[TML] 3I Media (was Killer instinct)

[shadow at shadowgard.com]

On 25 Feb 2008 at 20:05, Jerry W Barrington wrote:

> On 2/25/08 6:49 PM, "Timothy Little" <tim at little-possums.net> wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 10:27:08AM -0500, Jerry W Barrington wrote:
> >> I'm liable to prefer my local celebrities (whom I can get easy
> >> updates/gossip about) over ones parsecs away.  Well, not me, because
> >> I don't care about the stupid gossip mags.  But many people do.  How
> >> famous would Britney be right now if she wasn't on the tabloid
> >> covers every week?  :)
> > 
> > I don't think it would make any difference if the tabloid covers were
> > showing stuff that (technically) happened months ago.  It's just as
> > new to everyone you'll talk to.  In that sense it's not "last week's
> > news" since nobody has any newer news to compare it against.
> > 
> > I'm sure those who produce and promote entertainment will try to
> > extend their exposure as widely as possible.  If the common forms of
> > entertainment are anything like our mass media (admittedly not a
> > given), extra copies cost basically nothing to make and can be sold
> > for essentially pure profit.  That's a pretty strong force driving
> > toward universal distribution.
> 
> It's in the marketing, though.  Sure, you can have DVDs pressed pretty
> cheap.  But then you have to get it on TV ad, in the theatres, in the
> stores, etc.  Those are expensive rackets.

Ah. But you aren't shipping DVDs around the galaxy. You are shipping 
the *data files*. Hopefully well encrypted. 

The folks on world A hip out (for a fee) "masters", and the folks on 
world B sort thru them. Even *one* that will sell decently will cover 
the cost of the batch of masters and any production and promtion 
fees. 

The folks on world A spent a few dozen credits and likely got paid 
thousands.

The folks on World B spent thousands, and then spend more thousands 
on promotion and distribution. And will almost always at least make 
that back plus a small profit and fairly often make a *large profit.

Every once in a while something will catch the public's fancy and 
they'll make a *huge* profit.

> Besides, compare a British tabloid with an American one, or Australian.
> It's my understanding that the contents are mostly different.  Then try one
> from India.  And we're all right here on the same planet!

Sure. But there are folks here in the US (and not just immigrants 
from India) who will buy Indian music and videos. It's rarely a huge 
profit center for the importers. But it's a steady one.

And every once in a while you get something like the Macarena. 

--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
shadow at shadowgard dot com