Games & Gadgets

LOS ANGELES — One word sums up the announcements made by the Big Three gaming companies at the E3 this week: more.

During their flashy press conferences, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony all announced plans for more games, more sequels, more exclusives, more connectivity and more ways for gamers to use their systems for stuff other than gaming.

Such an escalation in enhancements is undoubtedly good news for existing owners of the Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles, as well as their handheld counterparts. However, the upgrades may leave the systems feeling less distinct than ever before. Similar features and comparative accessories could confuse financially strapped consumers looking to power up this holiday season.

Microsoft flaunted "Lips," a new sing-along game similar to Sony's popular "SingStar" franchise. Unlike "SingStar," this karaoke game developed by iNiS enables wannabe singers to croon their preexisting tunes from MP3 players.

Sony debuted its long-awaited video download service for the PlayStation 3. Standard and high definition videos from such studios as MGM, Fox, Lionsgate and Disney can be downloaded and watched on the console and transferred to Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld system. Rentals cost $2.99 to $5.99 while purchases range from $9.99 to $14.99.

Microsoft announced a deal the day before with DVD rental company Netflix which will allow Xbox 360 owners to stream videos from Netflix to their TV. Microsoft launched its own video download service two years ago with programming from providers such as Paramount Pictures, MTV Networks and Warner Bros. Lionsgate and Disney since used the service to dispense their content, too.

Sony surprised some spectators at E3 by announcing it would focus on and reduce the price of the 80-gigabyte PlayStation 3 to $399. Previously, the company sold a 40-gigabyte version for that price. Before E3 began, Microsoft revealed it would cut the price of 20-gigabyte Xbox 360 by $50 to $299. The company will also begin selling a 60-gigabyte version for $349.

Microsoft and Sony used part of their press conferences to showcase a crop of upcoming sequels. Microsoft will unleash role-playing game "Fable 2" and third-person shooter "Gears of War" 2 later this year. Sony sequels due in time for the holidays include follow-ups to "Resistance" and "Motor Storm." The first next-generation "God of War" game will be released next year.

"Franchises like 'Resistance' and 'MotorStorm' that did so many key things for us at launch are going to be very key for us this holiday season, with 'Resistance 2' and 'MotorStorm Pacific Rift,"' said Jack Tretton, chief executive at at Sony Computer Entertainment America, following the Sony press conference Tuesday.

In what may have been E3's best-kept secret, audible gasps were heard from the audience Tuesday when Nintendo announced that Rockstar Games was developing a "Grand Theft Auto" title for the portable Nintendo DS system that would be released in winter. Titled "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars," the game will be set in Liberty City and focus on the Triad crime syndicate.

While the Big Three presented much more of the same, they also used E3 to show off completely different products. Microsoft demonstrated a game that uses a video camera to transport players inside B-movies while Nintendo showed off Wii Motion Plus, which adds more precision to the Wii Remote. Sony is betting the new user-generated puzzle game "LittleBigPlanet" will be a blockbuster.

AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report.