For those who love comic books and Heroscape there is reason for rejoicing.
'Nuff Said.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Tulipomania Brings Eagle Games to Its Knees
Anyone who has read Charles Mackay's excellent Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds is familiar with the Seventeenth century phenomenon of Tulipomania. The rich of Holland became enamoured of the tulip and were willing to pay extravagant prices for them, thus the value of tulip bulbs increased to extremely high amounts. So high, in fact, that those who bought the bulbs soon stopped planting the tulips, only buying the bulbs for resale later, and the market died because there were no buyers. A similar thing happened to comic books in the early 1990s.
Since 2000, the classic game of poker has grown from a fringe casino/home game to a televised event on ESPN. In response, many gaming companies began to offer poker support products. Eagle Games was one such company. They made computer games, poker supplies, and sold poker books. Their poker sales surpased their boardgame sales and became the flagship of the company, so much so that when the market on poker declined they have recently run into trouble.
Eagle Games Inc. makes some wonderful games. Their re-release of Conquest of the Empire was excellent as were their adaptations of Railroad Tycoon and Age of Mythology from videogame to boardgame. I was eagerly awaiting their adaptations of Age of Empires III and Sid Meier's Pirates. Hopefully those products will still be able to be released. The gaming market is a tough racket, I hope they are able to recover.
Since 2000, the classic game of poker has grown from a fringe casino/home game to a televised event on ESPN. In response, many gaming companies began to offer poker support products. Eagle Games was one such company. They made computer games, poker supplies, and sold poker books. Their poker sales surpased their boardgame sales and became the flagship of the company, so much so that when the market on poker declined they have recently run into trouble.
From the President...
"Hello All,
The auction that has just been noticed by Amcore Bank is a part of a foreclosure process. Due to a sudden and severe downturn last year in the demand for poker products, Eagle Games, Inc. became insolvent and finally ceased operations on May 31, 2006.
The Eagle Games brand and the existing inventory is what is being sold at auction.
I am personally continuing to work on game design and development for Age of Empires and Pirates! (The guys at SDR are spearheading the actual game design for Pirates!) and expect that they will both be ready for publication this Fall/ Holiday season.
More details will be forthcoming after the auction on August 4th.
I appreciate the support that you have all shown Eagle Games in the past and hope that Eagle Games products are available for years to come. "
Eagle Games Inc. makes some wonderful games. Their re-release of Conquest of the Empire was excellent as were their adaptations of Railroad Tycoon and Age of Mythology from videogame to boardgame. I was eagerly awaiting their adaptations of Age of Empires III and Sid Meier's Pirates. Hopefully those products will still be able to be released. The gaming market is a tough racket, I hope they are able to recover.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Pandora Rocks My World
Those who frequent this site, both of you, might have noticed a little box on the right hand side of the page listing "stations." Those are links to internet radio stations that I created using the Pandora website.
I know, I know, the tech savvy among you are saying, "What took you so long Christian? Pandora's been around forever!" And follow this up with 50 sites that have better internet radio functionality. But I find the Pandora site amazing.
Since I first set up a station, I have not listened to one mp3 on my PC. I haven't had too. Pandora combines the ability to listen to music I already like, with a robust AI that finds songs that I might like. According to the website, that is the purpose "to find you more music you like." Boy does it ever.
Add to the quality of the music library, sorry no classical yet, the Pandora Backstage function provides a great amount of detail to whatever song/band you are listening to. In fact, the Backstage information is sufficient to waste hours of my time. Reading the bios/discographic information is a joy and makes me feel like I might actually be able to hold a conversation with Nick Hornby someday.
BTW, check out why they recommend songs to you when you give this program a whirl.
One example from a song recommended for me:
I wish I spoke about music like that on a regular basis.
I know, I know, the tech savvy among you are saying, "What took you so long Christian? Pandora's been around forever!" And follow this up with 50 sites that have better internet radio functionality. But I find the Pandora site amazing.
Since I first set up a station, I have not listened to one mp3 on my PC. I haven't had too. Pandora combines the ability to listen to music I already like, with a robust AI that finds songs that I might like. According to the website, that is the purpose "to find you more music you like." Boy does it ever.
Add to the quality of the music library, sorry no classical yet, the Pandora Backstage function provides a great amount of detail to whatever song/band you are listening to. In fact, the Backstage information is sufficient to waste hours of my time. Reading the bios/discographic information is a joy and makes me feel like I might actually be able to hold a conversation with Nick Hornby someday.
BTW, check out why they recommend songs to you when you give this program a whirl.
One example from a song recommended for me:
We're playing this track because it features punk influences, a subtle use of vocal harmony, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation, a vocal-centric aesthetic and minor key tonality.
I wish I spoke about music like that on a regular basis.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Mad Cowgirl Stuns New York Times, Interests Wisconsin Law Professor
Ann Althouse has posted a link to a review of a film that Luke Y. Thompson (you'll notice a link to his blog on the right) worked on. It even sounds like a recommendation.
Tecmo Super Bowl for the Masses
The video I posted with the simulation of the Sox/Mets World Series got me thinking about one of the all-time great video games, Tecmo Super Bowl. I still play this masterpiece of videogame football magic. Sure, I buy the new Madden every year and play the heck out of it, but there is something magic about Tecmo. A part of that magic, is the ability to pull off crazy plays like this.
Cinerati member Rob and I used to play a lot of Tecmo Bowl.
Cinerati member Rob and I used to play a lot of Tecmo Bowl.
NBC to Make Shows Available on Netflix Before Broadcast
In a bold move, NBC Television will be making the pilot episodes for two of their upcoming new series available for rental on the Netflix DVD rental service. According to the Netflix website a DVD with the pilots for both "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "Kidnapped" will be available for rental on August 8th, about 6 weeks before the new television season starts.
Here are the descriptions of the shows:
I have been looking forward to Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60" show with it's dramatic look at a fictional "Saturday Night Live," and I have already added the DVD to my queue. I might as well see if I like "Kidnapped" while I am at it.
I think that this marketing effort by NBC is shear genius. It allows me, the consumer, to feel like an "insider" by offering me a screener similar to what a professional movie critic might be given. All of this, just because I am a Netflix subscriber. I don't know if Netflix is paying NBC for the privilege of offering the episodes (as they would were it a series DVD), or if NBC is merely using Netflix in a marketing effort, for that matter I don't care. What I do like is that NBC is offering me, the consumer, an opportunity to watch their show at my leisure. This is even more cool that when I was able to watch the pilot of "Brotherhood" on Shotime On Demand weeks before the pilot aired.
UPDATE:
The Hollywood Reporter also has a blurb about the release.
Here are the descriptions of the shows:
"Kidnapped"
Ellie (Dana Delany) and Conrad Cain (Timothy Hutton) experience every parent's nightmare when their 15-year-old son is kidnapped and they must enlist a rescue expert (Jeremy Sisto) to save him. As the hours race by, secrets and motives begin leaking from every direction. In the same style as "24," the TV drama series is told from various perspectives
"Studio 60"
Network president Jordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) is emphatic about the reformation of a dysfunctional late-night sketch show and recruits reputable writers Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Trip (Bradley Whitford) to redeem Studio 60. Aaron Sorkin gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens when the camera stops rolling in this TV drama series.
I have been looking forward to Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60" show with it's dramatic look at a fictional "Saturday Night Live," and I have already added the DVD to my queue. I might as well see if I like "Kidnapped" while I am at it.
I think that this marketing effort by NBC is shear genius. It allows me, the consumer, to feel like an "insider" by offering me a screener similar to what a professional movie critic might be given. All of this, just because I am a Netflix subscriber. I don't know if Netflix is paying NBC for the privilege of offering the episodes (as they would were it a series DVD), or if NBC is merely using Netflix in a marketing effort, for that matter I don't care. What I do like is that NBC is offering me, the consumer, an opportunity to watch their show at my leisure. This is even more cool that when I was able to watch the pilot of "Brotherhood" on Shotime On Demand weeks before the pilot aired.
UPDATE:
The Hollywood Reporter also has a blurb about the release.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Serial vs. Episodic Television
Twice a year, the Television Critics Association holds their press tour at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. These press tours provide opportunities for television networks to market their products to the people who will be reviewing them in the upcoming season. You can think of the event as a kind of "upfronts for critics." Ray Richmond, of the Hollywood Reporter's Past Deadline blog, has been covering many of the presentations at the 2 1/2 week event. Much of the discussion has focused on what one would expect to read from a television critic's blog, with topics ranging from the upcoming CW lineup to Dan Rather's future with Mark Cuban's HDTV network. But Ray Richmond is more than just a Television Critic, he is also a media critic which means he reports on more than just TV and its business. Ray also writes articles critiquing the critics and revealing the behind the scenes discussions at the TCAs.
This year Richmond's articles have quickly shifted from discussions of what viewers can expect to a major behind the scenes discussion which is resulting in some heated debates among the critics. It appears that CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler started the frenzy when she was asked about viewer decision making processes and whether viewers choose a show by whether it is serial or episodic in nature.
According to Richmond's article, "[Tassler] tried to sell the idea that audience members really don't differentiate between serialized (i.e. open-ended) dramas and ones that serve up self-contained weekly storylines when making their longterm viewing decisions."
Tassler asserted that she thought, "it's purely about the quality of the programming."
Needless to say, given recent discussions at prior TCA events, this stirred up quite a question frenzy. According to Richmond, one critic asked, "but it wasn't so long ago that you guys were saying the reason why all of these 'CSIs' were so successful was the fact that people knew they were going to get a payoff at the end of the hour."
The subject of serial vs. episodic and audience choices is one dear to my heart and not without real merit outside my own aesthetic. When one considers that shows like "Threshold," "Invasion," "Heist," and "Surface" were all episodic shows cancelled before any major narrative was completed, one can see that there are stakes for both the audience and television writers. When shows like these are left hanging the loyal fans, few as they may be, are left wondering what has happened to their characters. And on a show like "Threshold," where the creators had three seasons outlined (Threshold, Foothold, and Stranglehold were the themes of those seasons), the writers can only morn the fact that their story will never be told.
Before I continue, it should be noted that "CSI: Miami" this year had a serial element which led to the season finale.
CBS even has two new serial scheduled for this fall, "Jericho" and "Smith." Both of which I am very interested in watching.
I love serial shows, but they have two potentially huge problems, both of which contribute to the debate.
The first problem arises if the show takes too long to resolve the "A" storyline and making the show feel stagnant. An example of this is summed up by one critic in the Tassler presentation, "You're saying that people at the end of the first season of 'Twin Peaks' didn't care that there was no revelation of who killed Laura Palmer?" I call this problem the "but we don't want the story to end" writer's block. This problem can manifest itself in other ways too. Shows can take to long to reveal what the underlying narrative really is, and who the protagonists/antagonists are. This is the "Invasion" problem. Shows can also stagnate in an endless cycle of almost identical episodes which fear moving the underlying narrative along too swiftly. I call this the "Threshold" problem. The storyline resolution, and stagnation, problem could be solved with networks (and creators) not being afraid to implement a "telenovela" approach and just write a 16 episode show, which might be followed by another "novel" with the same characters or it might not. Either way the story would be finished and writers wouldn't have to "prolong the inevitable."
The second problem is the network decisionmaking process itself. Networks, who are motivated by profit, have to decide whether to keep a show or drop it in a relatively short amount of time. This can cause shows, even good but "cult" shows, to end before the story is over which leaves fans hanging ("Firefly" anyone?). This is where the expanding marketplace and the interwebonetosphere can come in handy. Or at least, that has been a part of the discussion. One suggestion proposed, according to Richmond, is "posting all unaired episodes on a digital platform of some sort for those who need to discover what's gonna happen." [sic] This is a great idea, as far as it goes, but even given Richmond's pleasant mocking of the obsessed fan, that isn't very far.
That is often exactly what happens when DVDs are released. "Firefly" included extra episodes in its DVD collection,as did "American Gothic," but neither resolved the storylines. Audiences are left hanging. Narratively this is a bad thing, morally it isn't a thing at all, and financially it may be a necessary thing. If there aren't enough fans for a show, and trust me I have been one of those disappointed fans too many times to count, a show can't survive.
What I hope is that television executives are brave enough to continue offering serial television programs with interesting narratives. Those are actually the shows I find most interesting and in that way I disagree with Tassler. Given the choice between an excellent episodic show and an excellent serial show, I am going to choose the serial every time. And yes, that includes my gripes about Pirates 2 not having an ending. I just want Pirates 3 out tomorrow.
I guess it stems from my love of the old "Flash Gordon" serials and the desire to see real narratives worked out on the medium of television. It is hard to successfully convey the epic cycle in one hour. Could you imagine Wagner's Ring condensed to an hour?
This year Richmond's articles have quickly shifted from discussions of what viewers can expect to a major behind the scenes discussion which is resulting in some heated debates among the critics. It appears that CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler started the frenzy when she was asked about viewer decision making processes and whether viewers choose a show by whether it is serial or episodic in nature.
According to Richmond's article, "[Tassler] tried to sell the idea that audience members really don't differentiate between serialized (i.e. open-ended) dramas and ones that serve up self-contained weekly storylines when making their longterm viewing decisions."
Tassler asserted that she thought, "it's purely about the quality of the programming."
Needless to say, given recent discussions at prior TCA events, this stirred up quite a question frenzy. According to Richmond, one critic asked, "but it wasn't so long ago that you guys were saying the reason why all of these 'CSIs' were so successful was the fact that people knew they were going to get a payoff at the end of the hour."
The subject of serial vs. episodic and audience choices is one dear to my heart and not without real merit outside my own aesthetic. When one considers that shows like "Threshold," "Invasion," "Heist," and "Surface" were all episodic shows cancelled before any major narrative was completed, one can see that there are stakes for both the audience and television writers. When shows like these are left hanging the loyal fans, few as they may be, are left wondering what has happened to their characters. And on a show like "Threshold," where the creators had three seasons outlined (Threshold, Foothold, and Stranglehold were the themes of those seasons), the writers can only morn the fact that their story will never be told.
Before I continue, it should be noted that "CSI: Miami" this year had a serial element which led to the season finale.
CBS even has two new serial scheduled for this fall, "Jericho" and "Smith." Both of which I am very interested in watching.
I love serial shows, but they have two potentially huge problems, both of which contribute to the debate.
The first problem arises if the show takes too long to resolve the "A" storyline and making the show feel stagnant. An example of this is summed up by one critic in the Tassler presentation, "You're saying that people at the end of the first season of 'Twin Peaks' didn't care that there was no revelation of who killed Laura Palmer?" I call this problem the "but we don't want the story to end" writer's block. This problem can manifest itself in other ways too. Shows can take to long to reveal what the underlying narrative really is, and who the protagonists/antagonists are. This is the "Invasion" problem. Shows can also stagnate in an endless cycle of almost identical episodes which fear moving the underlying narrative along too swiftly. I call this the "Threshold" problem. The storyline resolution, and stagnation, problem could be solved with networks (and creators) not being afraid to implement a "telenovela" approach and just write a 16 episode show, which might be followed by another "novel" with the same characters or it might not. Either way the story would be finished and writers wouldn't have to "prolong the inevitable."
The second problem is the network decisionmaking process itself. Networks, who are motivated by profit, have to decide whether to keep a show or drop it in a relatively short amount of time. This can cause shows, even good but "cult" shows, to end before the story is over which leaves fans hanging ("Firefly" anyone?). This is where the expanding marketplace and the interwebonetosphere can come in handy. Or at least, that has been a part of the discussion. One suggestion proposed, according to Richmond, is "posting all unaired episodes on a digital platform of some sort for those who need to discover what's gonna happen." [sic] This is a great idea, as far as it goes, but even given Richmond's pleasant mocking of the obsessed fan, that isn't very far.
That is often exactly what happens when DVDs are released. "Firefly" included extra episodes in its DVD collection,as did "American Gothic," but neither resolved the storylines. Audiences are left hanging. Narratively this is a bad thing, morally it isn't a thing at all, and financially it may be a necessary thing. If there aren't enough fans for a show, and trust me I have been one of those disappointed fans too many times to count, a show can't survive.
What I hope is that television executives are brave enough to continue offering serial television programs with interesting narratives. Those are actually the shows I find most interesting and in that way I disagree with Tassler. Given the choice between an excellent episodic show and an excellent serial show, I am going to choose the serial every time. And yes, that includes my gripes about Pirates 2 not having an ending. I just want Pirates 3 out tomorrow.
I guess it stems from my love of the old "Flash Gordon" serials and the desire to see real narratives worked out on the medium of television. It is hard to successfully convey the epic cycle in one hour. Could you imagine Wagner's Ring condensed to an hour?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)