"What Nintendo have done with the Wii is truly fantastic – there is no question about it. But I think sometimes there is a thin line between gimmick and great gameplay," Microsoft’s David Gosen told Develop.

"We’ve seen some research that says 60 percent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don’t play it again,” he said, referring to the Wii Balance Board as "digital bathroom scales".

“So we have to get the balance right, because what we are doing is bringing new consumers into the market for the first time in their lives sometimes – and we have to treat them with respect.

"And at the end of the day that comes back down to creativity," he added. "We have to ensure that the peripheral strategy that anyone employs makes sense and delivers a truly game changing experience. Because if it’s just ‘okay’ it will end up in the cupboard under the stairs."