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Starwars.com closes its forums

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 (Edited)

http://forums.starwars.com/ann.jspa?annID=3

It seems strange that they would do this a few months before the Blu-Rays are released. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that this is because they know they will be getting a lot of flak when they are released from OT fans. But who knows.

 
 

Mod Edit: a working link to the StarWars•com announcement that the Official Star Wars Message Boards were closing, can be found here:-

https://web.archive.org/web/20110408135243/http://forums.starwars.com/ann.jspa?annID=3

A screenshot of the page can be seen here:-

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ESB:REVISITED

DONATIONS TOWARDS MATERIALS FOR THE REVISITED SAGA

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Censorship in its most shameless form- shutting down the public forum to avoid criticism. They know they did an awful job on the BDs and are just doing damage control.

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I have a bad feeling about this.

It's not about the Blu-Rays.

It's something... elsewhere. elooosive.

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I do have a feeling that they have done something so bad to the OT that they know it will all blow up, so they shut the forums down before anything is seen. Probably something like completely replacing Sebastian Shaw this time with Hayden, replacing the puppet Yoda in the OT with a CG version or some other monstrosity.

It doesn't look good :(

ANH:REVISITED
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DONATIONS TOWARDS MATERIALS FOR THE REVISITED SAGA

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adywan said:

I do have a feeling that they have done something so bad to the OT that they know it will all blow up, so they shut the forums down before anything is seen.

Well, it does coincide with Sansweet getting out of Dodge.

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 (Edited)

Damnit.  I can't get the link to work.  Or is the link not working the sign that the forum is closed? =P

And is it closed now, or is it closing at some point in the near future?  Has there been any lead up or prior announcement in regards to this, or did thousands of Star Wars fans turn on their computer one morning only to find that their message board was dead?

EDIT:  Nevermind.  The link's working now. =P

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Maybe they'll burn the original negatives of the OT on live television.

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I've never spent much time there. Lurked a bit. Seemed like an unhappy place, to be honest. I can't say why, just gave me this feeling of "circling the drain" for some reason. I've actually read complaints along those lines, that some people had been on that forum for 10 years, and their kids had practically grown up in the time since they joined. Maybe the admins felt the board had run its course and was becoming redundant. But then, you'd think they'd see an explosion of new discussion with the release of the blu-rays, which brings it back to adywan's point about fear that the new releases will spark overwhelmingly negative discussion.

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Oh, I can almost see it already, colored Stormtroopers like the Ep.3 Clones, Gungans in the cantina, Greedo now shoots seven times and his eight shot ricochets and kills him...

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adywan said:

I do have a feeling that they have done something so bad to the OT that they know it will all blow up, so they shut the forums down before anything is seen. Probably something like completely replacing Sebastian Shaw this time with Hayden, replacing the puppet Yoda in the OT with a CG version or some other monstrosity.

It doesn't look good :(

I would hope that's one line that's never crossed. George has been on record about leaving OT Yoda alone. He thought Frank Oz deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance after all!

Between the Clone Wars and the upcoming Blu Rays, it seems a curious time to shut down an officially sanctioned message board. Even if things were less than lively, it can't be a big money hole for them?

Forum Moderator

Where were you in '77?

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 (Edited)

Maybe that's it.  Maybe they are re-vamping the forums so members have to pay to get in.

EDIT:  Maybe I should have read their page first.  I remember the last time I took one of SW.com's polls of future features.  The forum was lame then (had it changed?) so I didn't vote it as a high priority.  So the SW forums go down, Sluggo will take all of the blame.  At least we have TFN, right?!  hehehe!

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I find the idea that they're closing due to fears of backlash is asinine. We are far in the minority, you understand - even if respected internet/video quality critics agree with us, I can assure you the forum would be filled with gushers praising that it was finally on blu-ray.

I must have visited their forums once or twice before and don't remember being impressed with the layout. Perhaps they're considering an upgrade? Whatever. I've got you people.

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

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I think "official" forums are just going the way of the dodo. Nintendo did it a few years back, and considering the type of people those boards usually attract, I'd wager it's for the best.

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bkev said:

I find the idea that they're closing due to fears of backlash is asinine.

Now I agree with you, these comments here make me laugh.

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bkev said:

I find the idea that they're closing due to fears of backlash is asinine. We are far in the minority, you understand - even if respected internet/video quality critics agree with us, I can assure you the forum would be filled with gushers praising that it was finally on blu-ray.

I must have visited their forums once or twice before and don't remember being impressed with the layout. Perhaps they're considering an upgrade? Whatever. I've got you people.

I think that's it as well.  It's now common practice for companies to take their fan\marketing interaction into a more publicly connected venue, i.e. Facebook.

A James Bond board I'd been a member of for about seven years recently did the same thing.  No warning, just a sudden downing of the server and a replacement forum with a Facebook feel and Facebook connectivity - log-in through Facebook, click here to "like" this post or "share" this topic.  Years of discussions gone  in an instant.  No apologies, no real explanation.  Just a sort of cavalier "this will be better, you'll like it, it's social".  I didn't recreate my account and instead jumped ship to a different board, as did many others.

Social Media has become the powerhouse for uber-connected, real-time, target audience interaction.  On Facebook Star Wars, people will be free to gush, "like", share, and discuss to their heart's content.  It will be much more visible (better marketing), and it will be cleansed of negative comments daily.

It will be more of the "everything is exactly what the fans want" lie that Lucas still insists on vomiting.  It will be a Lucas\fanbase utopia.  It will be revised history - and best of all - it will be on Facebook, so it must be true.

2+2=5

 

Forum Moderator
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Ziggy Stardust said:

You're quite the Debbie Downer, no?

We live in the 21st century. Every day is a little worse than yesterday.

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emofrevious said:

Ziggy Stardust said:

You're quite the Debbie Downer, no?

We live in the 21st century. Every day is a little worse than yesterday.

 

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Doesn't facebook have an age restriction?  There's going to be a lot of SW fans under the age of 13? without a place to type.

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This just makes me more determined not to buy this release come September.

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bkev said:

I find the idea that they're closing due to fears of backlash is asinine. We are far in the minority, you understand - even if respected internet/video quality critics agree with us, I can assure you the forum would be filled with gushers praising that it was finally on blu-ray.

I must have visited their forums once or twice before and don't remember being impressed with the layout. Perhaps they're considering an upgrade? Whatever. I've got you people.

 

This is very true. The few times I’ve read this forum I noticed it is mostly frequented by the pro-“Special Edition” crowd. It is an unfriendly forum for original trilogy fans. So, I just choose not to look at it.

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I wouldn't be surprised if GL did add more to the Blu Rays. He prlly looked at his PT and compared it with the OT and realized, "Man! so much inconsistency! i really screwed up!"

So he fixes it by going back to the OT and revamps it.

Seem logical here?