After sifting through seemingly endless press releases and appointment solicitations from all kinds of game-related exhibitors at this weekend’s Entertainment for All Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center (ever needed a special pair of pants to wear while gaming? Or are you such a serious gamer that you want to design games?), I finally came across something that nearly gave me a reason to need that extra pair of pants. Four words and a digit: playable "Metal Gear Solid 4."

Yes, my gaming friends, bust out the champagne flutes and confetti for the welcome party; Konami’s "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" will be making its trans-Pacific journey for the first time to American consoles exclusively at E for All.

There’s something special about gaming that inspires me. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of the whole medium (the original "Metal Gear" was released in 1987, the same year I was born), or perhaps it is the future of gaming that excites me – Konami is celebrating its 20th year of the "Metal Gear" franchise this year. Konami has a special place in my heart, as it has produced major franchise names such as "Silent Hill," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Metal Gear" and, of course, "Dance Dance Revolution."

Video games are in a sense, made up of our childhood dreams that never quite faded from our imagination but instead expanded with the development of new technology and creative talent in the industry. It is constantly amazing to see what companies have in mind for the future, whether it is a revival of the simple oldies (i.e. Capcom’s "Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo," now downloadable from Xbox Live Arcade) or the development of ridiculous instrument peripherals for games like EA’s new "Rock Band."

I admit that my geeky dream since my seventh-grade subscription to the recently discontinued Official Playstation Magazine was to one day go to E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), which has been downsized this past year. I was disheartened and wondering if the world of big games was finally diminishing. Oh ye of little faith! With the release of the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation 3, next-gen gaming is finally here. Rather than diminishing, the industry is booming so big that they had to create separate expos for media and for the masses. Though I never got an invitation to E3 2007 (I’m still crossing my fingers for next year), I’m indescribably excited to be a part of this year’s first ever E For All Expo.