Isn't he the director and default overseer for the entire trilogy now?
Lucasfilm announces a new direction for the Star Wars EU
- Thread starter Chris3123
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It's funny that "SW is dead" is passed around - something tells me the level of marketing/merchandising coming up will be inescapable. Maybe not as much as Episode I was (I think some companies lost their shirts from some miscalculations) but it'll definitely be up there.
I believe the former CEO of Hasbro lost his job by overestimating the demand for SW Episode I merchandise.
The avalanche of Episode I toys and merchandise was so torrential that you could still find them hanging on markdown pegs in major retail chains two years after the movie premiered. There was a lot of desirable and quality product made, but some of it (especially towards the end and right before Hasbro transitioned to new Star Wars toy lines and packaging) was very poorly distributed and extremely hard to find in stores.
Just mention the Sio Bibble, TC-14 and Swimming Jar Jar Binks figures to most collectors and they'll tell you what the market was like.
Just mention the Sio Bibble, TC-14 and Swimming Jar Jar Binks figures to most collectors and they'll tell you what the market was like.
TC-14 was hard to find, wasn't he? Now Darth Sidious...
The first Darth Sidious pegwarmed everywhere. The second (Holographic) figure that recycled the same mold, only with translucent purplish plastic and some flesh highlights for his hands and lower face, was very hard to track down. I found him, but just one copy.
I got a second one, but not until many years later.
Yeah, at least the Sith Speeder Bike figure had knee joints and a more dynamic design so he could sit on his vehicle. The original, single-carded Maul figure ("Final Duel") was white hot stuff 15 years ago this past weekend (Episode I toys and merchadise were officially released at midnight on May 3, 1999), but quickly outclassed by practically every Darth Maul action figure that came afterwards.
A good launch, but in hindsight they ended up offering the weakest figure first.
A good launch, but in hindsight they ended up offering the weakest figure first.
That's not hindsight, just good marketing. If they offered the best figure first, what would motivate fans to buy any after that?
Well, yeah, I realize that but it's amusing looking back and remembering that the crappiest action figure was the one that generated the most excitement of any Darth Maul that's ever been made. Naturally they could only offer the figure(s) that existed at that moment, but the aforementioned Sith Speeder figure (released on the exact same day) was superior in most respects yet seemed like an afterthought to many buyers and collectors.
"Oh, there's two of him? Really?"
That's the toy business and movie merchandising for ya.
"Oh, there's two of him? Really?"
That's the toy business and movie merchandising for ya.
Darth Maul was hard to find? I was able to get him right away. In fact I was able to snatch up all the major Episode I characters with little to no trouble when they were released.
I found Darth Maul that very first day, but he was in the shortest supply of any of the Wave 1 / launch figures and hard to come by. There were just a handful left by the time I got to my local Toys "R" Us, but enough for me to snag every important character (and several lesser ones) the first day the new figures were out.
A similar situation happened three years later when Episode II figures first hit. The red Royal Guard, Clone Trooper with the tripod cannon and Count Dooku were the hot figures to look for during the Midnight Madness product launch in 2002 and many stores didn't even get some of the first figures that were released (27 basic carded figures were officially released that first day, though some stores got only the first sixteen or seventeen).
A similar situation happened three years later when Episode II figures first hit. The red Royal Guard, Clone Trooper with the tripod cannon and Count Dooku were the hot figures to look for during the Midnight Madness product launch in 2002 and many stores didn't even get some of the first figures that were released (27 basic carded figures were officially released that first day, though some stores got only the first sixteen or seventeen).
In my area, he was basically impossible to find, even on launch day (granted, I didn't hit the store at midnight like a lot of collectors did). And it wasn't just here. I remember reading in Toyfare (man, I miss Toyfare) at the time about the scarcity of Wave One Darth Mauls. Aparrently they were fetching premium prices on the secondary market back then.
Quite.
The ONLY thing you might be able to pin on JJ is making a crap film. Nothing else. It's not his decision, he's an employee, accept it.
Also, having read way more of it than I rally should, I'm fairly sure that the vast majority of the EU fell somewhere between 'utter crap' and 'very average'. Even the much vaunted Thrawn trilogy was only 'pretty good'. None of the EU came anywhere near the original movies...
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Well, that's your opinion. Some people love the EU, and I'm one of them. People calling it bad doesn't make it bad. I've read a lot of it, and the amount of stuff I haven't liked is extremely small. People seem to like to bitch about it, but I'm far from the only Star Wars fan who loves it, and I know I'm not the only one who likes the EU in general more than even the good SW movies. Its fine to have a different opinion on it, but someone not liking it doesn't mean make someone's opinion subjectively "correct". EU bashing is really popular on TrekBBS, but its when its bashed with the implication that there aren't a huge amount (relatively speaking) of fans who enjoy it that annoys me. Sure, its not a movie sized audience, but for a book series its big. Its lasted for decades, many books have been super popular, and I'd say its the most effective extended universe based off of a Sci Fi franchise ever (superhero stuff obviously not counting in Sci Fi).
Pretending like its just some mediocre group of content barely enjoyed but all but the most hardcore nerds, which some people seem to like to dismiss it as, is just stupid. Your lack of enjoyment is obviously not something widespread enough to keep the EU from having been enjoyed by many, many people for years. Even the so called "bad" EU stuff, like people saying it got "bad" after New Jedi Order series, hasn't held it back. If Disney wasn't making a movie, it would most likely have gone on, still remaining profitable, for a long time.
Well, I was VERY enthusiastic. I started buying the novels in 1977 and when the Zahn 'relaunch' started I naturally got the hardback. I read everything that came out and to be honest, didn't pay much attention to how good it was.
As more and more novels were released it became more and more difficult to keep up - the schedule certainly increased, and I kept on buying. About half way through the Vong war I'd fallen somewhat behind and I realised that I really was still reading through pure inertia - I wasn't actually enjoying them any more, so I quit, and I haven't regretted it.
I had pretty much quit Trek novels too - for much the same reason. It was reading about Destiny that piqued my interest. I picked the trilogy up as a holiday read and although I still don't think it's quite as good as it's cracked up to be, it got me into the 'relaunch' and I was surprised at just how good some of it was. I've been back on board ever since.
I'm therefore very happy the SWEU is getting it's own relaunch. I didn't like the old one and I'm hoping for better this time around.
I realise you did like the old EU, but the new one really could be an improvement. I doubt you'd admit it, but there really could be something in it for you.
As more and more novels were released it became more and more difficult to keep up - the schedule certainly increased, and I kept on buying. About half way through the Vong war I'd fallen somewhat behind and I realised that I really was still reading through pure inertia - I wasn't actually enjoying them any more, so I quit, and I haven't regretted it.
I had pretty much quit Trek novels too - for much the same reason. It was reading about Destiny that piqued my interest. I picked the trilogy up as a holiday read and although I still don't think it's quite as good as it's cracked up to be, it got me into the 'relaunch' and I was surprised at just how good some of it was. I've been back on board ever since.
I'm therefore very happy the SWEU is getting it's own relaunch. I didn't like the old one and I'm hoping for better this time around.
I realise you did like the old EU, but the new one really could be an improvement. I doubt you'd admit it, but there really could be something in it for you.
So, wait a minute... It bothers you when people call something you like crap? *gasp*
And do you have numbers to back up your implication that the books have been all that profitable? Not that I don't believe you. I'm just curious to see some numbers on the readership of the Star Wars novels. History shows that typically things get less popular and there are fewer consumers buying this media as time goes on. There are exceptions to the rule and I'm just kind of curious where this series lies.
People calling something bad doesn't make it bad?
Really?
Really?
People calling something bad doesn't make it bad?
Really?
I am just fucking speechless.
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