MGM Open To More Stargate Depending on Success of Stargate Origins and SGC

[Chaka-Z0]

Maybe they postponed the announcement of the new spinoff as Brad Wright's new tv show (Travelers) has been renewed for a third season. Maybe they don't want to do anything without him and maybe he can't manage two shows at the same time. Blablabla.

“MGM hasn’t asked me to participate in any future Stargate content and I sort of understand their desire for fresh blood,” he wrote. “Wouldn’t say no if they asked though!” He reiterated on Twitter that his involvement in future productions would depend upon MGM asking him.

“I haven’t seen anything about Origins but wish them well,” he said. “Maybe one day they will want to reboot SG-1.”

Article found on Gateworld

I'm rather amused with that big panel with Chris Judge at whatever convention that was again, titling it the "Future of Stargate" and it turned out not to be about the future at all. Just more carrot dangling.

You mean his *Return of the Jaffa* or something similar pitch? I literally burst out loud laughing when I heard he said he was in *serious talk* about this possible new show.

Nope, I won't. They burned that bridge, and as I have proven so far, when I hold a grudge against someone (Mallozzi & Mullie), I will literally ignore everything they involved in (Mallozzi has been redeeming himself lately). Therefore, I never watched Dark Matter or Blindspot (even though I would probably love the latter -- Martin Gero's baby).

Haven't watched Blindspot, but imo Dark Matter was pretty ''Meh''. You haven't missed out on much, especially now that the show is cancelled.

[Falcon Horus]

You mean his *Return of the Jaffa* or something similar pitch? I literally burst out loud laughing when I heard he said he was in *serious talk* about this possible new show.

I think the only thing serious about his involvement with MGM is the dial home stuff on Command.

And no, they touted that Q&A as being about the future of stargate, while in actual fact it was just a Q&A with Chris Judge and there was literally nothing said about the future of stargate.

[Platschu]

Maybe they don't want to announce the next spinoff as they will announce two spinoffs!

[Falcon Horus]

Maybe they don't want to announce the next spinoff as they will announce two spinoffs!

Considering the moment for announcing new tv shows is now (and passing), I'd say MGM is failing on all fronts (when it's anything but The Handmaid's Tale).

[Platschu]

Darren also supported the hype when he posted such articles and videos that the franchise is back and maybe we get a 4th series. Somehow I hoped that he knows something, but he is not allowed to reveal it too early.

[Falcon Horus]

There is no 4th series coming.

When I asked Darren and Gateworld not to use spoiler images for Origins, they replied that it wasn't up to them to decide what images to use but what MGM chose for them, so he's on exactly the same level as every other all-access member -- far above us mere mortals but knowing little more than the rest of us do.

[WraithTech]

You mean his *Return of the Jaffa* or something similar pitch?

I would like very much to see what Chris would do with this, along with what Joe would have done with SGA. Some of the actors care a lot about their roles and their fans, much more than MGM gives the impression that MGM cares.

Darren also supported the hype when he posted such articles and videos that the franchise is back and maybe we get a 4th series. Somehow I hoped that he knows something, but he is not allowed to reveal it too early.

To be fair, GateWorld would almost have to upload the hype, lest they be the only Stargate site which does not and then lose status as a fan resource site for lacking that material. It's not a fun spot MGM put this site in either.

[Platschu]

I don't want to blame him. Just as far as I know he was involved in the video interviews, so I hoped that maybe he knows more what officially we are allowed to know etc.

I still haven't given up the hope that something will be announced.

[WraithTech]

What few images MGM did grant Stargate sites to release didn't inspire much from fans. I can only find 1 artist who did Origins fanart. Artists need more references to work with and don't want to just keep drawing screen stills over and over. Big failure to lock up shareable content, which is free advertisements from fans. Fanart was how I found out about Stargate beyond the original movie.

I also checked some of the pages of artists in excluded countries who were part of the Drive to Revive and they are understandably silent about Stargate right now. Not a peep about Origins. Even fan artwork of SGA has slowed considerably (not sure about SG1 and SGU).

Also, speaking of content, what rehashed behind-the-scenes photos for SG1, SGA, and SGU that are uploaded to SGC, by both SGC in the feed and users mining them from Pinterest for the "forum," are just bitter reminders that all those photos, and thousands more, used to available on the old MGM site, in resolutions many times larger, and videos too, in an easy-to-search format. There were also pages on the various races and even whole pages and galleries for notable characters, treating them with respect, not some short and silly, xenophobic and misgendering "creature feature" blurbs. It's like someone replacing your Transformers with Gobots and thinking you won't notice.

Taking things away from consumers, in whole or in part, e.g. replacing the free-for-all MGM site with the smaller SGC app limited by geography, also goes up against established consumer psychology research. As Robert Cialdini says, newly-experienced scarcity is more powerful than constant scarcity. Humans are hard-wired to avoid losses, be it anything from intangible rights to tangible goods. And, Daniel Kahneman's research on loss aversion says losses loom larger than gains. Even with me being aware of these biases, I still feel their pull within this fandom.

[Platschu]

Thanks for the background infos, so we can see the bigger picture.

[Falcon Horus]

What few images MGM did grant Stargate sites to release didn't inspire much from fans. I can only find 1 artist who did Origins fanart.

*points at avatar*

I made that -- Origins Catherine fanart. (more accurately Ellie Gall / Catherine fanart)

[WraithTech]

*points at avatar*

I made that -- Origins Catherine fanart. (more accurately Ellie Gall / Catherine fanart)

Lovely work! The orange-gold undertones give the avatar a sunny and vibrant glow and the composition of the rule of thirds has a nice balance.

I hadn't realized you made it and thought it came from the GW image bank (and now see there do not appear to be any Origins avatars available yet at all unless I missed them).

[Falcon Horus]

Lovely work! The orange-gold undertones give the avatar a sunny and vibrant glow and the composition of the rule of thirds has a nice balance.

Thanks. I pride myself on accidental rule of thirds (though it probably happens more because I subconsciously have been drilled on it in my education years).

I hadn't realized you made it and thought it came from the GW image bank (and now see there do not appear to be any Origins avatars available yet at all unless I missed them).

There are indeed no avatars available.
And I made it around the time the trailer was released (I kinda fell head over heels there -- *grin*).

[WraithTech]

(I kinda fell head over heels there -- *grin*).

To replace the Heighmeyer one, that act had to be important. ^_^

Ah, our favorite characters... a big part of the reasons so many of us put up with MGM's bad decisions.

[WraithTech]

More Observations: Branding Downplay and Simplified World-Building for Short-Terms

MGM made moves to strip out MGM branding from Stargate links and photos. Were they keeping their options open to make the franchise more portable (and thus easier to sell if they did want to sell it)?

*The old Stargate site’s link of about 10 years was http://stargate.mgm.com/ Note the MGM in the name. When the site was taken down, this link then directed to a SGC Facebook page and now redirects to the SGC app site. The MGM ownership has been stripped out of the site links.

*Photos previously posted by MGM had MGM watermarks on them which have now been stripped out. Example from the old site saved by a fan: https://c1.primacdn.cz/sites/default...y_showtime.jpg with a watermark on bottom left on Sam’s shoulder as compared to the re-upload on SGC which does not: https://app-assets.top-fan.com/uploa...77d43d1241.png (note also the small sizes of the SGC’s site photos as compared to the old site’s). The Origins character sheets are some of the few places in which have MGM on them and even then not the full logo.

Why go through all the trouble of deleting a site of about 10 years (the Wayback Machine started recording it as of 2007) with so many resources and monumental work, only to strip out the MGM and replace it with a paltry page which is costing money to run through TopFan and paying people to re-upload stuff?

And, why the sudden xenophobia and simplified world-building to make the aliens 2D and dismissable? The tie-in books veered from Legacy and the tie-in comics will be veering from their main arc, to match the language and spirit of the new SGC site's, which is to over-simplify and outgroup established Stargate races and societies in a way that does not match the TV shows (even Ronon called Wraith people and he/him and not it). All this seems to be happening around the same time of the new SGC site and downplays Stargate's past as well as indicates fewer long-term, long-arc investments. Legacy and the AM comic arcs went for years. Conversely, a simplified set of characters makes for quick, 2D stories, not sophisticated world-building modern audiences are used to, but cheaper and easier to pump out-- and, you get what you pay for.

Maybe it is something; maybe it is nothing. Just some observations. But, I remember an art site I used to frequent doing some odd things with their branding and pricing before they sold, including taking away the long-term 7 year subscription option. It’s just something to file away for now and I do not like what all I am seeing being done to the fandom.