Fang Zei said:

You know what I find the supreme irony of Star Wars?

There was never some huge petition to get the original theatrical versions of Close Encounters, Apocalypse Now, or The Exorcist released on home video. But when those flicks hit blu-ray the original versions were included almost as if it went without saying.

Or take any modern new release title that gets a director's cut on home video. More often than not, the theatrical cut is at least made available (they usually just throw it in the same package, again, as if it went without saying).

The special edition of Star Wars is so well-known that it's entered pop culture. "Greedo shooting first" is probably the most infamous change ever made to a film. I don't think I've ever met anyone who knew about Star Wars and didn't know it had been revised. I would suspect only kids who are like 5 right now have no clue about the history of the films.

That's what makes the situation so ridiculous and why I'm convinced this is all about Lucas milking Star Wars. As others have said, he knows that giving us a pristine restored OOT would be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Because it should go without saying, but those movies don't have a enormously arrogant director/writer to think the changes they make now improve stuff made in the 70's/80's. In all honesty it SHOULDN'T kill the goose as there will always be a better format to release the OOT on.