E3 Video Brings Action to Gamers

Those who were unable to catch this year's E3 may still have a chance to see the games that were shown. A number of amateur E3 videos - produced by numerous budding filmmakers - are being promoted through various channels.

Scanning the Usenet newsgroups gives just a glimpse of the available wares. We thought we'd take a look at one of the more popular E3 videos this year.

Marty Chinn, who runs Video Source, a mail-order business out of California, has been doing E3 videos for some time. "This is my sixth video. My first was for the 1994 Winter CES, and the next one will probably be the upcoming Tokyo Game Show in Japan."

The E3 video that Chinn produced this year clocks in at a total of six hours in length. The tape comes in two formats, an EP-recorded one-tape version that'll set you back US$18, or the highest quality SP-mode version at $26.

The prices don't reflect shipping costs, but for the price of renting a few games at the local video store you can see the newest of the new from E3. Banjo & Kazooie, F-Zero 64, MK Mythologies, Masters of Teras Kasi, PaRappa the Rapper, Sonic R, Last Bronx, Panzer Dragoon Saga - all there through the eyes of the video camera. "We try to get at least all the major games and as much of the rest of the show as we can though."

Twenty-five hours of filming and editing later, the tape goes on sale today. Interested gamers can order the tape by calling Video Source or checking the VS web site.