Gaming giant Microsoft has announced plans to win over casual gamers and families through its online Xbox live service.

Having overhauled the look and feel of its online Xbox user experience as well as introducing new social elements to the platform such as an online mode in which up to eight people can share photos or chat live over the internet, Microsoft has developed a new karaoke game, which is hoped will appeal to a wider audience.

Lips is a game in which players use wireless microphones to sing along in time with the music and it is hoped it will appeal to a young, mostly female user base.

There will be more than 40 songs to choose from when the game launches at Christmas and players will be able to plug their MP3 player into their Xbox and sing along to their own music collection.