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JMS hints at some new info...

T

The_One

Regular
I just saw this on a post from JMS on www.jmsnews.com

The first is just an update about the DVDs - but the second thing looks most interesting - any ideas on what it could be about?

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Finally, I'm writing an intro for the B5 DVDs, which are proceeding along well
and this should prove to be a very nice little package.

(Okay, I lied, one last-last thing...after the 12th of July or so there will
likely be a small announcement from WB that's B5 related. Can't comment more
than that, and it isn't anything major a la a new series or a movie or the
like, but I suspect a certain sub-set of B5 fandom will be most pleased by the
information.)

[/quote]

JMS sure loves to confuse...
 
Shaal Mayan wrote: "Speaking in the tongue of the vorlons Hmm "

I've long suspected JMS is THE FIRST ONE. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
 
I think the second part is also about the DVDs. Don't forget, while a leak from the National Captioning Institute freed JMS to comment on the DVD release, Warner Home Video still hasn't made any kind of official announcement about them. Not a peep, not a word. So I think that's what is coming on July 12th. Frankly there aren't any other B5 projects that I'm aware of in the works that would be announced by Warner Bros. The graphic novel and Dell reprints would be announced by their respective publishers. And if there's anything else happening in the world of B5, I'm not aware of it.

I guess it is possible that they've renewed some of the licensing agreements that they let lapse last year (in the hope of getting a better price later if Rangers became a series.) But, again, I would expect the announcementx to come from the licensees, as they did when the contracts expired.

Regards,

Joe
 
It would make sense that it's the DVDs - but I'm kind of confused by the "certain sub-set of B5 fandom" remark.

If it's just the general DVD announcement, then that should be something that pleases more than just a "certain sub-set" of fans. (Not to mention that the majority of the fans on the newsgroup are already aware of the 1st season coming out.) Maybe an official announcement regarding DVDs in more regions than R1? Or with some specific, as yet unannounced (by JMS or anyone) extras that some people have been wanting?

The "certain sub-set" thing sounded like some sort of cryptic hint, and it's hard for me to believe it just means a general season 1 R1 DVD set announcement.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
If it's just the general DVD announcement, then that should be something that pleases more than just a "certain sub-set" of fans.

[/quote]

The "certain sub-set" would be those who have been salivating for the DVDs - which does not include all B5 fans. There are something like 28 million stand-alone DVD players in the United States at the moment. And about 100 million VCRs. DVD is the fastest-growing and most successful new format in consumer electronics history, but it's only five years old. There are plenty of folks who don't have DVD players or DVD-ROM drives, for whom a B5 DVD release would not be of immediate interest.

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Maybe an official announcement regarding DVDs in more regions than R1?

[/quote]

Or, conversely, just an announcement of the R1 release, with no information about releases elsewhere at this time. That would be good news for a sub-set of a sub-set: Those who own DVD players and happen to live in North America (or have region-free players and are willing to import.)

Regards,

Joe
 
I think it's the official DVD release announcement. Since he said it wasn't a movie or series announcement, I don't know what else it would be.

Tammy
 
Warner Brothers may have produced a Babylon 5 game, although that may count as a major announcement.

Is the Warner Brothers channel only available to a restricted number of people? If so, something may turn up there.

JMS said it will soon be 10 years since "The Gathering". Warner Brothers may wish to make some sort of retrospective on it.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Warner Brothers may have produced a Babylon 5 game, although that may count as a major announcement.

[/quote]

As far as I know Warner Bros. does not make computer or video games. If anyone else were doing so, which is incredibly unlikley, they would probably be making the announcement.

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Is the Warner Brothers channel only available to a restricted number of people? I so, something may turn up there.

[/quote]

The WB Network is about as well distributed as UPN, meaning that it is available to somewhere around 90% of American households, more like 100% in the major markets. The WB has consistently refused to have anything to do with any projects in the B5 univerese, in part because of internal politics, in part because of their target demographic. The WB could have picked up B5 S5 and they could have completed Crusade S1 had they wanted to. They passed in both cases. Why would they be interested in something now, years after both series went out of production. Also JMS explicitly said that the announcement is not about a new series or TV movie.

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
JMS said it will soon be 10 years since The Gathering. Warner Brothers may wish to make some sort of retrospective on it.

[/quote]

That would be of interest to more than a "sub-set" of B5 fans. Besides, who would air it? Sci-Fi? If so, Sci-Fi would probably make the announcement. But I can't see either of them announcing such a thing in July if the show isn't going to air until February. It wouldn't exactly be the kind of "event" programming that you start building a buzz for six months in advance.

I still don't see any likely candidates for a July announcement other than the DVDs - and it would be just like JMS to make an explicit reference to something he can say about the DVDs in one paragraph, then drop a hint about something he can't talk about relating them in the next.

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Maybe Crusade on DVD also? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[/quote]

Not a chance.

They haven't officially announced the first B5 set yet. And that announcement will be limited to just that first set. Warner Bros. won't make a final decision on S2 until they see the sales figures for S1. Crusade? It will probably come eventually, but don't hold your breath. I wouldn't expect to see it released until after B5 S5 is out.

The only thing I can say with any confidence about Crusade's potential on DVD is that it will be less than B5's. Even a lot of die-hard B5 fans either dislike Crusade or don't like it well enough to pay to own it. Warner Home Video is going to have to look at the B5 sales numbers and try to figure out what percentage of that market will also buy Crusade. If the numbers are high enough to return a profit, they'll release the show, if not, not. They can't even start evaluating Crusade until they have a couple of season's worth of B5 DVD sales numbers to play with.


Regards,

Joe
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />

As far as I know Warner Bros. does not make computer or video games. If anyone else were doing so, which is incredibly unlikley, they would probably be making the announcement.



[/quote]

Warner Brothers is adverting a game of Scooby-Doo The Movie on the Babylon 5 message boards at the moment. The official publisher appears to be Warner Brothers. I do not know who wrote it, AOL?
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Warner Brothers is adverting a game of Scooby-Doo The Movie

[/quote]

Click on the link, that's a board game not a computer or video game. (You may be too young to remember board games. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif) They also offer a VHS tape with four episodes from the original TV show, a sleeping bag and a chair. Not a computer game in sight.

Even if there were a computer game, a tie-in product for a new movie (probably produced by a game company under license) and a brand-new retail game based on a show that's been out-of-production going on five years, and is in its umpteenth round of reruns, are two very different propositions. Don't forget, when Sierra was ramping up their B5 game, the show was still a going concern, there were more TV movies to be made, and everyone had high hopes for Crusade.

A lot has changed since then, especially since Rangers went nowhere. I really don't see this as a time for third-parties to be jumping on the B5 bandwagon. Del Rey doing some more books is different. They have their own sales results on previous releases to base that decision on. Ditto Warner Bros. and the DVDs, they've been having people beg for those for years, and the sales of the first disc showed there was money to be made doing it.

But I just don't see TV networks, computer game companies or others suddenly rushing to Warner Bros. to do some kind of project based on B5. The whole point of that sort of thing is to get a little synergy going with a current movie or prime time series. Not something running Monday through Thurdsay at 5 PM on The Sci-Fi Channel.

Maybe if the DVDs are a big hit will see some more interest, but I don't think we'll see any otherwise. (Barring a B5 feature film, which would really put it in the Scooby Doo category.)

Regards,

Joe
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />

Click on the link, that's a board game not a computer or video game. (You may be too young to remember board games. ) They also offer a VHS tape with four episodes from the original TV show, a sleeping bag and a chair. Not a computer game in sight.


[/quote]

I try to avoid clicking on those adverts, since it normally causes problems. I remember board games. I have even got the Babylon 5 games. /forums/images/icons/blush.gif

There is a free download Babylon 5 game coming out soon. However, it is unlicensed so I will not post a link to it.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
There is a free download Babylon 5 game coming out soon. However, it is unlicensed so I will not post a link to it.

[/quote]
Why not give a link? There's nothing wrong if it's unlicenced. I haven't heard that giving a link to unlicenced freeware game is bad thing. And it looks to be a damn good game (i hope it is /forums/images/icons/smile.gif ).

Sigma
 
Given that I rarely follow copyright law in every detail, and given that Warner always has the possibility for offering a licensing agreement to IFH, I cannot quite see why people should not post links to their game project, or express interest in it.

Being non-profit in nature, it generally resembles fan fiction... quite beneficial in my book. It can only increase interest for Babylon 5.

I cannot see how a copyright holder could disagree with the development of harmless derivative works, in fields which they refused to pursue. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
<font color="yellow"> Originally posted by Lennier: </font color>
I cannot see how a copyright holder could disagree with the development of harmless derivative works, in fields which they refused to pursue.

[/quote]

WB could say that it if the game is poorly done, it could hurt their ability to make a profit in that arena in the future.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
I cannot see how a copyright holder could disagree with the development of harmless derivative works, in fields which they refused to pursue.

[/quote]

"refused to pursue"? Warner Bros. pursued Into the Fire quite vigorously. It isn't their fault that Sierra screwed the pooch. A copyright holder may not choose to pursue, or be able to pursue, certain kind of derivative products at a given time. That doesn't mean they surrender their right to do so in perpetuity, or that others have the right to create such products without permission. The existance of a freeware game now would substantially reduce the market for a commercial game two years from now. So they have every right in the world, legal, moral, and ethical, to prevent other people from using their property without their permission - whether or not profit is involved.

Right now interest in a commercial game by PC game makers is probably at a very low ebb, for reasons stated above. Again, not something that Warner Bros. has any control over. So why should they suffer? Good sales of the DVD might change that - provided the potential licensees don't think the potential market has been destroyed by a freeware game.

BTW, Kosh, the quality of the product is irrelevant, since Warner Bros. is harmed either way. Cheap knock-offs damage the image of the show and reduce the value of the trademarks in the mind of the public and other potential licensees. Very good knock-offs directly compete with current or future licesned products. A really killer freeware game would all-but wipe out the potential audience for a future commercial game.

Bottom line: If Antony wants to avoid trouble by not linking to copyrighted material like the short stories or the unfilmed Crusade scripts, I can't imagine he'd want to see links to an unauthorized game.

Regards,

Joe
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
<font color="yellow"> Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino: </font color>
BTW, Kosh, the quality of the product is irrelevant, since Warner Bros. is harmed either way. Cheap knock-offs damage the image of the show and reduce the value of the trademarks in the mind of the public and other potential licensees. Very good knock-offs directly compete with current or future licesned products. A really killer freeware game would all-but wipe out the potential audience for a future commercial game.

[/quote]

Sorry, I guess is should have bothered to list all possibilities, instead of just one. How thoughtless of me! I didn't know that absolute completeness was a requirement for all posts. Yes, your encyclopedic answer certainly invalidates my one example. /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Bottom line: If Antony wants to avoid trouble by not linking to copyrighted material like the short stories or the unfilmed Crusade scripts, I can't imagine he'd want to see links to an unauthorized game.

[/quote]
stupid question.....but why is fan-fiction allowed and this freeware game isnt?

Sigma
 
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