StarWars.com Goes Corporate

[D.S.McBride]

A little something that came to my attention yesterday, while perusing the Toronto Star.

Apparently, George Lucas has decided that his corporation is no longer pulling in the bucks that it used to: therefore, starwars.com is turning into a profit-oriented operation. For $3.95 U.S. (or thereabouts) per month, you’ll get inside info on Episode III, behind-the-scenes insights, interviews, special e-mailings, a deleted sequence from Phantom Menace which involves a Jedi attack on the droid control ship, and so on. I can’t remember exactly when this is supposed to start up, but it’s reasonable to assume that it’ll be soon. Those of us who prefer the vanilla version can still sign on to the regular site for free and get what we’re used to getting.

So, a question posed to the trek-rpg.net public out there: What do you think of these developments? Is George just squeezing the profit sponge here, or do you think he’s justified in introducing pay-for-play special features of this nature? Would you be tempted to shell out the bucks (little more than a pittance, yes, but it adds up) for the service, or do you think the Internet is best preserved as a free-for-all information exchange? And lastly, do you think it’ll be a success?

[Snake_Plissken]

defenitely squeezing the profit-sponge, not that he has ever done so in the past. But if I were him I'd probably do the same thing. You see millions of imbeciles (once more, Uncle Snake is very polite) worldwide will actually pay 4 bucks to get GL's table scraps (thanks Triumph). 4 bucks x millions of suckers = lots of $$$. I don't think it will affect the popularity of the site if we can still get access to the regular content without having to pay.

A while ago there was a paintball forum site that was the #1 but the geniuses who ran decided to start charging people to use it. A free competitor suddenly became quite popular and the charging site never recovered. I even think it might have folded now.

[Ezri's Toy]

I think the question should be:

Is $3.95 a month a fair price for the content ? Considering Episode II was worse than the worst season of Voyager, I wouldn't pay $3.95 a year. . . .

[RANT]

As to the original question: It appears that corporate America takes the same attitude regarding SF fans in the business arena that the general public has about SF fans in the social arena: SF fans are under-developed geeks who are easily parted with their money.

The majority of the licensed products for Star Wars or Star Trek aren't worth the price. The only licensed Trek products I buy regularly are Decipher's RPG and CCG items and I subscribe to the ST Communicator Fan Club magazine. Everything else just doesn't appeal to me for the gawd-awful prices that are being asked: $50 for a Star Trek Monopoly set ? $40 for a polo shirt ? A cheap backpack and waterbottle marketed as an "Away Team" kit ? Gimme a break.

The novels are usually crap. . . which is why I'm sure Pocket has taken to reissuing the better novels from the 1980s. I've bought some ST novels recently (both new and reissue) but only because they were electronic Palm Pilot versions and cost about half the cover price of the print versions. (And, as an aside, its really kinda cool to be reading an ST novel on your own "padd.")

For me, the best ST value for the money have been the comic books. But, I haven't seen any regular ST comics in a long while.

For the most part, I'm pretty much done wasting my money on licensed merchandise. . . especially when the fan merchandise is so much more creative and worthwhile.

[/END OF RANT]

[Balok]

Years ago I read a book, whose title I can't remember, that completely changed my view of Lucas. Previously, I'd thought of him as a creator first. This book explained the background of Lucas and Star Wars, and clearly showed how he is a marketer first, and a creator second. I'm not saying I disapprove of that, per se, but knowing it has explained a lot about Star Wars, it's satellites, and the way that whole Lucas empire works.

Prior to reading this book, I'd have been suprised by this move. After reading it, I'm surprised Lucas didn't do it before this.

[D.S.McBride]

I remember I started getting a little suspicious several years back when I read that one of George's inspirations for the series was a book by a cultural anthropologist, The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell). While George apparently gave Mr. Campbell a new degree of well-deserved international notoriety through this acknowledgement - and allowed him to spend a considerable amount of time at Skywalker Ranch - I have to wonder if the construction of the series had a little bit of programming to it from the universal attributes of heroic tales Campbell notes in his work.

Again, as has been noted, that doesn't automatically make this, or any, story a bad thing, but it does make one wonder as to exactly how much this has turned from a labor of love into a paint-by-numbers, just-get-the-damn-thing-done project. Guess we'll be able to make a final assessment in a little under two years...

[qerlin]

Originally posted by D.S.McBride
Is George just squeezing the profit sponge here, or do you think he’s justified in introducing pay-for-play special features of this nature?

Both. Sure he's trying to make as much money for his company as he can. Don't know if the whole Lucas machine is publically traded, but if it is, he's doing his best for his investors. As he should. Would I pay for it? Nope. Will it be successful? Probably.

"As to the original question: It appears that corporate America takes the same attitude regarding SF fans in the business arena that the general public has about SF fans in the social arena: SF fans are under-developed geeks who are easily parted with their money."

They are. Star Trek and DS9 sell for twice what other TV series do on DVD. They flock to conventions and buy tons o' useless "cool" stuff. Doesn't make them anymore foolish than people who blow huge bank on metal replicas of their favorite NASCAR racer or wads o' cash on [enter favorite music star]'s guitar or what have you.

Feeling betrayed 'cause someone wants to make the most out of their intellectual property is silly. If he had wanted to make the most of his property by making sure everyone had access to it, that's his right. Same if he wants everyone to pay for it. No one's holding a blaster to your head, after all. If you value it, you'll pay for it...that's the nature of capitalism (or any trade system.)

[Ineti]

Meh. Give me a movie worth paying for inside information and I will. Both prequels have sucked away a lot of the joy I have for Star Wars. I expect Episode III to do likewise.

[Bill Harris]

Originally posted by qerlin
Star Trek and DS9 sell for twice what other TV series do on DVD.

Hardly.

Here's a list of series and the cost (in round figures) of their season boxed sets (per Amazon.com):
X-Files - $130 (season 7 - $112)
Xena - $70
Babylon 5 - $75
Farscape (complete season 1) - $130
TNG - $120
DS9 - $98
Stargate SG-1 - $53
Highlander - $77

As you can see, the prices of TNG and DS9 are quite comprable to other series. (And I can find TNG for $100 at Best Buy.) Only one of the ones I listed came close to half.

Also remember that Trek series have four more episodes per season than other series. So that means at least one more DVD per season set.

[qerlin]

The Sopranos - $40
The Shield - $40
24 - $45
The Simpsons - $35

That was just perusing the shelves real quick at my local vid store. Everything you pulled out was sci-fi...which I think solidly shows: they rape the sci-fi guys for more money...because they'll pay.

[qerlin]

Originally posted by Ineti
Meh. Give me a movie worth paying for inside information and I will. Both prequels have sucked away a lot of the joy I have for Star Wars. I expect Episode III to do likewise.

I agreed, 'til I actually sat down and watched 'em all in a day. The first movie (IV) sucked. Sure, I loved it; it's fun, fast, and entertaining...but this isn't high art. Empire is where the bar was raised: good character development, real danger, big down-note ending -- exactly what you expect when Lawrence Kasdan's writing. Jedi was a replay of the first with some more Yoda mysticism and funny cute things thrown in. Menace tried to fill the backstory too fast, the characters were secondary to the politics -- which were rushed over -- but it looks really nice, and we finally see the Jedi being dangerous. Ep II has a whiny Skywalker...just like the first. Great chase scenes, fight scenes, and the story is a direct progression on tne Ep I. And there's actually some good statements on the nature of politcs, with opinions from all sides...and it looks really pretty.

The general quality of the movies is actually -- if you don't go nostalgic on the first series -- about the same. Story is pushed harder in the new trilogy than characters, but most of the problem with the new movies was anticipation and expectation that could in no way be matched. Hell, I was disappointed in Jedi. And I'll bet if people squinch up their eyes and remember real hard, they probably were too.

Ultimately, I think people will see the second series as darker and less 'innocent'...but so are the times we live in. Art reflects reality.

[Balok]

Originally posted by Bill Harris
Here's a list of series and the cost (in round figures) of their season boxed sets (per Amazon.com):
X-Files - $130 (season 7 - $112)
Xena - $70
Babylon 5 - $75
Farscape (complete season 1) - $130
TNG - $120
DS9 - $98
Stargate SG-1 - $53
Highlander - $77

It's worth noting, though, that it's possible to find some of these shows for far less, if one is willing to look: for example, I paid about $45 for B5 ($55 including shipping). Whereas, the Trek properties are very *hard* to find for much less. The best I was able to do on TNG was $100, and the best on DS9 was $88.

It's not just Star Trek, though: it's Paramount. It has a high price point on television series. So does A&E. Fox has a much lower price point.

[CorpBoy]

Originally posted by Fesarius
It's worth noting, though, that it's possible to find some of these shows for far less, if one is willing to look: for example, I paid about $45 for B5 ($55 including shipping). Whereas, the Trek properties are very *hard* to find for much less. The best I was able to do on TNG was $100, and the best on DS9 was $88.

Have you checked Ebay? I regularly see TNG seasons sell for $50-$60 from reputable sellers, and even the high end is around $70 to $80. And I've seen some sets sell for as low as $45. It's just a matter of patience and waiting for the right time (like when six of the same season are selling within 10 minutes of each other).