Big 3 mimic each other at E3: more, more and more

By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer

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 kicked off E3 Monday at the Los Angeles Convention Center with a ceremony pitching the Xbox 360 as family-friendly. Perhaps the biggest announcement was a redesign of the console's interface, which will allow users to create avatars that can interact with each other and play select games online. The Wii's already had that feature — called Miis — since its 2006 debut.

The parallels only begin there. 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 and to bust moves with a microphone that's motion sensitive, a feature that's been a hallmark of the Wii.

The next day at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Nintendo unveiled WiiSpeak, a "community microphone" that attaches to the top of the console's sensor bar and will allow users to vocally chat. The WiiSpeak accessory will cost $29.99 and be available later this year. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 already feature voice chat capabilities and their own headset microphones.

Nintendo teased the news that new entries in the decades-old "Mario Bros." and "Zelda" franchises were currently in development. And for the first time, Nintendo will bring the "Animal Crossing" series to the Wii with "Animal Crossing: City Folk" later this year. The cutesy open-world game will boast a bigger playing field and an online auction house selling virtual items.

"You're able to just do all the things you love to do in 'Animal Crossing' but even more," said Cammie Dunaway, vice president at Nintendo. "And particularly with the new WiiSpeak peripheral, it just opens up the experience, so that you can be playing in a roomful of people, talking to people somewhere across the world."

At the end of their press conference, Nintendo struck up "Wii Music" — yet another play-along music game but one that uses the Wii's controls instead of instrument-shaped peripherals like "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero." Nintendo's game will give makeshift musicians the ability to conduct an orchestra as well as simulate playing 40 instruments. That's 36 more than "Rock Band."

Later at the Shrine Auditorium on Tuesday, 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.

Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood enters rehab

By GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press Writer

LONDON - Ronnie Wood entered a rehabilitation facility Wednesday for help with alcoholism, said a spokeswoman for the Rolling Stones guitarist.

"Following Ronnie's continued battle with alcohol he has entered a period of rehab," the spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity as required by her agency. "His close family and friends say he is seeking help and look forward to his recovery."

Wood, 61, has fought a long battle with alcoholism during his rock 'n' roll career, which started in the 1960s when he played with the band The Faces.

His spokeswoman didn't release any details about the treatment he will receive or the clinic that he entered.

The craggy guitarist had seemed to be in good health in recent years. He has developed a strong second career as an artist, selling his paintings at some of London's respected art galleries.

But he has been the focus of feverish recent newspaper reports about his resuming drinking.

Danson raises glass to Obama

By Jack Hannah
CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Ted Danson is returning to FX's "Damages" -- and getting on board with Sen. Barack Obama.

Ted Danson, with wife Mary Steenburgen at a film premiere this week, is coming back to FX's "Damages."

Danson's character on "Damages," imperious billionaire Arthur Frobisher, will be back for a second season of the Glenn Close series, FX revealed Tuesday at its gathering for the Television Critics Association.

However, FX head John Landgraf was coy as what Frobisher's condition will be, given that the character was shot at the end of the first season. ("Damages" makes use of extensive flashbacks and flash-forwards, so that's not necessarily a hindrance to Danson's participation.)

Meanwhile, the actor, one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's strongest celebrity supporters during her run for the White House, told CNN that he will "indeed get on the bandwagon" and support Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, for president.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that we have a Democrat in the White House, absolutely," Danson said. "And Sen. Obama is a remarkable candidate."

Danson said that Clinton has been a family friend for many years. He and his wife, actress Mary Steenburgen, even appeared at rallies with Clinton earlier this year.

He acknowledged that the race between the two senators evoked strong emotions in supporters of each, but the actor said the pair's agreement on many issues should make it possible for Democrats to unite.

"I don't care who you were backing, or how fervently, or how upset [you were]," he said. "If you don't go out and back the person who represents the issues you care about ... [then] you need to do that."

Danson is best known for his long run as bartender Sam Malone on "Cheers." His performance as Frobisher has earned raves from critics, with the Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan calling his work "one of the high points of the show."