MrNonacho said:
Haha, Lucas and one-time purchase should not be used in the same sentence. How many versions of the original trilogy has he released?
Which was exactly my point. He can't go on doing that FOREVER, and this way he could ensure that a constant stream of revenue was coming in. There are only so many super-special editions we are all gonna line up for. Personally, I haven't bought one since the Definitive Edition on LaserDisc. But before that, I bought at least three VHS sets, and I know many people bought much more.
This is more long-term thinking - if he can make a presentation that cannot be replicated in the home, he's got us by the wallet as long as we slobber over his films. I bet even he is getting tired of tinkering with the films, and once the standard Ep III DVD hits late this year, sometime next year we'll see the super-duper-be-all-end-all set for DVD. It may not stop him from trying to sell ultra-super-duper sets, but the audience will be more limited. He can avoid that whole mess by making you have to go to a theater to see the film, which gets him a cut every time.
As to the prospects of Blue-ray and such, except for computer applications (back-up, etc.) I have a feeling they are going to be like SACD, miniDisc, SuperVHS - technologies that are better but not necessarily superior. Most people were happy with VHS, for cryin' out loud, and only moved to DVD because of availability and the inherent functionality of a disc-based format.
Most people are more than happy with DVD, and aren't even using it to it's full potential anyway (how many people actually use component output and a progressive scan monitor?).
It's always fun speculating about Lucas, because you never really know what he's going to do. I just keep hoping someday he'll feel he needs a Star Wars dark-ride...with an animatroinc Carrie Fisher telling us that we are her only hope.
AEfx
