How much would you pay for exclusive Episode III content on StarWars.com?

**Tycho** · 06-02-2003

The Official Site, www.starwars.com is going to set up a "Hyperspace channel," where viewers can get exclusive Episode III content.

But are you ready for this? They're going to charge you for looking at it!

Will this be of tremendous value and enjoyment to the fans, or will this be a chance to pay a swindler like Watto for the chance to download windows media movies of Rick McCallum saying "he knows something but he can't tell you?"

Subcribers are also promised no pop-up ads. Meanwhile, regular advertising is running daily on the standard site's pages.

Perhaps their hosting charges and the quantity of images, movies, and data they are storing is large, but so is SirStevesGuide.com's. But here the staff doesn't charge you to view news content!

Star Wars is a phenomenon with the fans, and that manifests itself in financial opportunities for Lucasfilm by way of first selling millions of dollars in movie tickets, and then making residuals in everything from Hasbro's toys to Master Replica's realistic movie prop reproductions.

StarWars.com is one large, fascinating and alluring COMMERCIAL for their product empire. Will something on it now be worth paying for?

The last time I was thirsty, I did not put a quarter in my television set so I could watch a commerical about Coca-Cola before I decided to go out and buy one.

How do you guys think "the taxation of Hyperspace Routes to outlying websites" will effect the galactic website?

**bobafrett** · 06-02-2003

With as much cash as I have paid out for Star Wars figures, movie tickets, videos, DVD's, fan club subscriptions, and other collectibles, with a percentage going to George Lucas's pockets, I think he should let us continue to see the information for FREE!!!
It really peeve's me that the SW website would pull something like this. I'm not going to pay, I don't give a darn how much exclusive information they will put on there.

**Mandalorian Candidat** · 06-03-2003

Originally posted by bobafrett
With as much cash as I have paid out for Star Wars figures, movie tickets, videos, DVD's, fan club subscriptions, and other collectibles, with a percentage going to George Lucas's pockets, I think he should let us continue to see the information for FREE!!!
It really peeve's me that the SW website would pull something like this. I'm not going to pay, I don't give a darn how much exclusive information they will put on there.

I can't disagree with anything you've said, but I wouldn't mind shelling out a buck a month if they included online Insider and Bantha Tracks editions of the print versions. I probably won't get it just because I purposly don't want to watch any inside info on EP3 until the movie is released.

I hope no one buys into it and they end up giving it away.

**karinations** · 06-03-2003

>>The last time I was thirsty, I did not put a quarter in my television set so I could watch a commerical about Coca-Cola before I decided to go out and buy one.<<<

Exactly.

-V-

http://www.citizenv.com

**2-1B** · 06-03-2003

I would be delighted to pay 0 dollars and 0 cents.

**skeeziks22** · 06-03-2003

Pay to have them tell me about a bunch of stuff that they now send me via e-mail? I don't think so. Unlike many people I am still a fan club member and the magazine has sufficed so far.

I would find it hard to believe that many people that care enough about star wars to want to know that information would pay to get it... hopefully they put a bunch of money into making an amazing pay only website and have virtually no subscribers.

I love the internet because it is free... that is why I visit this site. If you make me pay to visit a site I simply go elsewhere. And what's to stop one person from paying for access, and then sharing all the information with anyone who wants it? One subscription could be split up between a multitude of people.

**Banthaholic** · 06-03-2003

I think I already paid when I signed up for the Fanclub. Why I should sign up for two 'servieces' just to not miss 'official' content is beyond me.
Why don't they offer this as an incentive to join the fan club?

I think they're making a huge mistake. What Family will subscribe? Not too many.. What hard-core collecotr will subscribe? Surely not me, I know that anything posted there will be available online elsewhere for free in no time.

I could care less about the documentaries and videos about E# I don't want spoilers. Nor have I ever taken the time to watch the free videos currently featured on SW . com Heck I rememeber when the E2 music video came out, for whatever reason the darn thing wouldn't let me sign in, so I had to visit 'another' website to view it.

Talk about down right greediness!!! They should take the efffort in the project and put it into script wrighting! Between this and Hasbro's distributuion, they might as well title E3 The Disappearance of Lifelong Fans

**stillakid** · 06-03-2003

Studios get enough free advertising as it is with the way "news" outlets flock to movie premieres and interview actors. This "exclusive content" is nothing more than a marketing tool, just like a commercial and, like Tycho said, who in their right mind would pay for that?

If they want me to buy their product (the movie), they can advertise to me like everyone else.

Besides, I think that Lucasfilm is being just a bit optimistic here. Had the Prequels been just as good as the OT or better, they might have had the "non fan" base clamoring for information in the same way that Lucas-ites do. The market for purchasing this kind of information is so small, I can't imagine what they hope to gain besides a few bucks from the gullible and the ire of everyone else.

**sexybith74** · 06-03-2003

I don't want to get too nerdy here, but isn't this how al that crap in Episode 1 started with the Trade Federation? You all have great responses so far in that we the fans already spend a LOT on this franchise, and we'll continue to spend in the future. But this stuff will be available elsewhere. I'm not going to be turning my back on SW anytime soon, but I will happily turn on the site for this outrageous request of loyal fans.
It's almost like your best friend suddenly charghing you for gas when you go to the places you guys always go anyway, like a pub or on a SW TOY HUNT!