Lips date, price, tracks revealed

No lyrics for imported MP3s, though.

News by Tom Bramwell Former Editor-in-Chief

Updated on 23 Oct 2008

Microsoft has announced that Xbox 360 karaoke game Lips will be released in Europe on 21st November for GBP 49.99 / EUR 69.99.

That price includes two wireless, motion-sensitive microphones, which light up and can be used to strike poses and meet other gameplay criteria besides the wailing.

The platform holder also announced the 40-song on-disc tracklist, which includes Queen's "Another One Bits the Dust", Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees", Rihanna's "Umbrella" and Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" among, well, 36 others.

We're also told to expect a steady trickle of premium downloadable content on Xbox Live Marketplace, starting off with Estelle's "No Substitute Love".

The game will also allow you to sing along to DRM-free MP3s imported from your hard disk or USB music player, but speaking to GameSpot, Microsoft's Chris Esaki finally admitted that lyrics won't be available for these.

You might think that's obvious, but back at back at E3 when we went hands-on with Lips and interviewed Keiichi Yano, head of developer iNiS, we were told he had "a very compelling solution" planned - implying some measure of lyric support.

"Obviously we know people want lyrics," Esaki told GameSpot, "and that's something we'd like to deliver." In the meantime, Microsoft has said a "virtual music video" will accompany your performance.

In other words, it's all very much like Sony's SingStar, albeit with wireless mics and some extra gameplay designed by the developer of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, Gitaroo Man and other excellent music titles.

We'll be bringing you a proper preview of the finished game very soon, and we'll be sure to compare it to SingStar in all the areas you're likely to care about when you're halfway through a crap Pinot Grigio at 9.30 on Saturday and Bertie's singing Corinne Bailey Rae again.

Here's the full on-disc track listing: