there will be any upscaling - or indeed whether the unit will boast a Blu-ray or DVD drive.

However, a company exec has revealed that the system's proprietary disc format will hold up to 25GB of data, but it will not be compatible with Blu-ray.

You can play games solely on the Wii U touchscreen controller

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata agrees that the first Wii U demo video "may have answered some questions, but it probably raised several others, too".

But the key concept is clear - Nintendo hopes that you will be able to transfer the game you are playing on a TV screen in your home to the local screen, should you wish to play alone in your bedroom or study - perhaps if someone else needs the TV.

"Up until now, home console games had to occupy the TV screen in order to be played. But, the new controller for Wii U with 6.2-inch screen means you won't need to give up your gameplay when someone else comes in the room and wants to watch a TV programme."

Demos show that you can move your game from the TV to the screen in your hand almost immediately.

Games can also make use of both screens - there's an ace video of this in action where a girl is using the controller as the tee in a golf game while using a standard Wiimote to actually swing - it's at 3m30s.

Here's a pic of the controller in use for baseball:

So in single-player games the new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV, while the information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.

In multiplayer games the player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV.

Wii U does video calling and more

It also looks like you will be able to make video-calls on the Wii U control pad, using its front-facing camera. Plus, you will be able to share content such as your holiday pictures and home videos from your local controller to the main television with ease.

Wii U is fully backward compatible with kit and games

Wii U is fully backward compatible, which means that you can play all of your current Wii games on the system and use your Wii Fit or any other accessories you currently use with it.

Wii U could have an app store

Wii U will go beyond the current Wii Shop offering and provide a mass of apps and other web services. Other rumours have also suggested Wii U will include ereading capabilities in the controller.

But Wii U's controller is not a standalone handheld console

The controller needs to be tethered to the Wii U console to function - it isn't a PlayStation Vita competitor.

Wii U games will be plentiful

"Wii U was created so that the widest variety of games can be supported," says Nintendo. "That means those aimed at experienced controllers that can use circle controllers using both their hands, plus those games that can be intuitively played without the need for any buttons."

Games design guru Shigeru Miyamoto says of Nintendo's new home console: "More than anything I'm really looking forward to new styles of play... There are so many we're just trying to decide where to begin."

Ninty announced new content based on its own franchises such as Mario (see below) and Zelda, but more interestingly, says our own Adam Hartley, "is that EA, Ubisoft, Sega and lots of other third-party games developers were showing off new adult-themed, hardcore games that they are making for Nintendo's Wii U."

"Graphically, many of the games look on par with new AAA titles on PS3 or Xbox 360.

"Hardcore favourites such as Tekken, Assassin's Creed, Batman Arkham City and Ghost Recon Online were also demonstrated. Clearly, Nintendo aims to push Wii U to the hardcore crowd as well as to the casual market it has so successfully won over with Wii.

"EA boss John Riccitiello took to the Nintendo stage to tell the crowd that: 'Over the years I've made E3 appearances with several console partners, but never before with Nintendo.'"

Official Nintendo Magazine reported in October 2011 that Call of Duty may also make it to the Wii U while a month later CVG said predicted that there will surely be a new version of Mario Kart to go alongside the new console.

Ubisoft says it believes the Wii U will be a big success.

Microsoft's next generation Xbox console will feature a system aimed at preventing owners playing used games, according to reports.

The Kotaku report cites a "reliable industry source" who suggests the company will appease publishers by clamping down on the second-hand games market.

The source had no information on how Microsoft planned to integrate such a scheme, which could alienate a massive array of potential buyers and push them into the arms of Sony's new PlayStation.

Gamers have come to rely on selling their old titles in order to fund new games, while renting from companies like LOVEFiLM offers a nice try-before-you-splurge-£45 option.

There have been plenty of Xbox '720' rumours over the last few days, but we're struggling to envisage this one.

Speaking of rumours...

The same Kotaku report also claims it has been informed by gaming industry sources that Microsoft will also adopt the Blu-ray standard for the new console.

The company bet on the failed HD-DVD standard back in 2007 when it launched a peripheral for the console.

Ever since, folks have been badgering Microsoft to launch an external Blu-ray drive.

However, although the PS3 contains the hardware, it would be somewhat surprising to see Microsoft back-away from its long-held position that digital streaming is the way forward.

The company has focused much of its recent efforts on turning Xbox LIVE into a one-stop shop for all of your home entertainment needs.

Thanks to the quite brilliant skills of a Mr Gareth Beavis and a Mr John McCann, TechRadar has been incarcerated into Guinness World Record history.

The feat you ask? Well, get ready to be seriously impressed. TechRadar proudly holds the Guinness World Record for the Highest Score on Super Mario Bros (team of two) using a giant NES controller. Impressed? Yes? We knew you would be.

The rules were simple: each team had 3 lives to score as many points as possible in single player mode on the original NES Super Mario Bros game, using an original NES system and a custom built remote 30 times the size of the original.

Let us assure you, this was no walk in the park. The previous high score was set by the people behind the giant controller and this was the first time TechRadar had laid hands on it.

Simply the best… better than all the rest

Not only under pressure to secure a world record, Beavis and McCann also had fierce competition from rival teams representing T3 and Gizmodo. Playing not only for the world record, but office pride and bragging rights, TechRadar kept their cool and spectacularly smashed their way to glory.

But what about T3 and Gizmodo, you cry? Well the less said the better, but just so you know, they weren't even able to beat the original record, let alone match the pure brilliance of an inspired TechRadar performance.

Kneel before us puny reader for we, TechRadar, are Guinness World Record Holders.

The huge controller is featured in the Guinness World Records 2012 - Gamer's Edition, which is out now to purchase.

Xbox 720: every rumour about the new Xbox

Rumours about the next Xbox (or Xbox 720, as it's often referred to as) are now more than just internet gossip.

It's one thing to wildly speculate about the next Xbox console. It's quite another to find out that Microsoft is gearing up to build one.

New Xbox release date

Recent job postings reveal that the Xbox Console Architecture team is hunting for new blood. Successful candidates will join a team that will be "responsible for defining and delivering next generation console architectures from conception through implementation."

ITProPortal also suggested in October 2011 that several employees were giving away their involvement on their LinkedIn profiles, such as "Xbox Next Gen Creative Director."

It also came to light in August 2011 that the next Xbox could actually overlap with the Xbox 360's lifespan. That's according to an interview from Metro with Xbox's European head Chris Lewis.

According to reports in late October 2011, the next generation Xbox console will launch at E3 in 2013. Further reports in November 2011 said that the console could be shown off at CES 2012, with a launch late in the year.

Developers claim to have been told by multiple sources, from chip manufacturers to middleware firms, to expect the console to arrive at the gaming expo in June 2013.

So let's gather together the facts, the half-whispered untruths and the wishful thinking to see what such a machine might be like…

Could it be codenamed Xbox Loop?

Noted Microsoft blogger MS Nerd outed the name Xbox Loop, claiming that the long-awaited console will be "far smaller", cheaper and quite Kinect-focused when it finally lands on our shelves.

The Xbox 720 processor and graphics

The Xbox 360 was launched in 2005, with the best technology that 2004 had to offer. Inside, it used a custom-made IBM Power PC with a trio of 3.2GHz cores and an ATI graphics processor.

Compare this ageing specification to a 2011 PC such as the Scan 3XS Vengeance. It rocks the latest Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge CPU, Nvidia GTX 580 graphics card, 1TB of onboard storage and 8GB of DDR3.

Cevat Yerli, the boss at Crytek, believes that the PC is effectively a generation ahead of the Xbox 360 and PS3. "As long as the current console generation exists and as long as we keep pushing the PC as well, the more difficult it will be to really get the benefit of both," Yerli spilled to Edge.

Something has got to give.

The latest rumours indicate that the next Xbox will pack graphics based on AMD's 6670 chip, which would bring support for DirectX11, multi-display and 3D. But this would be very disappointing for many gamers who are hoping for a truly next-gen console.

By the time the new Xbox is scheduled for release in 2013 AMD will have already released its entire lineup of HD 8000 series graphics chips, meaning the GPU component of the Xbox chip (code-named Oban) would be at the very least two entire generations behind.

Previous rumours had stated that the graphics portion of the Xbox chip (the CPU part probably being an IBM PowerPC) would be based on the current HD 7000 series of graphics chips which in turn are being used in AMD's next generation of APUs, code-named Trinity.

Still, this current production run of the chip with Global Foundaries and IBM is only going to be for the first initial dev kits, so there is a chance the silicon will change significantly before the final launch.

Considering that the Xbox 360 Slim now features a 'Vejle' CPU/GPU combo processor, KitGuru ponders the possibility of the new Xbox 720 getting a cutting-edge AMD Fusion chip. It's betting on the DX11-capable Krishna APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), due for release late 2012.

Semi Accurate believes the new chip will actually be called Obed and incorporate elements of IBM design - however it seems AMD is nailed on as the manufacturer.

AMD reckons it will be a beast of a machine, pumping out graphics that offer Avatar-levels of detail. James Cameron's opus used CGI and 3D capturing, with each minute of footage costing $1 million to make.

Not only will the console be capable of Avatar-style graphics, according to Neal Robison, AMD's director of ISV relationships, it will also feature improved artificial intelligence and physics capabilities.

This could mean that each individual incidental character – like the pedestrians in Grand Theft Auto, for example – could each take on their own individual personality.

The 'bigger, better, more' ethic is what makes the games industry tick. Eat Sleep Play founder David Jaffe suggests we desperately need a new generation of high-end consoles to keep producing 'blockbuster' games like Battlefield 3, Crysis 2 and LA Noire. "Gameplay travels very easily," Jaffe told IGN. "The spectacle doesn't."

EA's Frank Gibeau disagrees. "Obviously, more computing horsepower is nice, but to be honest, the Xbox 360 and PS3 still have a lot of horsepower that hasn't been tapped."

In October 2011 it was reported that developers were prepping games that could run on a new console.

Epic's Mark Rein suggests that a tablet might be the shape of consoles to come. "Imagine a future Xbox 360 that is actually a tablet you carry around," Rein told Develop last year. "It will have more power than 360 does today, with technology like Kinect built right in…"

Xbox 720 storage and disc format

Cloud storage? We might not be ready to abandon physical media just yet. But Steam has served PC users well for several years and OnLive is turning heads.

The most obvious next-gen storage option for the next Xbox is Blu-ray. But Microsoft has refused to add it to the existing Xbox 360. Other alternatives? You'll find flag-wavers for flash drives, Nintendo-style game cartridges, even the resurrection of HD-DVD.

What about the Xbox 720 controller?

Love it/hate it, gesture-control is here to stay. Expect an improved version of Microsoft's Kinect hardware to be a prominent feature of any new Xbox. Kinect is currently the world's "fastest selling consumer electronics device" with sales topping 10 million. A Guinness World Record.

But the game pad will remain the input device of choice for veteran gamers. We can't imagine playing Gears of War 4 by waving our arms around. It lacks precision.

Will Microsoft kill the second-hand games market?

There have been rumours cicrulating that the new Xbox console will feature a system aimed at preventing owners playing used games. That would mean no trading-in of old titles in order to fund the purchase of new ones - a move that would not be warmly received by gamers or highstreet stores like Gamestation.

Could the next Xbox run Windows 8?

Microsoft wants to create an ecosystem of apps and games that work between Windows Phone, Windows and the next Xbox. But could that mean the new gaming console could run a variant of Windows 8 as Gamerant suggests?

The Xbox 720 release date is 2013. Or 2014. Or 2015…

Microsoft has said publically that the Xbox 360 will have (at least) a 10-year life lifespan to match the PS3. That puts a new Xbox launch into 2015…

Senior execs for a big US retailer told their shareholders in July 2011 that they don't expect the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 until 2014.

Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli feels that we're due a "new [console] generation in 2012, 2013." While M2 senior analyst Billy Pidgeon told NowGamer that, while he expects a Wii 2 to surface by 2012, he's "not expecting a next generation Xbox before Q4 2014."

The 2014-2015 timescale looks a good bet. Square Enix is already anticipating the Xbox 720 by planning to open a second Canadian development studio by 2012. "The new consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will require more attention and more staff," said Stéphane d'Astous. "We want to prepare ourselves."

Bethesda's Todd Howard, game director for the forthcoming blockbuster Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, says that gamers should not expect follow-ups to the PS3 and Xbox 360 until 2014, at the very earliest.

Speaking to PSM3 magazine, the Bethesda exec said that gamers were happy with the current generation of console tech and that he didn't expect to see an Xbox 720 or a PlayStation 4 before 2014.

Backing this up is a comment made by a designer who has worked with Microsoft, who implied that a new Xbox 2015 release date is set. In his online portfolio, Ben Peterson wrote "Microsoft Xbox. Confidential / Collaboration with Microsoft's IEB design group investigating future user experiences and hardware for 2015."

Alongside an angled image that doesn't give much away, he wrote: "Microsoft Xbox. Confidential / Collaboration with Microsoft's IEB design group investigating future user experiences and hardware for 2015. *Work samples only permissible in person.* (March 2011)."

Question marks hang over such information; who is Ben Peterson? Didn't he sign an NDA when working with Microsoft? Why is there no contact information on his online portfolio? Will he be allowed to live after such a faux-pas? Or is this all a traffic-mongering lie?

Call of Duty developer Treyarch has also posted a job ad for people to work on a game "for a new console.

Also in early October 2011, an ad for the new system has also been spotted in a trailer for the film Real Steel.

But the next Xbox could be showcased at E3 2012

The successor to Microsoft's Xbox 360 console is likely to be unveiled at E3 2012, according to a "high-ranking source at Crytek". They said that TimeSplitters 4 is being developed for the next-generation console, using Microsoft's updated DX11 development tool. We're not so sure about that, but you never know...

The Xbox 720 could be with us in October 2013 if reports that its new, super-charged chipset have entered production are true.

The AMD GPU is on its way to the manufacturing plant, according to IGN, whose sources tell it that mass production will begin by the end of 2012.

Based on the AMD 6000 series, it will be similar to the Radeon HD 6670, bringing support for DirectX11, multi-display, 3D and 1080p HD graphics, with a current market value apparently somewhere above $80 (£50).

If this latest rumour is true it would mean some rather disappointing graphical hardware in the supposedly 'next-gen' console.

By the time the new Xbox is scheduled for release in 2013 AMD will have already released its entire lineup of HD 8000 series graphics chips, meaning the GPU component of the Xbox chip (code-named Oban) would be at the very least two generations behind.

Previous rumours had stated that the graphics portion of the Xbox chip (the CPU part probably being an IBM PowerPC) would be based on the current HD 7000 series of graphics chips which in turn are being used in AMD's next generation of APUs, code-named Trinity.

Still, this current production run of the chip with Global Foundaries and IBM is only going to be for the first initial dev kits, so there is a chance the silicon will change significantly before the final launch.

What's in a name?

If the rumours are indeed true, the next Xbox's graphics processing power is going to be 20 per cent better than the Wii U and six times the Xbox 360's. So, by rights, we should start calling it the Xbox 2160.

We can't see that catching on, sadly, and there's still no real clue as to what the console will be called when it is released in 2013 – although names as disparate as the Xbox 720 and the Xbox Loop have been bandied about.

What is looking more likely, though, is that we'll see an announcement about the next-gen Xbox from Microsoft at E3 2013, with IGN adding that devs should be getting access to the SDKs and final system configurations in August 2012.

Exciting times - fan the flames of excitement with our next-gen Xbox video of exactly what we'd like to see:

Microsoft has announced that it is looking into fixing video playback problems on the Xbox 360, which have occurred ever since the console was given the Metro dashboard update.

The Metro dashboard is a significant improvement for the Xbox 360 and brings the console in line with the majority of Microsoft's properties but it seems that some issues have occured with the update.

Considering Microsoft is now pitching the Xbox 360 as a media hub and not just a games console, it is paramount the computing company gets things like video streaming right. So a fix is being made which should hit the console soon.

Colour me bad

Larry Hryb, a spokesperson for Microsoft and best known as @majornelson on Twitter, acknowledged the problem in a tweet.

"We're aware of the colorspace issue w/ some Xbox video apps & are working on a fix. No ETA yet but we hope to have an update soon," Hryb explained.

There has been a number of issues with video playback and colour rendering is just one of them.

So fingers crossed the upcoming tweak will also sort out the apparent rendering issues as well, as Eurogamer released a video which seemed to show that video was not being rendered in its original resolution.

With the PS Vita just around the corner for non-Japanese audiences, the latest episode of Sony's Access TV for PlayStation owners takes a look at the forthcoming handheld console.

Acess TV's weekly offering, produced by TechRadar's publisher Future, is available on YouTube for free.

"New hardware launches are always the most exciting time in the games industry, and the arrival of PlayStation Vita in the office was a big day," Access TV editor Nathan Ditum told TechRadar.

"We're just beginning to find out what it can do, and we'll have a lot more coverage over the next few weeks."

Naughty Dog

Also included for people's perusal is a look at The Last of Us from Naughty Dog – the people behind the smash hit Uncharted series.

"Naughty Dog's Uncharted series is the biggest on PS3, and it was thrill to visit the studio as the team were announcing their new survival drama, The Last Of Us," added Ditum

"These guys make games like no-one else – listen to the way they discuss performance and story in our interview, and it's clear they're just approaching it from a different direction."

Capcom has confirmed that it is working on Resident Evil 6 in what's sure to be one of the biggest gaming releases of 2012.

Following masses of speculation, the gaming giant says the latest installment of the gore-filled franchise will be out on November 20th for consoles, with a PC launch to follow soon after.

The game will be set ten years after the Racoon City incident and will star franchise favourites Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy alongside a host of new characters.

No hope is left

With regards to the the plot, Capcom says: "It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity.

"Due to be by the President's side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision.

"At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack. With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world's population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left."

Dramatic horror

With Capcom touting Resi 6 as the most impressive installment yet, producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi promises a gripping storyline with tense action.

He says: "From the outset the team's intention was to create an experience that delivers a gripping storyline, tense single-player and co-op action all set against a constant theme of horror.

"We are calling this fusion dramatic horror and are confident it will resonate with both existing fans of the series as well as newcomers."

Check out the epic three minute official trailer below.

A job posting for work on a future iteration of Call of Duty has the internet all aflutter over its mention of 'next-gen tech'.

Next-gen meaning new Xbox, PS4 and Wii U, presumably, which could suggest we'll see at least a couple of these consoles on shop shelves in 2013, if you read it a certain way while sucking a spoon at 3.24PM on a rainy Tuesday in May.

The job posting was made by Infinity Ward, a studio known for working on the Call of Duty franchise, looking for a senior animator "with… an interest in working with next-generation technologies".

Er, yes

We'll admit that it's not much to go on and relies on a bit of creative thinking, but while we know we should be seeing the official release of the Wii U at some point this year – hopefully June 2012 – Sony's PS4 and the next-gen Xbox are still unknown entities.

Rumour-mongers have been spreading seeds of hope among gamers, suggesting that we'll see either the PS4 or the new Xbox or the gaming nirvana of both launching at E3 this year.

An E3 2012 launch for either of these consoles sounds like poppycock to us, but 2013 seems much more realistic and CoD would be a likely launch game for either high-end console.

And, with COD publisher Activision maintaining a cosy relationship with Microsoft, there's a chance they know a thing or two we don't. A very good chance. Odds on, we'd say.

Amazon has released its video games sales chart for 2011, and there are a few unexpected results inside.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was expected to top the charts, and it did so in the physical media chart, but only came in at number eight in digital downloads.

The big successes of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Battlefield 3 were outshone by Ubisoft's casual shape-throw-'em-up Just Dance 3, presumably helped out by the popularity of Microsoft Xbox Kinect, and y'know, dancing.

In the digital chart, Deus Ex: Human Revolution sneaked in at the top spot, closely followed by Battlefield 3 and The Sims 3.

Check out the full chart below:

Physical (all platforms, collector's editions not included)

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Just Dance 3
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Battlefield 3
• Batman: Arkham City
• Madden NFL 12
• Portal 2
• Just Dance 2
• Gears of War 3
• FIFA Soccer 12

Digital

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution
• Battlefield 3
• The Sims 3
• Battlefield Bad Company 2
• Sid Meir's Civilization V
• Dead Island
• Total War: Shogun 2
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
• Crysis 2
• Dragon Age 2

NPD's latest games data has underlined just how dominant the Xbox is in the US, with Microsoft's console capturing 40 per cent all consumer spending from physical sales in 2011.

Although the figures do not include the increasingly prominent digital sales or downloadable content, people buying physical discs remains dominant, and it is clear that Microsoft's dominance is not on the wane.

NPD's physical sales figures do include peripherals (such as Kinect) as well as the console itself and the total it comes to is a not inconsiderable $6.7 billion (£4.37bn) – with games accounting for $4.6 billion of that.

Slice of American pie

That's an impressive slice of the total US gaming pie of around $17 billion (£11bn) – which has declined eight per cent from last year's total.

NPD has confessed that it needs 'deeper visibility' on digital distribution considering the massive rise in both PC digital game purchases and on-console purchases.

The global figures would see Sony and Nintendo haul themselves back into greater parity – with the both Japanese consoles strong performers in their home territories and the split less pronounced in Europe.

Considering Microsoft is the newest of the three powerhouses to have got involved in the console world, it's certainly impressive for the Redmond-based company.

But 2012 is shaping up to be a pivotal year, with Sony launching the PS Vita, Nintendo the Wii U and much talk of Microsoft announcing the new Xbox at E3.

Speaking of which, we've had a bit of a think about the next-gen Xbox and put together five things we'd like to see in the spiffy video below:

Google has announced that the cloud gaming service OnLive will be installed on its Google TV platform.

The OnLive platform lets users play full console titles via the cloud on a subscription basis, rather than requiring a download or physical media.

All that Google TV owners will need to start gaming is a Universal OnLive Wireless Controller which looks like a console control pad and costs just £39.99 from the OnLive website.

The complete service won't be available straight away, but Google TV users can explore the "viewer" which allows them to watch and use OnLive social features.

Vizio games

Vizio is showcasing the first TVs with the playable OnLive service built in at CES 2012 and will be the first manufacturer to feature the service in its Google TV products.

The service also allows players to try before they buy – spending up to 30 minutes playing almost any of OnLive's 200 games before having to subscribe.

It has already landed on tablets and even the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.

With the addition of Google TV, the OnLive service is becoming an even more attractive prospect as users enjoy the benefits of being able to start a game on one device and pick it up later on another – choosing from big name games like LA Noire and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

And OnLive doesn't just deal in games – Tech Radar has just tested OnLive Desktop which gives iPad users a full Windows desktop via its cloud service.

Sony has revealed that it sold an impressive 6.5 million PlayStation consoles and handhelds in the busy Christmas period, including half a million PS Vita consoles despite a Japan-only launch so far.

With the PS Vita due to arrive outside of Japan in February, Sony will have been buoyed by sales of the handheld in its home market and also by decent PS3 figures.

Apparently 3.9 million people globally snapped up a PS3, and 1.7 million more invested in Move motion controllers.

Holiday

"The PS3 system exceeded 3.9 million units worldwide during the holiday sales season, and continues to build momentum and remains on track to reach its annual sales target of 15.0 million hardware units worldwide in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012," said Sony.

Interestingly, Sony also revealed that the PSP - the PS Vita's predecessor - sold creditably, with 1.6 million purchased in the period; not too shoddy for a handheld that is about to be replaced.

"The PSP platform continued its growth, attracting a broader range of users with its enhanced line-up of software titles from 3rd party developers and publishers as well as from [Sony Computer Entertainment]," added the release.

Rumours are rife that this year's E3 could be one of the most important shows in gaming history, with the Sony PS4 and next Xbox to be announced.

Although both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are getting a little long in the tooth, both have performed admirably in the past year, and with the arrival of motion sensors for both the life-cycle of this generation's consoles is clearly not complete.

However, the announcement of replacements grows increasingly likely with every passing year, and respected industry magazine MCV is now stating that both Sony and Microsoft will choose this summer to announce the PS4 and Xbox 360 successor respectively.

Spearheaded

"Xbox 360 has spearheaded one of the longest console generations ever, so it shouldn't be a big surprise that Microsoft's well into development of a successor – and that's certainly what the industry is saying," CVG's Andy Robinson told TechRadar.

"A patent discovered earlier this week has suggested that Microsoft intends its new console to sport DVR functionality, and there's also talk of a dual-SKU strategy similar to the Xbox 360 launch – one for gaming, one for media consumption.

"Sony Computer Entertainment boss Jim Ryan has stated that allowing Microsoft to get the jump on the PlayStation 4 would be an "undesirable" situation", so expect Sony to show some next-gen cards too."

It's certainly already a big year for faltering Sony as it looks to put the annus horribilis that was 2011 behind it.

The arrival of the PS Vita will be a key arrival for the beleaguered Japanese giant, and announcing a successor to the PlayStation could either buoy the company or leave it further mired if it does not tick all the right boxes.

You can check out what TechRadar expects to see in the next generation in our videos below:

Microsoft has made no secret of the fact that it is transforming the Xbox 360 in a media hub to extend its life, but it looks as if the company is going a step further by adding PVR functionality to the next generation of the console.

Information on a patent granted to Microsoft has been released which is for "a digital video recorder (DVR) application running alongside a television client component allows users to record media content on the gaming console".

Setting the record straight

Having this sort of functionality is nothing new in games consoles. Sony released its own version of a PVR box, Play TV, in 2008 but this was a glorified Freeview tuner which allowed you to record television programmes.

However, Microsoft's version will be embedded into its console and will be part of Xbox Live.

"The DVR application also integrates itself with the console menu," explained the patent.

"Once integrated, users can record media content while playing games. Alternatively, users can record content when the gaming console is turned off. The recorded content can include television programming, gaming experience (whether local or online), music, DVDs, and so on.

"When in the recording state, users can also switch between various other media modes, whether gaming, television, and so on."

At the moment, Microsoft's focus on television is firmly centred on catch up. If it does indeed add this PVR functionality into the Xbox 720, then it will be encroaching on Virgin's and Sky's territories which could make things very interesting.