Well guys, I got the DVD set (had it pre-ordered) and have watched The Gathering, which I waited to
watch all this time so I could go straight into the 1st season without delay, and the 1st episode.
All I can is, WOW! We finally get to see Babylon 5 in it's more native format, and it looks
FANTASTIC!! Razor sharp picture, crystal clear sound. It's a true pleasure to get to see Babylon 5
in such a high quality presentation! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
And I'm very pleased to see Babylon 5 blowing away the competition in the sales area (it already beats
them in the quality category, no matter what else happens!). [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
I can just imagine the shocked look on the faces of the suits when they saw how great Babylon 5 is,
and how many fans want to own it.
It's time for Sector 14 to prepare to finish Babylon 5: Into the Fire, as the suits will no doubt
be eager to see the rights turned back over the dev team so they can give the many fans of B5 what
they obviously want. The tremendous sales of the DVD set shows how huge fan interest is. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
The license is not the problem - the problem is that sierra owns the game material they produced and refuses to sell it to anyone, there is nothing wb can do about that. That is why ITF died.
Keyan: I'm all too well aware of what the problem is, I've been here at the B5:ItF forum since before
time began waiting for this space combat sim to finally be released. hehe [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
The suits at Sierra will change their mind and sell the material when enough money is offered, and with
the super high sales of the DVD set, WB will figure out a way to put together the money to make
it happen. The fan interest is at stratospheric levels, WB now knows that beyond any doubt.
Right now, B5:ItF is a huge loss for Sierra, since they didn't have the sense to finish the game
and release it. They are going to want to recoup as much of those losses as possible. And WB
can, and I think will, make that happen now that they see how hot the Babylon 5 property is,
how eager the fans are for more, and that there is a fantastic B5 space sim with much of the work
already done that just needs an updated graphics engine to be ready for release fairly quickly
after work resumes. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
The suits at Sierra who are responsible for the game's cancellation are long gone.
It's very possible that Sierra doesn't even know where the ItF material is. I got the impression that was the case a year ago. Probably lost in a warehouse somewhere, if they still have it.
[quote]WB will figure out a way to put together the money to make it happen. The fan interest is at stratospheric levels, WB now knows that beyond any doubt.[/quote]
Warner Brothers can't force Sierra to do anything with the ItF material. It's Sierra's intellectual property. Sierra spent money having it made, and although they can't use it for anything, they can't be forced to sell it.
[quote]Right now, B5:ItF is a huge loss for Sierra, since they didn't have the sense to finish the game and release it. They are going to want to recoup as much of those losses as possible.[/quote]
Sierra has probably largely forgotten about ItF. It's not like they're sitting on it and waiting for something to happen. The game was cancelled, and everything related to it was packed away (or sold, as was the case with the promotional stuff (watches, posters, mouse pads, etc.). They've probably written the loss off their 2000 taxes and put it to rest.
[quote] And WB
can, and I think will, make that happen now that they see how hot the Babylon 5 property is,
how eager the fans are for more, and that there is a fantastic B5 space sim with much of the work
already done that just needs an updated graphics engine to be ready for release fairly quickly
after work resumes. [/quote]
Again, WB can't force Sierra to do anything with ItF.
[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 11-24-2002).]
samuelk: No one said anything about forcing Sierra to do anything. I said WB can work out something
so that enough money can be put together that Sierra will willingly sell all the material (video,
game code, etc.) related to B5:ItF. Sector 14 came fairly close to putting together such a deal
just last year. I assume the only thing preventing the closing of the deal was having enough
funds to get Sierra to go for it. This is where the huge sales for the B5 DVD set comes in.
This shows an extreme level of fan interest in B5 to the execs at WB, and they have the ability
to help Sector 14 get the funding put together somehow to make the deal with Sierra happen so we can
get B5:ItF out in a fraction of the time it would take to make a game from scratch. This means
a relatively quick return on investment with a first-class game bearing the Babylon 5 name. And that
has got to appeal to WB.
And if the same suits that caused us grief are gone from Sierra, that's a good thing, then they
won't be around to get in the way this time. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
samuelk: Perhaps you're not understanding. What I'm talking about has nothing to do with WB giving Sierra
another B5 license, no one in their right mind would give them a license for anything after their
recent conduct. I'm talking about buying the assets of B5:ItF off of Sierra and WB licensing the B5
computer game rights to Sector 14 so that Sector 14 can finish this great game that they have already
done so much work on.
Sierra's license for B5 has probably already expired, so it would be a simple matter for WB to license
to a competent company this time (Sector 14) who already knows the design of the game and will finish B5:ItF
and have this great sim on the market in a relatively short amount of time. Sierra would have nothing
to do with the project at all. With the huge sales of the Babylon 5 DVD set, WB can see how extremely high
fan interest is in B5, and thus it would be in their interest to help Sector 14 get ownership of all
the assets of B5:ItF so they can finish this game and have it on the market quickly.
This is precisely what Sector 14 tried to do last year, but I guess they couldn't come up with
enough cash to get Sierra to agree. But with the B5 DVD set being a best seller, I think WB will step
in and try to facilitate Sector 14 buying all the B5:ItF assets so they can get to work on the game
as soon as possible and give WB a flagship Babylon 5 game title who's high profile will enhance
the value of the Babylon 5 property.
[quote]Originally posted by Dunedain:
[b]I'm talking about buying the assets of B5:ItF off of Sierra and WB licensing the B5
computer game rights to Sector 14 so that Sector 14 can finish this great game that they have already done so much work on.[/b][/quote]
I know precisely what you're talking about. But what you're not understanding is that while everyone here knows how great a game B5:ItF was going to be, to Sierra it was just another cancelled game. Games come and go all the time.
Warner Brothers will NOT try to buy the ItF property from Sierra. It doesn't make financial sense to do so.
If they want a B5 game made, they would sell a license to another company so THEY can make a game.
Warner Brothers doesn't make games like ItF. If they bought the ItF materials, they would have to find someone to learn the code and then finish it.
Why would WB do that when they could just sell a license to a company to make a game from scratch?
[quote][b]Sierra's license for B5 has probably already expired...[/b][/quote]
It expired a couple of years ago.
[quote][b]...so it would be a simple matter for WB to license to a competent company this time (Sector 14) who already knows the design of the game and will finish B5:ItF and have this great sim on the market in a relatively short amount of time. Sierra would have nothing to do with the project at all. With the huge sales of the Babylon 5 DVD set, WB can see how extremely high fan interest is in B5, and thus it would be in their interest to help Sector 14 get ownership of all the assets of B5:ItF so they can finish this game and have it on the market quickly.[/b][/quote]
What makes you think Sector 14 still wants to finish the game? It't time to move on.
[quote][b]This is precisely what Sector 14 tried to do last year, but I guess they couldn't come up with enough cash to get Sierra to agree.[/b][/quote]
It wasn't just that. There was another attempt to get the game off the ground (with Sector 14's help) that fell through because too much time had passed, and it just wasn't a viable option any more.
[quote][b]But with the B5 DVD set being a best seller, I think WB will step in and try to facilitate Sector 14 buying all the B5:ItF assets so they can get to work on the game as soon as possible and give WB a flagship Babylon 5 game title who's high profile will enhance the value of the Babylon 5 property.[/b][/quote]
You're saying this as if Sector 14 is just waiting around for WB to drop the ItF material in their collective laps. It doesn't happen that way.
[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 11-24-2002).]
I'm not saying WB will buy the B5:ItF assets from Sierra themselves, but they may be able to help
facilitate Sector 14 hooking up with the right people to get enough financial backing to get those assets.
There is no faster or better way to get a top-quality B5 game (with actual B5 video footage, no less)
on the market than doing it this way. And it's in WB's interest to make that happen if at all possible.
If the Sector 14 guys could make this deal happen now, I don't think they'd pass up the opportunity.
It would be the ultimate victory over the forces of corporate stupidity and give us (dev and fan alike,
we're all Babylon 5 fans, after all) rapid access to the first ever Babylon 5 space combat sim,
so we can all play it until we collapse. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that. But certainly the news of the Babylon 5 DVD set
selling at an incredible rate boosts our chances significantly.
On to victory! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
[quote]Originally posted by Dunedain:
[b]Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that. But certainly the news of the Babylon 5 DVD set
selling at an incredible rate boosts our chances significantly.
On to victory! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img][/b][/quote]
Well it certainly has shown WB that the show is as popular as ever, and though good dvd sales doesn't necessarily translate into potential game sales, its still very positive. It may give WB the reason to breathe new life into the B5 universe by renewing licences etc. It must be so satisfying for JMS to see that his show is still having a profound impact.
Just a thought, going back to IFT and Sierra. Vivendi, Sierra's parent company are in deep financial trouble. They need money fast. So anything that can be dragged in would be welcomed, including the sale of the unfinished ITF. Makes financial sense, its an asset that has demand and is not making any money. Still though, the stubborn nature of Sierra will probably still stop it. Would be nice if one could speak to someone high up in Vivendi and point out whats going on. Of course things might change is Vivendi spin off Sierra which has been mentioned. If such a thing happened, we'd have to very carefull that no assets get lost in the transfer. We don't want another Netter Digital cock up.
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]www.NialB5.com[/url].
[This message has been edited by Falcon1 (edited 11-25-2002).]
Falcon1: I agree, this opportunity must be seized for all it's worth. The Sector 14 folks hopefully
will get a hold of WB and see what they can make happen when they point out they have the potential
to finish a first class Babylon 5 combat sim and have it on store shelves in a short period of time.
All it would take to make this work is a bit of a boost in funding over what could be put together
last year. With B5 sales soaring, now is the ideal time to get that needed funding. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by Dunedain (edited 11-25-2002).]
Well, if that is the case, perhaps at least some of them can get on the dev team to finish the game
with whatever company gets the B5 computer game license and assets to complete B5:ItF. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
Let's hope that is not the case. Especially as the video footage would be a real pain to have to reshoot. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
I think it would have to be a completely new story as anything similar to ITF would have Sierra doing a wobbly and waving lawyers above their heads. Any potential video footage would have to be new I think. The ITF video is gone. Sad really...
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]www.NialB5.com[/url].
Comments
watch all this time so I could go straight into the 1st season without delay, and the 1st episode.
All I can is, WOW! We finally get to see Babylon 5 in it's more native format, and it looks
FANTASTIC!! Razor sharp picture, crystal clear sound. It's a true pleasure to get to see Babylon 5
in such a high quality presentation! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
And I'm very pleased to see Babylon 5 blowing away the competition in the sales area (it already beats
them in the quality category, no matter what else happens!). [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
I can just imagine the shocked look on the faces of the suits when they saw how great Babylon 5 is,
and how many fans want to own it.
It's time for Sector 14 to prepare to finish Babylon 5: Into the Fire, as the suits will no doubt
be eager to see the rights turned back over the dev team so they can give the many fans of B5 what
they obviously want. The tremendous sales of the DVD set shows how huge fan interest is. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
time began waiting for this space combat sim to finally be released. hehe [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
The suits at Sierra will change their mind and sell the material when enough money is offered, and with
the super high sales of the DVD set, WB will figure out a way to put together the money to make
it happen. The fan interest is at stratospheric levels, WB now knows that beyond any doubt.
Right now, B5:ItF is a huge loss for Sierra, since they didn't have the sense to finish the game
and release it. They are going to want to recoup as much of those losses as possible. And WB
can, and I think will, make that happen now that they see how hot the Babylon 5 property is,
how eager the fans are for more, and that there is a fantastic B5 space sim with much of the work
already done that just needs an updated graphics engine to be ready for release fairly quickly
after work resumes. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
It's very possible that Sierra doesn't even know where the ItF material is. I got the impression that was the case a year ago. Probably lost in a warehouse somewhere, if they still have it.
[quote]WB will figure out a way to put together the money to make it happen. The fan interest is at stratospheric levels, WB now knows that beyond any doubt.[/quote]
Warner Brothers can't force Sierra to do anything with the ItF material. It's Sierra's intellectual property. Sierra spent money having it made, and although they can't use it for anything, they can't be forced to sell it.
[quote]Right now, B5:ItF is a huge loss for Sierra, since they didn't have the sense to finish the game and release it. They are going to want to recoup as much of those losses as possible.[/quote]
Sierra has probably largely forgotten about ItF. It's not like they're sitting on it and waiting for something to happen. The game was cancelled, and everything related to it was packed away (or sold, as was the case with the promotional stuff (watches, posters, mouse pads, etc.). They've probably written the loss off their 2000 taxes and put it to rest.
[quote] And WB
can, and I think will, make that happen now that they see how hot the Babylon 5 property is,
how eager the fans are for more, and that there is a fantastic B5 space sim with much of the work
already done that just needs an updated graphics engine to be ready for release fairly quickly
after work resumes. [/quote]
Again, WB can't force Sierra to do anything with ItF.
[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 11-24-2002).]
so that enough money can be put together that Sierra will willingly sell all the material (video,
game code, etc.) related to B5:ItF. Sector 14 came fairly close to putting together such a deal
just last year. I assume the only thing preventing the closing of the deal was having enough
funds to get Sierra to go for it. This is where the huge sales for the B5 DVD set comes in.
This shows an extreme level of fan interest in B5 to the execs at WB, and they have the ability
to help Sector 14 get the funding put together somehow to make the deal with Sierra happen so we can
get B5:ItF out in a fraction of the time it would take to make a game from scratch. This means
a relatively quick return on investment with a first-class game bearing the Babylon 5 name. And that
has got to appeal to WB.
And if the same suits that caused us grief are gone from Sierra, that's a good thing, then they
won't be around to get in the way this time. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
That would require giving Sierra a license to produce B5 games, and WB will NEVER grant Sierra another license again.
It would be more economical for a new game to be made rather than pay to start up an old one.
another B5 license, no one in their right mind would give them a license for anything after their
recent conduct. I'm talking about buying the assets of B5:ItF off of Sierra and WB licensing the B5
computer game rights to Sector 14 so that Sector 14 can finish this great game that they have already
done so much work on.
Sierra's license for B5 has probably already expired, so it would be a simple matter for WB to license
to a competent company this time (Sector 14) who already knows the design of the game and will finish B5:ItF
and have this great sim on the market in a relatively short amount of time. Sierra would have nothing
to do with the project at all. With the huge sales of the Babylon 5 DVD set, WB can see how extremely high
fan interest is in B5, and thus it would be in their interest to help Sector 14 get ownership of all
the assets of B5:ItF so they can finish this game and have it on the market quickly.
This is precisely what Sector 14 tried to do last year, but I guess they couldn't come up with
enough cash to get Sierra to agree. But with the B5 DVD set being a best seller, I think WB will step
in and try to facilitate Sector 14 buying all the B5:ItF assets so they can get to work on the game
as soon as possible and give WB a flagship Babylon 5 game title who's high profile will enhance
the value of the Babylon 5 property.
[b]I'm talking about buying the assets of B5:ItF off of Sierra and WB licensing the B5
computer game rights to Sector 14 so that Sector 14 can finish this great game that they have already done so much work on.[/b][/quote]
I know precisely what you're talking about. But what you're not understanding is that while everyone here knows how great a game B5:ItF was going to be, to Sierra it was just another cancelled game. Games come and go all the time.
Warner Brothers will NOT try to buy the ItF property from Sierra. It doesn't make financial sense to do so.
If they want a B5 game made, they would sell a license to another company so THEY can make a game.
Warner Brothers doesn't make games like ItF. If they bought the ItF materials, they would have to find someone to learn the code and then finish it.
Why would WB do that when they could just sell a license to a company to make a game from scratch?
[quote][b]Sierra's license for B5 has probably already expired...[/b][/quote]
It expired a couple of years ago.
[quote][b]...so it would be a simple matter for WB to license to a competent company this time (Sector 14) who already knows the design of the game and will finish B5:ItF and have this great sim on the market in a relatively short amount of time. Sierra would have nothing to do with the project at all. With the huge sales of the Babylon 5 DVD set, WB can see how extremely high fan interest is in B5, and thus it would be in their interest to help Sector 14 get ownership of all the assets of B5:ItF so they can finish this game and have it on the market quickly.[/b][/quote]
What makes you think Sector 14 still wants to finish the game? It't time to move on.
[quote][b]This is precisely what Sector 14 tried to do last year, but I guess they couldn't come up with enough cash to get Sierra to agree.[/b][/quote]
It wasn't just that. There was another attempt to get the game off the ground (with Sector 14's help) that fell through because too much time had passed, and it just wasn't a viable option any more.
[quote][b]But with the B5 DVD set being a best seller, I think WB will step in and try to facilitate Sector 14 buying all the B5:ItF assets so they can get to work on the game as soon as possible and give WB a flagship Babylon 5 game title who's high profile will enhance the value of the Babylon 5 property.[/b][/quote]
You're saying this as if Sector 14 is just waiting around for WB to drop the ItF material in their collective laps. It doesn't happen that way.
[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 11-24-2002).]
facilitate Sector 14 hooking up with the right people to get enough financial backing to get those assets.
There is no faster or better way to get a top-quality B5 game (with actual B5 video footage, no less)
on the market than doing it this way. And it's in WB's interest to make that happen if at all possible.
If the Sector 14 guys could make this deal happen now, I don't think they'd pass up the opportunity.
It would be the ultimate victory over the forces of corporate stupidity and give us (dev and fan alike,
we're all Babylon 5 fans, after all) rapid access to the first ever Babylon 5 space combat sim,
so we can all play it until we collapse. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
That's far from accurate.
There is absolutely no information to suggest that Sector 14 is willing to do this.
They tried their best, but as far as I know, they've all moved on.
[This message has been edited by samuelk (edited 11-24-2002).]
selling at an incredible rate boosts our chances significantly.
On to victory! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
------------------
[b]4 Thousand Throats can be cut in one night by a running Warrior[/b]
[b]Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that. But certainly the news of the Babylon 5 DVD set
selling at an incredible rate boosts our chances significantly.
On to victory! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img][/b][/quote]
Well it certainly has shown WB that the show is as popular as ever, and though good dvd sales doesn't necessarily translate into potential game sales, its still very positive. It may give WB the reason to breathe new life into the B5 universe by renewing licences etc. It must be so satisfying for JMS to see that his show is still having a profound impact.
Just a thought, going back to IFT and Sierra. Vivendi, Sierra's parent company are in deep financial trouble. They need money fast. So anything that can be dragged in would be welcomed, including the sale of the unfinished ITF. Makes financial sense, its an asset that has demand and is not making any money. Still though, the stubborn nature of Sierra will probably still stop it. Would be nice if one could speak to someone high up in Vivendi and point out whats going on. Of course things might change is Vivendi spin off Sierra which has been mentioned. If such a thing happened, we'd have to very carefull that no assets get lost in the transfer. We don't want another Netter Digital cock up.
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]www.NialB5.com[/url].
[This message has been edited by Falcon1 (edited 11-25-2002).]
will get a hold of WB and see what they can make happen when they point out they have the potential
to finish a first class Babylon 5 combat sim and have it on store shelves in a short period of time.
All it would take to make this work is a bit of a boost in funding over what could be put together
last year. With B5 sales soaring, now is the ideal time to get that needed funding. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by Dunedain (edited 11-25-2002).]
with whatever company gets the B5 computer game license and assets to complete B5:ItF. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]www.NialB5.com[/url].
------------------
'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://www.nialb5.com"]www.NialB5.com[/url].