Microsoft employs Voodoo to drive Xbox sales

For me, voodoo dolls are captivatingly obscure bits of superstition. And apparently Microsoft feels the same way too, because they're making an entire game about one particular doll, called "Voodoo Vince", announced - er - sometime in April when we obviously weren't paying any attention. In this Xbox title (which will "careen onto the scene this autumn," they'll have you know), players control Vince the voodoo doll as he explores "outrageous levels" and meets "over-the-top characters" on his way through the depths of the Louisiana Bayou. "Voodoo Vince is the only game where kicking your own butt leads to victory!"

OK, we've probably mocked it enough. Voodoo Vince will allow the player to poke himself with pins, go upside his own head with a mallet and even run into blazing fires to inflict pain on monsters and villains - and after a plethora of tedious third person pseudo-beat 'em ups lately, this does sound like quite a clever idea, assuming UK-based developer Beep Industries can pull it off. Vince will also be able to pilot toy aeroplanes (which, given the self-abuse model, probably rules out any skyscraper-shaped objects in the environment), race around on a wild rat, man a bayou fan boat and even go underwater on a shrimp.

As we said, the game should be out this autumn, and although the word "zany" will clearly appear on the packaging, we're still eager to give it a try.

And! Thanks to the modern miracle of Eurogamer's technical team, you can see what it looks like for yourself.