JMS: Selling B5 Scripts & Pricing
Derek Beebe
just thought you'd be interested to know that for $20 you can buy a
multimedia CD which includes ALL 175 Deep Space Nine scripts along with
their video promos. Same thing for Next Generation. Why didn't you do
this?
Brian Watson
> So we must spend $20 a script on thestation.com for a B5 script...
No, there is no requirement you spend $20 for a script. Just don't buy it
if you aren't willing to pay for it. You can live without a script of a
television show, it's not food or water for Christ's sake.
> just thought you'd be interested to know that for $20 you can buy a
> multimedia CD which includes ALL 175 Deep Space Nine scripts along with
> their video promos. Same thing for Next Generation. Why didn't you do
> this?
Probably because the cost of producing such a CD ROM is outweighed by the
potential sales. B5 has a much smaller fan base than ST, though the ST
fanbase seems to be shrinking as people abandon the dead work horse that
Paramount has ridden into decay.
Jms at B5
>multimedia CD which includes ALL 175 Deep Space Nine scripts along with
>their video promos. Same thing for Next Generation. Why didn't you do
>this?
First, is this CD by any chance licensed?
Second, that is the going price for actual, physical scripts. Go to any other
place in town, X-Files, or a script store, and that's the going price to get an
actual script. Lots and lots of folks don't want just a CD, they want the
physical script. I can get all of an Mark Twain's books on CD, but I *prefer*
to buy them in book form.
Third, these are collectibles whose value is more than just the paper.
If you don't get that concept, there's nothing I can do that will explain it to
you.
jms
(jms...@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
Frank J. Perricone
> Lots and lots of folks don't want just a CD, they want the
> physical script.
And lots and lots of folks *do*. Products are supposed to follow market,
and there's a market here. I, for one, don't care about "collectible"
qualities, but I would like to read the actual words -- the content. If
the cost of grinding up trees, squirting dye onto them, then putting the
results onto a truck are too high, and there's a more efficient way to get
what is for many of us the product, why not provide that as an alternative;
not the *only* alternative, just as an alternative, so everyone can get
what they want?
--
* Frank J. Perricone * hawt...@sover.net * http://www.sover.net/~hawthorn
Just because we aren't all the same doesn't mean we have nothing in common
Just because we have something in common doesn't mean we're all the same
Iain Rae
> On 21 Nov 1999 23:07:16 -0700, jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
>> Lots and lots of folks don't want just a CD, they want the
>> physical script.
> And lots and lots of folks *do*. Products are supposed to follow market,
> and there's a market here. I, for one, don't care about "collectible"
> qualities, but I would like to read the actual words -- the content. If
> the cost of grinding up trees, squirting dye onto them, then putting the
> results onto a truck are too high, and there's a more efficient way to get
> what is for many of us the product, why not provide that as an alternative;
> not the *only* alternative, just as an alternative, so everyone can get
> what they want?
Actually the correct thing to do (or at least the nice thing to do, not sure
about copyright issues) would be to include the stuff on DVD if/when. That
way you could have the episodes/tv movie plus the original scripti(s), the
Lurkers guide if possible, JMS's relevent postings (you'd only need an
infinte number of people running deja searches) bloopers, actors interviews
etc. Oh and of course we'd have to have a writers commentary.
G'wan JMS you know you only need 30 min of sleep. :)
Really, I'd rather stuff like this was left until the DVD's appear and a
really good job was done on them as I suspect it's the best chance to get a
good quality copy of the series in the near future.
oh yes, almost forgot.....WIDESCREEN.......say no more ;)
Derek Beebe
> Second, that is the going price for actual, physical scripts. Go to any other
> place in town, X-Files, or a script store, and that's the going price to get an
> actual script. Lots and lots of folks don't want just a CD, they want the
> physical script. I can get all of an Mark Twain's books on CD, but I *prefer*
> to buy them in book form.
> Third, these are collectibles whose value is more than just the paper.
> If you don't get that concept, there's nothing I can do that will explain it to
> you.
I appreciate the fact that they are collectibles, my point is some people (like
myself) aren't willing to spend about $2,200 on 110 scripts... it's too much
money! I really do want these scripts, but it's too much. Can't there be a
cheaper alternative? If people want collectibles that's fine, but what about us
cheap skates? How about releasing such a CD after you're done selling the scripts
online (which unfortunately will be what about nine years away?!).
John David Watker
news:19991122010621...@ng-fo1.aol.com...
> >So we must spend $20 a script on thestation.com for a B5 script...
> >
> >just thought you'd be interested to know that for $20 you can buy a
> >multimedia CD which includes ALL 175 Deep Space Nine scripts along with
> >their video promos. Same thing for Next Generation. Why didn't you do
> >this?
>
> First, is this CD by any chance licensed?
Yup, both the DS9 and TNG disks were released by Simon and Schuster
Interactive. Its pretty neat, all the scripts for $20, and all printable (I
printed out "The Visitor," and it looks great. They did a good job with
this one).
I must admit, that this conversation brings up a good point. The fan
club, which by your own actions you've closed down, has become a glorified
souvinear stand. Its almost as if Babylon Productions is saying "Babylon 5
might be over, but the merchandising will live forever!" Shades of "Here
All the Honor Lies" (Not to mention a few choice Ferengi episodes on DS9
:-) )
--
John David Watker
e-mail: jdwa...@cybercomm.net
"At times, you may end up far away from home. You may not be sure
of where you belong anymore. But home is always there. Because home
is not a place. It's wherever your passion takes you."
Brian Watson
> I must admit, that this conversation brings up a good point. The fan
> club, which by your own actions you've closed down, has become a glorified
> souvinear stand. Its almost as if Babylon Productions is saying "Babylon 5
> might be over, but the merchandising will live forever!" Shades of "Here
> All the Honor Lies" (Not to mention a few choice Ferengi episodes on DS9
Perhaps, but then again, we got almost nothing in the terms of merchandise
during the show's run, so better late than never I suppose.
Neil Ottenstein
jms...@aol.com (Jms at B5) wrote:
> Second, that is the going price for actual, physical scripts. Go to
any other
> place in town, X-Files, or a script store, and that's the going price
to get an
> actual script. Lots and lots of folks don't want just a CD, they want
the
> physical script. I can get all of an Mark Twain's books on CD, but I
*prefer*
> to buy them in book form.
>
> Third, these are collectibles whose value is more than just the paper.
The X-Files scripts are also $20 (though they are $18 for fan club
members). Their autographed scripts, though, might be more expensive
depending on how you look at it - $40 (but $36 for fan club members).
Different shipping costs may change the equation. The X-Files scripts
are also "attractively bound and protected with a high-quality cover."
So, it appears that $20 is indeed the going rate, it's too bad that the
B5 Fan Club membership didn't help out. Of course, the X-Files was a
network show with a far larger audience.
Of course, "lots and lots of folks" is not very many people as JMS has
detailed when this topic was brought up earlier. If they could be mass
produced in a non-collectible format (such as a CD or several books with
a number of scripts in each) perhaps more than "lots and lots of folks"
could enjoy them. I doubt that this will ever happen as with the TNT
troubles, the death of Crusade, the death of the fan club, no other B5
projects on the visible horizon, no DVDs in the US, and so on the
audience will diminish and it will be relegated to cult status if it
isn't there already. Of course this might be overly pessimistic. I'd
love it if B5 continued to live on, but right now all we have are the
occasional novels from Del Rey and the wonderful magazine.
Neil
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
BRETNTRACI
>to buy them in book form.
Then why not put the scripts out in book form in 6 or 11 volumes (collecting
either half a season or a full season in a nice hardcover edition)
Jms at B5
>(like
>myself) aren't willing to spend about $2,200 on 110 scripts... it's too much
>money! I really do want these scripts, but it's too much. Can't there be a
>cheaper alternative?
Well, for one thing, we're not going to release all 110 scripts, only the
highlights and justifiable releases. Grey 17 for instance will never be
released, it may only plan to escape....
DANIEL MORRIS
(like
> myself) aren't willing to spend about $2,200 on 110 scripts... it's too
much
> money! I really do want these scripts, but it's too much. Can't there be
a
about us
> cheap skates? How about releasing such a CD after you're done selling the
scripts
> online (which unfortunately will be what about nine years away?!).
>
I too would balk at paying $2200 for all 110 scripts, but I think the point
is that you order the scripts for the episodes you MUST have.... I'd list
mine, but that is another thread.
Danny
Diane K De
>Date: Mon, 22 November 1999 08:49 PM EST
>Message-id: <19991122204634...@ng-fd1.aol.com>
The production of that would be a substantial endeavor and it would be iffy as
to whether it would recoup the cost given relatively low sales projections.
Wouldn't one have to acquire a publisher?
I understand why it's being done the way it is. The effort and cost is minimal
to re-produce the scripts in their current form. There is no danger of not
making back the investment.
DD
Derek Beebe
> I too would balk at paying $2200 for all 110 scripts, but I think the point
> is that you order the scripts for the episodes you MUST have.... I'd list
> mine, but that is another thread.
Yes but my point was for TNG and DS9 you can get ALL the scripts (175!) for only
$20. If I want ALL the scripts for B5 I must pay $2,200. Besides JMS just said
only the good scripts are for sale...
Gharlane of Eddore
DANIEL MORRIS wrote:
>
> I too would balk at paying $2200 for all 110 scripts, but I think the
> point is that you order the scripts for the episodes you MUST have....
> I'd list mine, but that is another thread.
>
In <3839BF6A...@aol.com> Derek Beebe <MrLi...@aol.com> writes:
>
> Yes but my point was for TNG and DS9 you can get ALL the scripts (175!)
> for only $20. If I want ALL the scripts for B5 I must pay $2,200.
> Besides JMS just said only the good scripts are for sale...
>
Precisely the point.
To me, it's mind-boggling that I can have a complete archive of all
the TNG/DS9 scripts for a $20 CD, but that if I want legit copies
of "BABYLON 5" stuff I have to join a fan club, get my name in
mailing-harassment lists, and fork out $20-plus a pop, per script,
and that we'll only see the "good" scripts released on a onesies-
twosies basis.
One CD-ROM can easily hold all 110 B-5 series scripts, the movie
scripts, the "CRUSADE" scripts, the series bibles, and probably
some nice music and still photos to boot. There is *NO* reason
for not going ahead with such a project, and the sales, while not
in the same range as the Paramount Products, would be quite
rewarding, and probably a low-level but steady seller for years
after the initial market rush. ( Just a WAG, but I'd presume
everyone with a computer who watched "BABYLON 5" would love a copy.
That's a lot of $20 bills. )
And any space left empty on the CD-ROM could be used for copies of
JMS' book on scriptwriting, or the out-of-print "DEMON NIGHT,"
or that sort of thing. or "DUCK DODGERS IN THE 24&1/2 CENTURY,"
what the heck......
The point is, manufacturing "collectables" is targeting only a
small part of the potential customer base, and puts you in the
same general evolutionary niche as "Pokemon" and "The Franklin Mint."
If you're going to make *merchandise*, sell something worth having,
that people will want and pay money for.... and if you're going to
be involved with "collectibles," then the fan club and a five-percent
discount at the Franklin Mint are the way to go.
( After all, at this rate, it's only a matter of time until we see
page-ad inserts in "TV GUIDE" for a SOLID PEWTER MODEL of the
"Babylon 5" station, with a Real Certificate Of Authenticity. )
"Collectibles." Bleeargghhh.
I regard the decision to treat "BABYLON 5" scripts as "collectibles"
as one with the four-cover "collector edition" "TV GUIDE"s aimed at
selling four frameable copies to Trekkies and StarWarries.
"Collector editions" of scripts could always be made, and sold
through the fan club; but avoiding the creation of a definitive
edition of *all* the material, on electronic media, priced
competitively with piracy, is ludicrous.
I thought B5'd gotten away from the mulct-the-idiots attitude when
the books moved away from Dell and Cavelos, but it seems not.
Mac Breck
something that you don't want divulged, or you were making a joke.
Gotta be the latter.
Mac
Jms at B5 <jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991122211709...@ng-cm1.aol.com...
J. Potts
Mac Breck <macb...@timesnet.net> wrote:
>Please tell us why Grey 17 will never be released. e.g. It contained
>something that you don't want divulged, or you were making a joke.
>
>Gotta be the latter.
Try, 'cause he's embarrassed he wrote it.....
--
JRP
"How many slime-trailing, sleepless, slimy, slobbering things do you know
that will *run and hide* from your Eveready?"
--Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson
Brian Watson
> Please tell us why Grey 17 will never be released. e.g. It contained
> something that you don't want divulged, or you were making a joke.
>
> Gotta be the latter.
> Jms at B5 <jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:19991122211709...@ng-cm1.aol.com...
> Grey 17 for instance will never be
> > released, it may only plan to escape....
> > jms
I imagine it's because the episode was perhaps the worst one ever shot on
film for B5. It was REALLY poor, and just did nothing for the show what
so ever. Besides the glaring errors in it, the terrible 'man in the
monster suit' and the terrible plot line (how do you LOSE an entire deck
of a space station and no one notice for several YEARS), the only good
part of the episode was the end credits rolling. Even a great
storyteller like JMS lays a dud every so often.
Pelzo63
>I imagine it's because the episode was perhaps the worst one ever shot >on
>film for B5. It was REALLY poor, and just did nothing for the show what
>so ever. Besides the glaring errors in it, the terrible 'man in the
>monster suit' and the terrible plot line (how do you LOSE an entire deck
>of a space station and no one notice for several YEARS), the only good
>part of the episode was the end credits rolling. Even a great
>storyteller like JMS lays a dud every so often.
so, i'm guessing you didn't like it? <g>
for the record, despite that awful plot, the marcus/delenn/neroon stuff was
great. and hey, JMS could redeem the entire episode by retroactively re-editing
the script(before selling it) so the final scene is Garibaldi walking into
sheridan's office saying "you would not believe the dream i just had!". and
then blame the fact that Doyle didn't say that on either doyle, the director,
or both! ;-)
he above is a joke, i think. :-)
---Chris AOL/AIM--Pelzo63
http://members.aol.com/pelzo63/welcome.html
hmmm...Has anyone ever been the CEO of the company that created the #1 Laptop,
#1 Desktop, and #1 animated movie at the same time?
BRETNTRACI
story forward.
Dan S.
>>I appreciate the fact that they are collectibles, my point is some
people (like myself) aren't willing to spend about $2,200 on 110
scripts... it's too much money! I really do want these scripts, but
it's too much. Can't there be a cheaper alternative? If people want
collectibles that's fine, but what about us cheap skates? How about
releasing such a CD after you're done selling the scripts online (which
unfortunately will be what about nine years away?!).
Be glad all the scripts JMS is going to sell didn't become available at
once. That would be one hefty price tag to bear even if you did have
your select scripts you wished to own.
I know you aren't going to get all scripts, nor will all the scripts be
sold (per JMS's post - which I wish they all would be but that's another
thread) but here is a suggestion, look at is as $240/yr. with a few
extras (like the bible and treatment). Over time it will be $2,200.
Granted, it is still a lot of money but I'm cutting back in other areas
since I'm really interested in purchasing the scripts. Considering I'm
a collector at heart, I find it easy to rationalize the cost. If you
aren't a collector, then I can see how the cost can be prohibitive.
I am finding it interesting how the different shows handle their
properties. As I believe someone on some thread mentioned, Paramount
has money to invest. They can put the Star Trek on a CD. The franchise
is very recognizable and thus has potential to sell. Almost anyone
knows of Spock, Kirk, and Picard.
Babylonian Productions has only B5 and Crusade. Neither has had much
publicity or money. The average person on the street will not know
Sheridan, Delenn, G'Kar, or Londo. The B5 collectible card game and
roleplaying game came and went (the fastest I've seen a RPG go from full
price to discout bin). I've seen the B5 dolls at some places be full
price and others already in the discout bins. Rarely do I see the ST
items there.
So, in one sense you are compairing similar items - both are sci-fi in
nature. In another, you aren't because the companies are different in
size, capital, and name recognition. I'd like to think JMS is doing
what he feels is best by the fan base he has. He has to make his money
too. There won't be much, if any, if he tries to keep up with ST.
Dan S.
--
"They're coming to take me away Ha-Ha!"
Napoleon XIV
Steve Brinich
> Babylonian Productions has only B5 and Crusade. Neither has had much
> publicity or money. The average person on the street will not know
> Sheridan, Delenn, G'Kar, or Londo.
The logical connection between failure to saturate popular culture and
specific script sales policies eludes me.
> The B5 collectible card game and
> roleplaying game came and went (the fastest I've seen a RPG go from
> full price to discout bin).
Half correct: the RPG floundered (a standalone system has a steeper
hill to climb than a module for a known RPG system, and it never
developed enough momentum) the CCG is going strong (fourth expansion
released last week, with three more in various stages of development).
> I've seen the B5 dolls at some places be
> full price and others already in the discout bins. Rarely do I see
> the ST items there.
Depends on where you go; I've seen both at full price and both in the
bargain bins.
--
Steve Brinich <ste...@Radix.Net> If the government wants us
http://www.Radix.Net/~steveb to respect the law
89B992BBE67F7B2F64FDF2EA14374C3E it should set a better example
Mac Breck
The weakest part was the steam actuated bullets.
How is the "man in the monster suit" here any worse than the Icarran "man in
the monster suit"?
Mac
Brian Watson <ke...@cris.com> wrote in message
news:383AEF23...@cris.com...
> Mac Breck wrote:
>
> > Please tell us why Grey 17 will never be released. e.g. It contained
> > something that you don't want divulged, or you were making a joke.
> >
> > Gotta be the latter.
> > Jms at B5 <jms...@aol.com> wrote in message
> > news:19991122211709...@ng-cm1.aol.com...
> > Grey 17 for instance will never be
> > > released, it may only plan to escape....
> > > jms
>
> I imagine it's because the episode was perhaps the worst one ever shot on
> film for B5. It was REALLY poor, and just did nothing for the show what
Nathan Shafer
>
> [re: "Grey 17 is Missing]
>
> How is the "man in the monster suit" here any worse than the Icarran "man in
> the monster suit"?
Mainly, because it was built up as this terror of the Universe.
Stephen King has written that the toughest part of any horror story,
from the writer's standpoint, is the part where the monster is
revealed, because it's never as horrible or monstrous or terrifying
as it has been built up to be. The Ikarran warrior was simply bad;
the "Grey 17" creature was supposed to be the equivalent of the monsters
in the _Alien_ movies (which, surprisingly, turned out every bit as
horrible and monstrous as the build-up). And it turned out to just
be a guy in a monster suit.
- Nathan
Dan S.
>> Babylonian Productions has only B5 and Crusade. Neither has had much
publicity or money. The average person on the street will not know
Sheridan, Delenn, G'Kar, or Londo.
> The logical connection between failure to saturate popular culture and
specific script sales policies eludes me.
Thanks Steve for pointing out the leap in logic I made in my head did
not make on the computer. The point I was aiming for, and apparently
missed, ST can sell scripts on a CD to a massive audience. Cultural
saturation led me to assume that even the curious fan (I talking those
who just know the names and watch a show every now and then - not a
diehard fanboy type) would pick up ST scripts. Since B5 hasn't
saturated the culture that much, to do a CD may not be cost effective
because there may not be as many curious fans. Therefore, the
individual script sales may be the most cost effective for B5 right now.
>> The B5 collectible card game and roleplaying game came and went (the
fastest I've seen a RPG go from full price to discout bin).
> Half correct: the RPG floundered (a standalone system has a steeper
hill to climb than a module for a known RPG system, and it never
developed enough momentum) the CCG is going strong (fourth expansion
released last week, with three more in various stages of development).
Where I live, the CCG is very hard to find. It was out in several
stores around town. Sales didn't make that a popular item to keep
around. For this, it must be regional.
In my pervious message, I was trying to speak as a collector among some
who have different methods of collecting. They are interested in a CD
to get all; I am interested in the paper versions of whatever script is
being sold. They find the cost prohibitive; I'm curbing some of my book
and comic book buying to purchase the scripts. From the sounds of it, I
may not be in the majority. JMS's method has appealled to me as a
collector. I'm willing to re-arrange some of my limited disposable
income for something I enjoy and wish to collect. Thus, his selling
methods have at least pleased one person.
Jacob Corbin
> How about the Marcus/Neroon scenes? I rather liked them.
>
> The weakest part was the steam actuated bullets.
>
> How is the "man in the monster suit" here any worse than the Icarran
> "man in
> the monster suit"?
That's easy. The Icarran machine had a point to it -- it allowed JMS,
through Sinclair, to offer up some thoughts about fanaticism, racial
purity, et al. As far as I can tell, though, the Grey 17 monster was
just an opportunity for JMS to fall on his face plot-, dialog-, and
science-wise.
"Grey 17" was still a better ep overall than "Infection", though.
Reverend Jake
Pelzo63
> The logical connection between failure to saturate popular culture and
>specific script sales policies eludes me.
one thing noone seems to be mentioning here is that the Trek stuff has a
*publisher*(simon and schuster?). the B5 Scripts are essentially being *Made
To Order* through the fan club. if JMS wanted to produce a CD with all the
scripts, he would have to find a company both capable of mass publishing them,
and willing to do it. with B5's low "culture saturation", i doubt many
companies would be willing to take the risk.
---Chris AOL/AIM--Pelzo63
http://members.aol.com/pelzo63/welcome.html
the man spots the rest of the league a week, and they still can't catch him, 68
is amazing.
Mac Breck
news:383C28...@earthlink.net...
> because it's never as horrible or monstrous or terrifying
> as it has been built up to be.
Gotta disagree with you here.
John Carpenter's monster in "The Thing" (1982) was every bit as horrible or
monstrous or terrifying
as it has been built up to be. Watch it at night, in the winter, with the
heat turned down a bit, and the music turned up a bit.
Mac
Gary Farber
: Actually, I thought the Marcus-Neroon B-Story was great, and moved the "big"
: story forward.
Yep. That story was spiffy. That one had classic moments of drama and
comedy. It was the Garibaldi/Zarg story that, uh, got away from JMS.
I feel not dissimilarly about the episode with Ivanova's need to sit
shiva, which was superb, but in which the A boxing story was cliche-ridden
crap (need I add "in my opinion"?).
JMS can be a superb writer, but his being his own producer here, and
apparently lacking back-up scripts, when up against deadlines, did not
serve him well. At least we can all appreciate his skill in the part of
the stories that *did* work well.
[. . . .]
--
Copyright 1999 by Gary Farber; For Hire as: Web Researcher; Nonfiction
Writer, Fiction and Nonfiction Editor; gfa...@panix.com; Northeast US
Greg Morgan
>>So we must spend $20 a script on thestation.com for a B5 script...
>>
>>just thought you'd be interested to know that for $20 you can buy a
>>multimedia CD which includes ALL 175 Deep Space Nine scripts along with
>>their video promos. Same thing for Next Generation. Why didn't you do
>>this?
>
>First, is this CD by any chance licensed?
Yes, it's licensed.. it's done by Simon & Schuster. (the same folks
who do the CD-ROM version of the ST Encyclopedia)
--
"Its not whether you're paranoid Lenny, its whether you're paranoid
enough." - Strange Days
Gharlane of Eddore
>
> The logical connection between failure to saturate popular culture
> and specific script sales policies eludes me.
In <19991124203335...@ng-fs1.aol.com> pel...@aol.com
(Pelzo63) writes:
>
> one thing noone seems to be mentioning here is that the Trek stuff
> has a *publisher*(simon and schuster?). the B5 Scripts are
> essentially being *Made To Order* through the fan club.
> if JMS wanted to produce a CD with all the scripts, he would have
> to find a company both capable of mass publishing them, and willing
> to do it. with B5's low "culture saturation", i doubt many companies
> would be willing to take the risk.
>
You're not clear on production costs of CD-ROMs, are you?
Just as a hint, when you buy a ten-dollar music CD-ROM, about
twenty-five to fifty cents ( depending on production run size and
artist pay contract ) pay for the CD and packaging. The rest is
profit, although a percentage of that gets explained away in creative
book-keeping.
You can make a *huge* profit on an in-house-produced twenty-dollar
CD-ROM, printing only a thousand. Print ten thousand, and your
per-unit costs drop even farther.
If the B-5 people choose not to produce a script-collection CD-ROM,
it's because they've *chosen* not to, not because it wouldn't be
profitable, or easy to do. ( Hint: the scripts are already in
computer-readable form; they have been from the outset! )
There are a bajillion small-volume CD-ROM production companies out
there that would do it inexpensively, if they wanted to keep it
down to "Official B-5 Fan Club" levels.
The logistics are *NOT* an issue, nor is the profit margin.
If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen because someone doesn't
want to do it; and since the Someone involved owns/honchos the
series, it's not really our call, except insofar as it's a free
country and griping is fun.
Gary Farber
: Nathan Shafer <sha...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
: news:383C28...@earthlink.net...
Yeah, but it's missing the line "an intelligent carrot? The mind
boggles!"
So how good could it be?
;-)
Carpenter's version is far more true to Campbell's classic "Who Goes
There?," of course.
Even without James Arness.
Gary Farber
: ste...@radix.net wrote:
:> The logical connection between failure to saturate popular culture and
:>specific script sales policies eludes me.
: one thing noone seems to be mentioning here is that the Trek stuff has a
: *publisher*(simon and schuster?). the B5 Scripts are essentially being *Made
: To Order* through the fan club. if JMS wanted to produce a CD with all the
: scripts, he would have to find a company both capable of mass publishing them,
: and willing to do it. with B5's low "culture saturation", i doubt many
: companies would be willing to take the risk.
If JMS wanted to make a CD, it could be burned in someone's basement, and
distributed any number of ways, including usual bookstore and software
distributors. Overhead on this is about as low as can be.
M.E. Tonkin
Gary Farber wrote:
> IIf JMS wanted to make a CD, it could be burned in someone's basement, and
> distributed any number of ways, including usual bookstore and software
> distributors. Overhead on this is about as low as can be.
>
Warner Brothers owns B5, lock, stock and barrel. I cannot see them
going along with a garage CD production studio and distribution system..
MET
Steve Brinich
> Thanks Steve for pointing out the leap in logic I made in my head did
> not make on the computer. The point I was aiming for, and apparently
> missed, ST can sell scripts on a CD to a massive audience. Cultural
> saturation led me to assume that even the curious fan (I talking those
> who just know the names and watch a show every now and then - not a
> diehard fanboy type) would pick up ST scripts. Since B5 hasn't
> saturated the culture that much, to do a CD may not be cost effective
> because there may not be as many curious fans. Therefore, the
> individual script sales may be the most cost effective for B5 right
> now.
Actually, I rather doubt that the casual fan is particularly likely to
buy scripts -- on the surface, it's just getting the same old story in an
unfamiliar and difficult format. The people who appreciate the
significance of the writer's intended POV and the like are the hardcore
fans, a smaller market in which B5 is more competitive vis-a-vis ST.
> Where I live, the CCG is very hard to find. It was out in several
> stores around town. Sales didn't make that a popular item to keep
> around. For this, it must be regional.
There was a special two-deck large-boxed set designed for marketing
outside the usual channels (bookstores, software shops, etc), which I'm
guessing is what you saw. I gather that the experiment, like similar
experiments with other CCGs outside the WotC juggernaught, was not as
successful as originally hoped. However, the game continues to sell
reasonably well in its native environment (the gaming specialty store).
Steve Brinich
> How is the "man in the monster suit" here any worse than the Icarran
> "man in the monster suit"?
Perhaps because the latter set up a rather good scene (Garibaldi
confronting Sinclair about his tendency to take unwarranted risks),
whereas the former simply let to a lame "geez what a day..." shaggy-dog
punchline to a wretchedly silly plotline.
The B plot of "Grey 17 Is Missing" redeems the episode, however.
Mac Breck
Steve Brinich <ste...@Radix.Net> wrote in message
news:3845BFE8...@Radix.Net...
> The B plot of "Grey 17 Is Missing" redeems the episode, however.
Right, the Neroon/Marcus interaction at the end was precious.
Mac
Pelzo63
what do you say that we all gather up some money and pay JMS to re-film the
Garibaldi/Sheridan scene so that garibaldi says; "you wouldn't believe the
DREAM i had." ;-)
----Chris AOL/AIM--pelzo63
http://members.aol.com/pelzo63/welcome.html
Alls o' Dat yackin' bouts dat der dicshunairy stuff on hear be takin up dat
sevrer room.
Mac Breck
Mac
Pelzo63 <pel...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991213021509...@ng-cq1.aol.com...
BRETNTRACI
... nightmare...
Mac Breck
BRETNTRACI <bretn...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991215192837...@ng-fs1.aol.com...
> >LOL! Not a bad idea! The Zarg and Grey 17 would work as a dream.
>
> ... nightmare...
on Elm Street?
Pelzo63
>on Elm Street?
::breaks out into classic DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince song::