Videogame enthusiasts can expect new home fitness titles and a wave of updated sequels to big hits in the next year, two of the world's biggest game publishers said at the annual E3 show in Las Vegas.

Electronic Arts and Ubisoft Entertainment SA, which hosted showcases on the day before the annual show opened in Los Angeles, both stressed that they would deliver an improved slate of games for Nintendo's Co Ltd's Wii, the top selling videogame console.

Publishers initially did not target the Wii when the most recent console generation debuted a few years ago. But its sales have grown far faster than rivals Sony's PlayStation 3 or Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360, and more and more software makers are building games to suit the Wii's technology.

At Electronic Arts's press conference, chief Executive John Riccitiello reinforced EA's commitment to the Wii platform, saying third party publishers could enjoy success on it when they design and build games for the console from the ground up.

The company focused on 12 forthcoming titles, including the latest version of their blockbuster Sims franchise, The Sims 3, and a number of new games for the Wii and Nintendo's DS portable game device targeted toward young girl gamers.

In addition, it unveiled fresh installments of acclaimed sports franchises, such as Fight Night Round 4.

Its event featured a visit from former tennis champion Pete Sampras who demonstrated the new Grand Slam Tennis game for the Wii.

Ubisoft rolled out a new Wii title called Your Shape which uses a camera to help coach and inspire users.

In a briefing last week in anticipation of E3, Yves Guillemot, chief executive of Ubisoft, told Reuters the Wii has long been an important console for the developer, and is even more so now.

We continue to invest a lot on the Wii, as it is the lead platform at the moment, he said. We increased a lot of our turnover last year on that machine and we will continue to grow it.

Third party publishers have had difficulty selling games on the Wii, despite its leadership position among this generation of game machines. Most of the best-selling games for the Wii have been titles produced by Nintendo.

Ubisoft rounded out its event with demonstrations of games including Red Steel 2, Assassin's Creed 2, new titles in the Splinter Cell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Rabbids franchises, as well as a refreshed Shaun White snowboarding game.

(Reporting by Franklin Paul; Editing by David Cowell)

Ubisoft