Speculation Why the NJO and Legacy Era are toast.

i love the poll results

 

On a side note, if Episode VII does introduce a wife (Mara or someone new) for Luke, what actress do you guys think would be best?

 

Something has gone wrong with the quoting

 

Kyris Cavisek:

So you think viewers wouldn't mind being casually informed near the start of episode 7 that Chewie died, that Han and Leia had three children but two of them died, that Luke had a wife but she was killed by Han and Leia's son – who was in turn slain by his twin sister? Because I really don't think episode 7 will start when Jacen, Jaina and Anakin were still in training and basically no important EU-original post-Endor characters (other than Thrawn) had died.

Again, I don't think viewers would appreciate this situation. I believe they will certainly be accepting of the creation/addition of Han and Leia's (and possibly Luke's) offspring. But to be told first of those new major (in terms of their familial affiliation to the Big 3) characters' existence and immediately thereafter of their deaths would IMO make viewers frown and wonder "rather than telling us, couldn't they show us how they died?" instead of focusing on episode 7 itself. Better for LFL to have all the Big 3's offspring be alive when episode 7 starts, and then show their deaths in a dramatically appropriate way during the ST.

Tim Battershell:

I really don't think the situation is as dire as you make it sound. Even if youngsters now prefer audio books to print ones, HP, Twilight and The Hunger Games had huge sales. But even if the situation is indeed as you describe, IMO those audio book-loving youngsters who will be interested in the EU after watching episode 7 will still represent a much larger number of potential long-term fans/customers than the current hardcore EU fans. And it's not like books, whether print or audio, will be LFL/Disney's only way to hook that demographic into the SW franchise – they've already mentioned they would be creating mobile games for social/portable media.

The-Eternal-Hero:

Because it's Star Wars, not Star Love and Peace. If we fans aren't reading about conflict in the GFFA, we create conflict among ourselves by arguing over all sorts of SW-related stuff.

 

WOuld you have cared about them and their story if at the start Empire Strikes Back Han and Leia were married and all that happened off screen?

 

I know Del Rey said that after FotJ they'd be focusing on standalone novels and/or trilogies rather than extended nine-book series, but did they come out and actually admit that their two nine-book series had been critical/commercial failures?

 

luke was still making out with leia soooo yeah that would have been odd

 

Did Disney really need to SAY that John Carter was failure or did not bothering to make the 2nd book into a movie tell us all that?

If those 9+ long book series were successful and liked by critics and readers, they'd do them. Clearly the feed back they are getting is that they aren't liked and people/critics want stand alone books or trilogies.

 

AFAICR, Christie Golden created them in Omen, JJM wrote the backstory.

Troy Denning in Apocalypse - possibly on instruction from 'on high', certainly in consultation with Leland Chee.

They're already in 'Legacy' era (LotF) - and it's a small matter of 80 years until the comics - Jaina, Allana, Tahiri and Ben will be rather elderly by then, if they are even still alive.

 

Well, ask a leading question....

 

Have you tried Farmville on a mobile? That's what it's been said that they're talking about.

 

The John Carter movie was a big flop at the box office, and the hard numbers proving that were available to anyone who visits boxofficemojo. As far as I know, there is no such easily-available source of information stating not just how much a particular Star Wars novel earned, but also comparing those earnings to those of similar novels past and present in weekly articles. Also, the John Carter movie isn't part of a huge media franchise for which fresh news and annoucements arrive nearly daily. I was just wondering if Del Rey might have made an official statement, or some higher-up posted somewhere, admitting the lack of success of their nine-book series, and I'd simply missed it.

Also, going from a three hardcovers/six paperbacks format for the first series to nine hardcovers for the second series at a time when plenty of people were and are still being hit hard by the economic crisis can't have been popular.

 

I haven't tried Farmville anywhere, actually. But if a Star Wars version of it entices youngsters to give the novels part of the franchise a chance, now or years later due to fond memories, then I'm all for it.

 

But you can tell/make an educated guess by what del Ray does. If something was working, liked by fans and critics and selling books, they'd continue to do it.

 

I'm sure they'll do more than that. I was always surprised that Lucas didn't take to mobile games and apps better.

The few things they have released are great and Angry Birds Star Wars is great fun.

 

True, we can make educated guesses, but I for one would like an official statement now and then. The way I hope we'll get one for the canon status of the EU (kept in part or in whole, deleted in part or in whole, or alternate universe?) instead of having to deduce that status for ourselves when we watch episode 7. And should the post-Endor EU be largely contradicted by episode 7, I'm sure there will be hardcore EU fans who will nevertheless spend long, futile hours trying to mesh the EU to the new movies. An official statement would make everything clear and prevent that kind of wasted time (and money if fans keep buying post-Endor EU material on the premise/hope that it will remain canon).

 

Not an official statement, but best information from Forum Staff (who have contacts), at the moment

50 ABY +

 

Regarding Episode VII, I think we'll know once we start seeing casting and getting story details and spoliers and trailers.

In regards to the books, you won't ever see that. There is no reason for del Ray to publiclly announce that their books aren't selling.

 

Exactly, this is where they are going. They brought Jag off the Imperial route. I wonder if they are lining him up to be the Jag shot first character.

While quality for certain books, mainly the galaxy spanning Skywalker Solo books, have dropped. There are countless others such as Riptide and Crosscurrent, and Mercy Kill are wonderful books about others within the Star Wars world.

 

Err - could you please clarify a little? What's that number related to, exactly? Do you mean that everything that comes after 50 ABY is certain of no longer being canon? Or... what?

 

I believe (and I could be wrong) that he believes Episode VII will be set 50 years after ANH.

Some fans like this number because it sets the movie after the established EU stories, but unless they are planning on using those existing stories as the back story for Episode VII and use the EU characters as the main characters in the movie, it doesn't really matter.

 

That was the Staff reply to my question about any further information on the setting date for Ep 7. Even if it is set there, it could still interfere with existing continuity for past events.

 

True, but I'd still prefer an official statement. It would be a nice gesture of forthrightness and honesty toward all those EU fans who bought post-Endor EU material on the premise that it was and would always remain canon.

You're almost certainly right, but hey, a guy can hope.

50 ABY would make Han, what, 80, and Luke and Leia in their late 60s? That's rather far IMO, especially if they plan on including offspring in their late teens/early twenties (or even younger).