The days are drawing in, and October is almost upon us. his week, Santa's helpers will emerge from their hibernation at the North Pole and start to stock up on the most requested items. If a video game console is on your wishlist, my advice is order it now. The hot crop of games this year is going to produce another shortage of hardware.

I've been sneaking a look at the trailers for forthcoming games, and I have a feeling that Wii Music for the Nintendo Wii is going to be hot stuff. The Japanese trailers at tinyurl.com/3sa5yq give a flavour of the title, which promises to teach you everything from the kettle drum to the shamisen (a traditional Japanese banjo).

Over at Sony HQ, they're pinning a lot of hope on Little Big Planet, whose trailer at tinyurl.com/4eqehu is a showcase for an amazing- looking game, which allows you to build your own levels on your PS3 then share them with others on the internet. The hero Sackboy will go far.

But not as far as James Bond, perhaps. The new film Quantum of Solace will be the first to be accompanied by a simultaneous game release, also starring Daniel Craig as Bond. It could be the biggest shooting game of the year, if the trailer at tinyurl.com/3tdrr6 is anything to go by.

Elsewhere, the latest instalments of three favourite franchises will be vying for space in Santa's sack: Midnight Club (tinyurl.com/ 48k6cn); Tomb Raider: Underworld (tinyurl.com/4wydnx); and Prince of Persia (tinyurl.com/3ub5m2). All three push the current generation of consoles to the limit, with stunning graphics and animation as good as anything by Pixar or Disney.

For gamers, it's hard not to agree with the sentiments of Roy Wood and Wizzard, at tinyurl.com/3um3on. We really do wish it could be Christmas every day.

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