Byte-size news: ABBA-cadabra, it's a dance-off

Just when you thought the sweet sounds of ABBA had finally been consigned to the occasional spin on a classic hits radio station or at a Christmas party, the Swedish fab four are coming to an Xbox near you.

Game publisher Ubisoft's latest gaming release, ABBA You Can Dance, will feature all their greatest hits, with gamers applying their smooth moves to such hits as Waterloo, Knowing Me Knowing You and Mamma Mia. It's expected to pack various modes, with a highlight being the "Mini-Musical Mode" - in which you take a digital Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny or Anni-Frid and launch them into a musical quest through America during the 1950s and 1960s.

"ABBA is truly timeless - people of all ages dance to the songs and have a great time with ABBA. Along with other tracks, it's nearly a guarantee to hear Dancing Queen at any wedding or prom celebration," Ubisoft game developers say. "We made sure to honour ABBA's legacy by providing fans with exclusive content, videos, trivia, tributes and more." Mamma Mia indeed.

Need for Speed: on film

If you're looking for a blockbuster way to advertise your latest game, who better to get than the director of some of the biggest movies of all time.

Game publisher Electronic Arts has announced that Michael Bay - director of explosion-laden action-packed numbers such as Transformers, Pearl Harbor and The Rock - has been called on to direct a "spectacular one-of-a-kind" commercial to advertise the upcoming Need for Speed: The Run video game.

To check it out, you'll have to join the four million fans-plus that the Need for Speed Facebook page has already attracted, and figure out how to crack the code to unlock the trailer.

Flocks of Angry Birds

There's not much left to be angry about for one high-flying game.

The makers of the uber-popular game say they've cracked the 500 million download mark in less than two years.

Rovio, the makers of the sensation, estimates gamers playing worldwide total 300 million minutes of the game every day.

"It's more than any game ever before," marketing chief Peter Vesterbackaays says.

The game - in which players fire birds via slingshot to knock over egg-stealing pigs - has combined cute graphics and addictive puzzles in a gaming juggernaut.

The game has expanded to PCs, plush toys and there's talk of a feature film.

Got any news, gadgets or queries? Contact lindsay.harvey@apn.co.nz