Paperboy Posts: 25 Joined: 11 Aug 2004     | |
Copy Clerk  Posts: 72 Joined: 16 Mar 2008    | I actually, literally, laughed out loud while reading this article. It was only for a few seconds, but for me, that's a lot. At one point, I almost felt sorry for you, Mr. Spanner, but then I realized that your parents were the real victims of this particular money-grabbing, opportunistic, merchandising phenomenon. The way these things target children, who have not yet developed enough common sense, is truly insidious. Well written. Thanks. |
Beat Writer  Posts: 223 Joined: 6 Dec 2007     | This was well done, but I'm not sure that it's relevant to the site or gaming as a theme. The merchandizing that was done in the name of making Star Wars THE thing to have surely has impacted the way games are sold to us, no? |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 617 Joined: 13 Jul 2006   | I'm reminded of the prequel trilogy in which some characters were given oddly short scenes only to never be seen again. At first, I thought it was bad editing. Like, "Oops. You forgot the cut that one out guys. Why waste screen time with something that doesn't really impact the movie later on?" And then I realized that the effort involved in shooting and placing that scene in the movie would pay dividends... not in the quality of the film, but in the merchandising. Commander Cody... need I say more? |
BANNED  Posts: 5167 Joined: 26 Feb 2008    | I first discovered Star Wars with the Special Edition release. Since then I have managed to collect over 115 of the books (I am missing the Junior Jedi Knights series and four of the early release books as well as two of the newer books. A grand total of around 13 books.) This has been going on since I was 14, and over the last 9 years, I have invested every cent of my allowance as well as up to 1/6 of my paycheck (As recently as 14 months ago, I spent over $100 in one day on books) collecting them. I know the books, even the entire collection, will probably not be worth the $2,500+ I spent on them, but they are priceless to me... User was banned for: Ipod Saves Girl's Life. (Permanent) |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1044 Joined: 12 Apr 2009     | obsession is scary and yet strangely beautiful thing |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 4169 Joined: 6 Sep 2008    |
This is...true
...also this
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Pulitzer Laureate  Posts: 718 Joined: 20 Oct 2008   | I was kinda looking forward to seeing your collection, but I guess not. Good article though. |
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The Dark Side
"Of course, Star Wars was popular when it was first released. But it wasn't the sudden, galaxy shattering event we like to remember. It was a good kids' movie that everyone could enjoy; the revolution came much later. In fact, I'd argue Star Wars didn't really happen until The Empire Strikes Back.
"And for me personally, it wasn't even the sequel that cemented the Jedi mythology in my consciousness. It was the licensing; the merchandising phenomenon that actually paid for the next two movies and recouped the costs of the original. That's what really spread the Skywalker name across cinematic history and drew me toward the Dark side of Star Wars obsession at such a vulnerable age."
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