Yes, it is thankfully different since the o.g. E.T. was included on the first DVD release. However, it was just recently rereleased as a one-disc version, and of course it's the new, altered version. It's nice that the original hadn't been totally ignored (probably to sate actual fans of the film so they wouldn't complain), but now it seems like it's on its way to being forgotten, and future consumers will now have to get it on ebay, or from a friend or something. Or, if enough time passes, or no one tells them about it, they won't even know it's not the original and has been tweaked.
Even though the changes were rather stupid, I thought they were relatively minor and few, so I don't understand why there couldn't be branching versions of both on a one disc release.
You know I would buy Saving Private Ryan if they came out with that version!
Me too! Or, if he changed it so it wasn't bullets, but a paintball game. And with a new title: Extreme Private Ryan.