The Spiritual Successor!!

[Jan]

But that would never happen because they think along the terms of, to quote Delenn, ôMine. Mine, mine, mine mine mine.ö

Not to mention that the various departments of WB simply don't ever cooperate with each other - they're in competition with each other. They don't seem to take a long view and that's pretty much been apparent from the very beginning since WB never had a loss on B5, it was already paid for by the affiliate stations.

Jan

[Triple F]

A good point. It was the stations that paid for the production of the show. Maybe thatÆs a pretty big factor when it comes to negotiation as well, they possibly still own a piece of the pie.

I was just reading something about TLT being filmed for hi-def, and this goes back to what constitutes a high enough audience/demand. When TLT came out jms said something to the effect that the sales far exceeded expected figures and WB was a very happy bunny. But IÆve read folk say (though donÆt know what the source is) that a hi-def release of TLT didnÆt happen due to a lack of sales of the DVD. Does anyone know anything about this. Was there a hi-def release for the Xbox that was talked about back in the day.

[Jan]

As I recall, there were one or two ways of getting TLT in hi-def but I don't recall them offhand because they weren't venues I had access or interest in. One of the old threads has the info, I'm sure.

I've never heard anything but that WB was happy with the sales so without a source, I have to think that 'folks say' is just that, just talk, no hard facts.

Jan

[Jonas]

The really funny thing is (and this is the socialist in me typing) if the studio gave what would amount to a free licence to a reputable game company to produce just the game, then the possible renewed interest (with potentially million of new fans) would pay huge dividends for the existing B5 products. But that would never happen because they think along the terms of, to quote Delenn, “Mine. Mine, mine, mine mine mine.”

This is true. If WB was interested, though, I'm pretty sure a deal could be worked out. I'm sure there are plenty of game studios that would jump at the chance to do a proper B5 game. (Which of course is a moot point, because WB isn't interested. Still, if JMS ever considered going in that direction, he might be able to push them that way. It's a smaller commitment that a feature film or a series.)

[Garibaldi's Hair]

This is true. If WB was interested, though, I'm pretty sure a deal could be worked out. I'm sure there are plenty of game studios that would jump at the chance to do a proper B5 game.

I am not so sure. If we here consider Mass Effect as B5's spiritual successor, then any game of similar format released as an official B5 game would be (probably rightly) regarded as an irrelevance just hanging onto ME's coat tails ... no matter how it was.

On the wider note of JMS involvement, JMS did openly state that if WB really wanted to do more B5 without him then there was nothing to stop them ... except the measure he put in place to ensure that the show ended when the intended 5 year story did.

Click here

[Jonas]

I am not so sure. If we here consider Mass Effect as B5's spiritual successor, then any game of similar format released as an official B5 game would be (probably rightly) regarded as an irrelevance just hanging onto ME's coat tails ... no matter how it was.

The way the games industry works... nah. Originality is a very rare thing, and any successful game will instantly be imitated. And unlike other imitators, a B5-based game in the style of Mass Effect would actually make sense from design perspective.

If it's done well, it wouldn't be a problem.

[lotjx]

Mass Effect is more of spiritual successor to Star Wars than B5. There is not a lot of diplomacy in that game, a lot of running and shooting. If you would do a proper B5 game you would have to base it on something like Dragon Age where you go around building alliances and using diplomacy or LA Noir where there is action, but its secondary to the actual investigations and stories.

[Jonas]

Mass Effect is more of spiritual successor to Star Wars than B5. There is not a lot of diplomacy in that game, a lot of running and shooting. If you would do a proper B5 game you would have to base it on something like Dragon Age where you go around building alliances and using diplomacy or LA Noir where there is action, but its secondary to the actual investigations and stories.

Not a lot of diplomacy? Building alliances is an essential aspect of the game, and there are plenty of situations you can simply talk your way out of.

[Commander Raiden]

Fact of the matter is THERE WAS a B5 game in the offing, ie it was being produced by Sierra games, but as usual just like with the planned movies, despite developments on the game project it never took off and ultimatley got cancelled..(Info is available on wikipedia I think as well as the site unseen64...)

That game would not be like Mass Effect, as it was based around you being a combat pilot in a starfury etc.. and graduating through the ranks etc...

A B5-Mass Effect clone would TOTALLY work, as you are going around the citadel in Mass effect, same scenario could be your going around the B5 station, as you have to appear in front of the council in Mass Effect, same could work you'd would have to appear before the interstellar alliance!!

RPG with a dose of space-combat, and you've got it...if done right it would totally re-invigorate Babylon 5 like never before....

Anyway while B5 possibly gets a new documentary, MASS EFFECT 3 IS ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!!! CGI trailer is available on youtube (trailer..) and you could imagine instead of the Reapers invading earth, its the shadows!!

[JoeD80]

Fact of the matter is THERE WAS a B5 game in the offing, ie it was being produced by Sierra games, but as usual just like with the planned movies, despite developments on the game project it never took off and ultimatley got cancelled..

Sierra had a massive re-org which killed *all* their adventure type games; King's Quest/Space Quest/etc. The Babylon 5 project wasn't singled out for cancellation.

[Joe Nazzaro]

I would love to see some of that footage, which I believe was directed by Janet Greek and featured several key cast members including Bruce Boxleitner. Then again, if it was being done for a game, I suppose a lot of it would be bridging dialogue between FX shots like, 'Watch out for that Centauri raider!' and stuff like that, which wouldn't be all that interesting out of context.

[Reverend]

I would love to see some of that footage, which I believe was directed by Janet Greek and featured several key cast members including Bruce Boxleitner. Then again, if it was being done for a game, I suppose a lot of it would be bridging dialogue between FX shots like, 'Watch out for that Centauri raider!' and stuff like that, which wouldn't be all that interesting out of context.

From what I gather from the articles that were published in the official mag back in the day, they were full on FMV sequences that bridged the actual gameplay with an overarching (and supposedly branching) narrative. I've seen still photos of most of the major cast members on set and in full costume, plus a few of Wayne Alexander as an EF Admiral, plus some other Misc new characters that the game would introduce.

Not sure what the quality would have been like as back then, even the best FMV was very low resolution, even by the standards of the day. For comparison, this is what the FMV of a Trek game made around the time looked like. On the positive side though, the B5 footage was shot on the actual sets and the fully rendered CGI was done with actual show assets so it would have avoided the over dependence on dodgy bluescreen compositing.

...but yes, I'd also love to see that footage!


As for Mass Effect; firstly, I just want say I'm a huge fan (no joke, I have over six femSheps) and one of the first things that crossed my mind when I played the first game was "this would make a great B5 game." The view from the presidium in particular looks like a cross between the central core and the Zocalo.

Secondly though, while I have no doubt that B5 was a major influence, it's far from being the only influence. Just about every major sci-fi property is drawn from, from Star Wars and Star Trek to Battlestar Galactica, Ender's Game, Foundation and a dozen more. I should also stress that while there are heavy influences all round (Quarians & Geth = Colonials & Cylons, Rachni = Formics, Biotics = B5's Telepaths etc.) they're not ripping anyone off. There's plenty of originality in there too, just as JMS drew from many influences like Lensman & Lovecraft (which ME also uses BTW) but kept things fresh and new.

Now, while I think it'd be *fantastic* to see the same people tackle a B5 game, I can't see it ever happening. Indeed, from what I gather the whole idea of Bioware coming up with their own IPs like Mass Effect and Dragon Age grew out of their experience doing Knights of the Old Republic for Lucasarts. If they own the IP themselves they're not constrained by another party's influence and (perhaps, more to the point) they don't have to worry about paying a licence fee that'll cut into their profits.

P.S. If there are any none gamer types who are curious and not concerned with spoilers (Jan, I'm looking at you!) I recommend having a look at these two very well put together vids, for just a tastes of what the ME 'verse is like: Mass Effect In 10 Minutes & Mass Effect 2 In 10 Minutes (WARNING: may contain upto half a second of gratuitously out of focus, alien side boob & derriere!)

P.P.S. I should point of for those not familiar with Mass Effect that those vids represent only one version of the story. Being an RPG there are a number of things that can be done differently, not least of all the appearance and gender of the protagonist, Commander Shepard, which one of two main characters you choose to leave behind to die and whether or not to kill or set free the last survivor of a species that was once the scourge of the galaxy.

[KoshN]

No Jonas you need something else, but this is neither the time nor the place.

@ Jan
Yeah, I’m pretty sure cost is the reason behind it, especially when you look at the kind of TV that is being remade, or getting a cinema release. Film/TV sci-fi, especially spaced based sci-fi aint cheap (stating the obvious ; ). Besides, if the original series continues to sell well, and on a DVD format, then the studio has no real incentive (at this point in time at least) to take the financial risk to do another show, or upres what’s already been released.

Now THERE'S a Catch-22!!! If it continues to sell well, they have no incentive, AND if it doesn't continue to sell well, there's no interest and they have no incentive.

B5 JUST CAN'T WIN. Face it, Warner Brothers will ALWAYS have an excuse, no matter the circumstances.

BTW, yes, I know that Warner Brothers didn't say the stuff to which I replied above. I was just presenting the other side of the coin, and I can read their minds.

[David Panzer]

I just hope Warner's doesn't start including box office performance of their movies as why they won't bother with B5. I forget the last Warner's movie I saw in a theater.

[Garibaldi's Hair]

I just hope Warner's doesn't start including box office performance of their movies as why they won't bother with B5. I forget the last Warner's movie I saw in a theater.

All hail the new business model. Time the studios starting accounting for it.

If nothing else, they need to realise that with the take-up of Blu-Ray and the advent of ultra-high speed internet greater weighting should be given to those distribution models. There is even an argument there for high budget releases aimed directly at the download and Blu-Ray market rather than putting everything but the cheap stuff into theatres first.

For me, going to the cinema will always be an event I am prepared to spend hard-earned cash on because of the spectacle and the experience, however, I am sure that many others would prefer to download and watch at their convenience in surround sound on a 50" HD television or projector system in the comfort of their own living rooms.