E3 Access: The Future of Videogames

E3 is the annual video game event that everyone wants to attend, but unfortunately only a few actual consumers can penetrate. This makes footage from the convention crucial for eager gamers unable to go. It's also crucial for those of us that did attend E3, but either couldn't make it through the long lines of certain games or just can't remember anything that occurred due to weeklong partying. Whatever the case may be, NextGenVideos has compiled such footage in the past and again captures the most exciting moments of the 2004 expo in a DVD called E3 Access: The Future of Videogames. This four-disc set surpasses previous efforts of the company as well as the current efforts of its competitors by capturing it all faster, better and bringing it to us within a two-month turnaround.

E3 Access begins with a slick car introduction, supports 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and is backed up with cool music from Digital:Newage and Hathorne Hill. These snazzy technical merits are one small step for this year's DVD, but it's the hours and hours of footage that's one giant leap for the average gamer's perspective into E3. There's more than 13 hours chronicling upcoming releases for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, GBA and even the PC. Plus, in addition to game clips and trailers, there are extra features that you won't find on any other E3 DVD set. The first three DVDs are dedicated to Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo platforms and start with each company's press conference. Although the Microsoft press conference was by far the most entertaining, it seems to be missing the hilarious Donald Trump skit entitled "The Novice." I can only guess The Donald didn't want the skit to be reproduced since GameSpot Live had it edited out as well. Nevertheless, the rest of that night's conference is intact as are the entire Sony and Nintendo briefings.

Following each press conference and beginning the fourth DVD that covers PC titles, E3 Access is jam packed with countless clips of game demos from the showfloor as well as direct feed game trailers from the companies. But the most revealing moments of the DVD set come whenever some one demonstrates their game in a hands-on interview. These segments often involve developers, producers, testers or public relations people and provide the most insight into upcoming games from the people that know them best. And the interviews surround some of the hottest games and aren't randomly selected based on who was willing to talk. There are some great demonstrations of Killzone, Kameo: Elements of Power, Resident Evil 4 and Half-Life 2 to name a few. There's also an excellent interview on The Sims 2 with Will Wright himself. I found that these interviews got me more hyped or managed to make me think differently about a game I originally wanted to shrug off.

Although the PC content is cut short compared to the console lineups, the rest of the fourth DVD is filled with extras that are definitely worth watching. Anyone that didn't check out the Floored webcasts on E3Insider.com can find its nine episodes on file in which Stacee Barcelata and Oliver Nejad further probe the E3 games and experience. It's actually well put together and the hosts don't have annoying personalities like a certain cable channel we've come to know. The same can't be said about E3 Insider's FanCam segment, though. The one-man-host/camera-crew utters dozens of versions of the words "Dude" and "Awesome" throughout the 30 minute feature and it'll want to make you fast forward 3 minutes in. It's wasn't a bad idea since it adds to the whole E3 experience, but wrong person to have hosting, dudes.

E3 Access offers some of the finest looks at the future of video games as its full title suggests, but it also takes a trip down memory lane by taking a trip down to Kentia Hall in The History of Videogames Feature. This segment caught up with The Classic Gaming Expo, which was showcasing some of the oldest machines to hit the market. Again, the interviews are the best part of this DVD as viewers receive a brief history lesson on the industry and a glimpse at what was novel and innovative in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. It really gave the often-abandoned Kentia Hall some new life and gives the DVD set some extra vintage value.

A little flashier and a little younger is The NGV Girls, Revealed. This is where the two NextGenVideo booth babes take time out from posing and actually talk. So, it's not exactly a full-length booth babe segment, but the girls dish out some edict and tell you what not to do and where not to grab. The creators of the NextGenVideos brand also come face-to-face with the camera in a cool behind-the-scenes documentary of their weeklong workout through the convention center. Not quite as sexy, but it does feature a lot of starving people.