Poll: X-Box, GameCube, PS2 DVD Exchange

[Jacko]

I posted a message Friday (two days ago) regarding a FREE DVD Exchange program for The Future of Video Games DVD.

The imported platter contains video game play of over 70 titles from E3 2001 on the X-Box, GameCube, PlayStation2 and DreamCast.

The purpose of the program is to get feedback.

[Homer Simpson]

How about a link to the original post, then this post might not be so unclear.

[Jacko]

Here is the link to the post in question:

Future of Video Games DVD (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=131144)

[Jacko]

Gamer Square
Synopsis:

The Future of Videogames: Volume 1 by NextGenVideos.com is one jammed-packed dvd with a plethora of game videos of all the next generation consoles, from the already successful Sony's Playstation 2 to the eagerly anticipated Nintendo's Gamecube and Microsoft's Xbox, and not forgetting the short lifespan but groundbreaking Sega's Dreamcast. TFOV is more of a large-scale demo on dvd than your typical movie dvd, and though the games featured aren't playable, the visual treat contained in this dvd is enough to make you suffer from "cold turkey", craving for your favorite game to be released and the next two "hot toys", Gamecube and Xbox, and imagining how you'll be sitting in the cold winter on launch day with hundreds of others and dashing into stores the moment the doors are opened.

Full Review (http://www.gamersquare.com/dvd/reviews/E3_2001/e3_Dvdreview.asp)

[Jacko]

I definitely enjoyed it very much, and thank you for the opportunity to watch it.

I 100% agree with the Gamer Square review.

I never felt like downloading all the movies for all the games (even though I have cable), and this was a great chance to see how awesome all the games look and play.

Picture quality was A- to A, and some were better than others. The commentary on some of the games were really helpful, I wish more of the games had that.

Send me the address I have to send it to next.

Thanks,
Adam, 15

[Jacko]

If you want to check out the Future of Video Games DVD, a yahoogroup (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lj_pr) has been set up to automate the process.

Process
Just join the club, post a message stating that you want the DVD and the person that has it will contact you.

You can check the calendar (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lj_pr/calendar) to see who has the DVDs and how long they have had it.

When you get the DVD, post the date on the calendar and post your review here.

The Future of Video Games DVD will not be distributed in the US.

Buyers at:

BlockBuster
GameStop
GameCrazy
Hollywood Video

passed on it. All of the video game buyers that work for these companies are over 30 and turned it down sight unseen.

NOTE: Three discs are currently in this FREE exchange program. Two of them are available. The third appears to have been ripped off.

[Jacko]

but here are some thoughts that occurred to me as I watched:

Console gaming has come a LONG way. The graphics looked phenomenal for all 4 systems showcased. I'll run them down by system:

Sega Dreamcast:

I was sad to hear that Sega is discontinuing the DC, but there still seem to be a lot of cool games coming out for it. Jet Grind Radio 2, Shenmue 2, and a lot of others. This is the system I am going to be keeping my eye on, as it's by far the most affordable at the moment. Best Buy was advertising a DC with THREE sports games bundled together for either $99 or $120, and even better deals can be had on auction sites. For the cost conscious gamer, this system is the way to go.

Playstation 2-

2 words: BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICS. So many breathtaking images from a variety of games, especially: Final Fantasy X, Devil may cry, Silent Hill 2, and the MAIN reason I'd be purchasing a PS2, Gran Turismo 3 A-SPEC. I almost cried when I watched the preview from that game. If I only had $350 to spare, it'd be mine.

Nintendo Game Cube -

Good graphics here also, but I suppose it's par for the course to say that a couple of their launch titles looked downright weird, notably Pikmin and Luigi's Mansion. Weirdness aside, Luigi's game looked fun, and the graphics were first rate. Pikmin just looked weird, but I've read it's a lot of fun also. I'll be waiting to find out, as there are too many other systems and titles that appeal to me more than Nintendo's lineup.

Microsoft X-box

My main beef with the Xbox games on the DVD were that we weren't able to see the complete graphics picture. There wasn't a single Xbox title that had a direct feed from a console, it was just footage from a videocamera on the show floor pointing at a screen while someone played, irritating crowd noise included. (This was actually also the case with a lot of the Nintendo games and a few PS2 games as I recall) That struck me as incredibly lame, as I've seen some demonstrations of Xbox titles on TV and they looked awesome. I couldn't wait to experience some of those same graphics and sound on DVD. Oh well!

Graphical display annoyances aside, a few of the titles looked pretty good. They have been hyping Halo a lot, and it did look impressive, but it could also be considered just another FPS with better graphics. I remember hearing rumors that this will be an Xbox ONLY title, despite originally being developed for the PC. As with other reviews I've read, I get nervous when I hear that because I do NOT want to be forced to buy Microsoft HARDWARE on top of the OS's that are being shoved down my throat. Hopefully there will be enough diversity in the game marketplace to allow gamers to avoid this pressure. Luckily I know that for at least the next 2 years the other consoles and PC games will keep me occupied, and I won't need to buy an Xbox.

Overall, it seems that the videogame industry is heading for some incredible new heights. I look forward to checking out future DVD's like this one, and possibly even attending the show in person.

NOTE: The FOV DVD is not available in the US except through this FREE exchange program. To date, one disc has been ripped off. There are 6 in the program.