Last night in London's Bloomsbury Ballroom, Microsoft held a lavish launch party for its (NXE) New Xbox Experience (Xbox 360's fancy new avatar-based user interface).

In order to guarantee a throng of national newspaper photographers to cover the launch, Microsoft promised a live appearance of actually quite acceptable UK girl group Sugababes.

 
Above: It's the Sugababes. Push the button etc

The result was very unusual for what was ostensibly a game event - loads of dolled up fashionista and celebrity types who wouldn't normally be seen dead within 10 foot of a joypad, standing around drinking free champagne and chomping canapes.

The highlight of the event, and one that we were practically touching distance from, was Sugababes having a go on Lips (Microsoft's SingStar).

Tragically, instead of taking the opportunity to belt out Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees or The Proclaimers I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) they opted for an obviously rehearsed rendition of Duffy's Mercy - the very same song that the actual Duffy sang at the game's unveiling earlier this year.

To be fair to the 'Babes they seemed genuinely into the game (well, it does play to their strengths a bit, what with them being pop singers). Either that or they did a great job of faking enthusiasm.

Not much more to report really, except we took some extremely close up pictures of the girls (you can literally smell them) playing Lips and some less close-up and distinctly amatuerish ones of their live stage performance, which you can see in our Sugababes gallery - the first and last time the girls will appear on GamesRadar.