- Post
- #213128
- Topic
- Lucas is a businessman - Don't believe what he says
- Link
- https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/213128/action/topic#213128
- Time
Lucas knows that he has three revenue streams at his disposal.
1) Releasing the Special editions on DVD and then proclaiming it will be the only version of Star Wars you will see on it. The fans will obediently buy because they still want Star Wars on DVD, and the only reason they will buy is they believe it will be the only taste of Star Wars on that format. This is major cash flow #1.
2) After the fans have obediently bought the SE versions on DVD, and sales slump to very low levels, Lucasfilm will come out and proclaim that Star Wars will be re-released with ADDED BONUS FEATURES that will contain the unaltered, theatrical versions which Star Wars fans wanted in the first place. Excitement grows! Fans are happy. They plan to make yet ANOTHER purchase for Star Wars on DVD just so they can get the unaltered versions. Yet, as more details emerge about the unaltered versions and how sucky they are going to look and sound, fan enthusiasm wanes. They are upset, they vow to not buy, but Lucasfilm then says...."Okay. We give you want you want finally, and you don't want it. I guess this means you really do prefer the special editions. This will be the final release of the unaltered versions ever, so get it while it lasts." Fans, dismayed, will obediently buy believing the words of Lucasfilm. This is cash flow #2.
3) After the fans have bought the SEs, and then the SEs with the unaltered versions as bonus features, a year or two from now as DVD begins to wane in popularity, Lucasfilm will release Star Wars ONE MORE TIME on DVD, THIS time with the unaltered, digitally remastered anamorphic widescreen versions. FANS ARE OVERJOYED! They will go out and buy Star Wars AGAIN on that media format. This will result in the BIGGEST cash flow for Lucasfilm yet and it their way of kissing DVD goodbye.
The cycle will no doubt continue on HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.
This is how Lucasfilm will continue to make the original Star Wars trilogy very profitable, because they know the fans are UBER fans who won't hesitate to buy multiple copies of the same movie. They are totally taking advantage of us.