SANTA MONICA — Game developers and publishers at this year's E3 Media & Business Summit emphasized how they are keeping existing game franchises fresh while developing new games for the holidays.

Companies are taking advantage of the special capabilities of the latest generation of consoles — PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

Online capabilities with the Xbox 360 and PS3 allow for game features that previously weren't possible. In particular, many game companies said they were releasing games to utilize the consoles' features that let players anywhere in the world compete together in real time.

Take the case of "Hellboy: The Science of Evil" from Konami Digital Entertainment America Inc., set for release this year. The game takes the character of Hellboy from the comics and brings in three of the actors from the film.

With the Xbox 360 or PS3, there's the possibility for multiplayer games, where players work together or have a split screen and can play as Hellboy, Abe Sapien or Liz Sherman. There are also plans for downloadable content.

As Wyman Jung, associate product manager, describes it, the story line for the game is like a comic book. When players want new content, they download another comic book.

THQ Inc. of Agoura Hills is releasing its latest "Destroy All Humans" game for all three consoles as well as hand-held devices.

One version of the game, "Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon," builds upon former games while using the new capabilities of the PS3 and Xbox 360. The other version was built from the ground up for the Wii, said Kelly Flock, the company's executive vice president of global publishing.

"Path of the Furon," set for release in 2008, brings back some of the popular weapons of the past games as well as new ones, such as allowing the character to freeze time, rearrange objects and restart time.

But the game developer also has taken steps to make game play simpler and more enjoyable. Because the controls for certain actions have been streamlined and made easier to use, the player can use the character's mental powers, jet pack and weapons simultaneously, letting them do more.

Perhaps the move toward simplicity can be best seen with some of the games being moved to the Wii.

THQ brought in female wrestling stars to demonstrate playing "Smackdown vs. RAW" on Wii, a new platform for the game, which is already available on PS3, Xbox 360 and hand-held devices. It will hit the Wii in 2008.

Companies are translating older game genres to Wii, but also developing entirely new games for the different way of playing.

THQ's latest is "de Blob," which was inspired by a game developed by a group of students in The Netherlands. The object of the game is to bring color back to a colorless city, bouncing the blob-like character around and spreading color and music using the Wii remote.

It will be released in 2008.

At Konami, the company introduced "Dewy's Adventure," due out this year, which follows a dewdrop that can change into ice or vapor and relies on tilts of the Wii remote to move around.

Wii innovations present a different way of designing to game studios. Because designers aren't limited by the use of a standard controller, it drives new ideas, said James Wong, an associate producer with Konami.

Sometimes the changes made are less about new technology and more about new ideas.

THQ has several licenses, but also has been developing original games. The company has been investing heavily in building up a strong internal network of developers, Flock said.

The company showed off some of the new games coming out of that work.

One is "Frontlines: Fuel of War," a combat simulator to be released in 2008. The game is based on future wars over national resources.

Players have objectives that they can take on in any order they choose, and with any weapons they select. The game's designers said it was important to make a nonlinear game that doesn't have to follow a strict storyline.

That approach is showing up in other games as well, including "Darksiders: Wrath of War," set for release in 2008.

"We didn't want it to be linear," said David Adams, general manager of developer Vigil Games. "Players have the freedom to explore the world. ... After each area is unlocked, they are able to come back and explore at will."

Sometimes new ideas are needed to freshen old game franchises, both to keep long-time players interested and to attract new players.

That's the case with Electronic Arts' SimCity Societies for PC, due out this year.

The changes to the game aren't about what new hardware is out there, but about keeping the game creative, fun and fresh, said Rachel Bernstein, producer with The Sims division.

The latest game lets players determine the cultures, social behaviors and environments in the cities they build.

"It's about letting players create their own kinds of cities," she said.

A player can create a rural community or a massively industrial society. They can rule as a robber baron or a benevolent leader. They can be Big Brother and haul people off for re-education.

"It's a very nonjudgmental game," Bernstein said.

She said another important aspect of the game is that a range of people can play it, from those new to SimCity to veteran gamers. The basic rules are simple and easy, but the game has enough depth to present a challenge and be engaging.

"If you want something everybody in the family can play, this is a great game," she said.

The three-day E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica concludes today.

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