[MarkHastings]

Damn it all - After releasing (and me buying) 7 different DVD's with 10 random episodes on them, Paramount decides on releasing them as season sets

SpongeBob SquarePants - Season 1

Why do they keep doing this to us? Why put out these "Best of's" (and 7 to boot) and then decide on a Season Series??? I would have LOVED to start buying these DVD's as series sets, but I've just spent $15.00/each on 7 DVD's and I really don't feel like buying the series sets now.

Why don't they release the season sets first and THEN come out with "Best of's"? You know the people who would be interested in the season sets are going to buy the "Best of's" (as long as there's no season set out), so why tempt them with 7 "Best of" releases (which you know they'll buy) and then slam them with a Season set????

Thanks a lot Paramount


p.s. Look at some of the reviews on Amazons site to seem the same anger that I have about this. There are a few epsiodes in the season 1 set that you can't get on the "Best of's", so in order for me to get it on DVD, I have to buy the damn set now

[Chet_F]

"Why do they keep doing this to us? Why put out these "Best of's" (and 7 to boot) and then decide on a Season Series???"

How else would they decide if they are going to sell? At least that is there thinking. They want to see how well it sells, which at best is archaic and PISSES off the consumer to no end.

I NEVER buy "best of's" for this specific reason. The studios need to design a better way of "testing the waters" than actually SCREWING OVER the consumer. Or at the very least givr the consumer a bone, 10 rebate, or something when he upgrades. Will that happen......NO. That would mess with their precious little bottom line and you know it's all about the greenbacks.

CF

[David Lambert]

Um, slow down a sec. Noone forced you to buy the best-of discs.

Now put yourself in Paramount's (or maybe it's Nick's, since Paramount is just distributing it for Nick) position: they have no way of knowing how well this is gonna sell. They put it out. They get sales. So they put out more and get more sales.

Sales are so darn good, in fact, that someone steps us and says "let's stop gyping the consumers with these best-of releases and finally give them season sets!"

Now they are villified for stepping up and doing the right thing, however belatedly in your mind.


Should they just keep on doing the individual releases instead? It doesn't make sense to criticize the studio for doing the right thing!


I fear that I Love Lucy fans are going to be the same way, and I just don't think it's justified. Bravo to Paramount for making the switch!

[TonyTone]

I assume that when you say that you bought "seven" of the Spongebob DVDs, you're including the soon-to-be-released Xmas one, no? Just confused, since only six have actually been released...unless you managed to already get your hands on the Xmas one!

And yeah, Paramount coming out with the Complete 1st Season set is pretty lame on their part...

[TonyTone]

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Um, slow down a sec. Noone forced you to buy the best-of discs.

True, but honestly (and in all fairness to those of us who apparently didn't have the forsight to assume that a season set might be in the works)--do you think that a typical consumer like myself could have forseen the possibility that Paramount would have done so (release season sets), especially considering that they had released six "Best of" DVD titles (not including others available only on VHS) over the past couple of years or so?

FWIW--I personally am not that upset that Paramount has decided to release a season set. Hopefully they will still continue to release "Best of" discs--note that the S1 set is to be released 10/28, roughly one month after the Xmas disc is released (9/28). Surely Paramount didn't just decide at the last minute that they were gonna do a season set, so I reckon they could have had plenty of time to cancel the Xmas disc...assuming that it (the Xmas disc) contains at least one S1 episode.

[MarkHastings]

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How else would they decide if they are going to sell?

That's what I was thinking. It does suck that the die hard fans had to spend all of their money on the "Best of's" to provide "Market Research" for the Season sets.

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Or at the very least give the consumer a bone

I LOVED the money back offer in the "Pearl Harbor: Directors Cut" edition for those who had bought the original release. It's stuff like that that makes us feel like they care. I hoped that this would start a trend, but I guess I just need to shut up and bend over.

I would love to get some sort of compensation for participating in their "Marketing" by buyin all of the previous 7 DVD's.

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Should they just keep on doing the individual releases instead?

No, they should have used their marketing guys and done some research to find out that there IS a market for releasing Season sets. Just look at all the other TV DVD sets out there...SpongeBob has practically taken over the Hot Topic stores and other "Teen" stores. To say that his DVD's wouldn't be a great seller is an understatement.

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and I just don't think it's justified.

In order for them to get enough research to put out a season set, I had to spend MY MONEY (along with othersn and their own money) on these "Best of" sets. Why do they have to do it this way? It's a catch 22...If I (and many others) don't buy the sets (and wait for a season set) then maybe the sales won't be as good and there won't be a need for putting out season sets, so in order for the consumer to show the studios that they want SpongeBob season sets, we have to go out and BUY the "Best of's"?????

That's crazy logic there. It may seem logical for the studios, but if you are making money by pissing off the consumer, then how is that logical? Money shouldn't always be more important than the consumer.

And look how long these "Best of's" have been coming out. They're on their 7th release. Usually marketing will put out a few to test the waters, but when you start putting out a 5th, 6th and 7th DVD, isn't it fair for the consumer to assume that this is the only way we are going to get these episodes?

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you're including the soon-to-be-released Xmas one

It's in a pre-order that has already been processed with a few other items.


Let me clarify (since most are missing my point). I am not saying I hate Paramount for providing a season set, I am saying it SUCKS that I (and other consumers) have to spend lots of money on "Test" products to show that there is a need for what we want. This is what I'm upset about.

As one who works with market researchers, I know how coniving these people are, and knowing that they are using the consumers money to provide their research is the cowardly way of doing things. Why don't they get off their asses and earn the money they are making by doing some research? Why not go to these forums or do what WB did with the Looney Tunes DVD's?

The internet is WONDERFUL for market research, and if Paramounts only way of figuring out if Season sets of SpongeBob would sell by selling us "Best of's", then I don't think they're working hard enough.

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Noone forced you to buy the best-of discs.

I never understood this line of logic. Should the gas companies be allowed to raise gas prices to $5 a gallon - I mean, you aren't FORCED into buying a car.

I know, that was a bit of a stretch, but it's just to prove how crazy that line of logic is. Yes, no one is FORCING me to, but when you dangle them out in front of my face, you know we're going to buy them (especially when there's no other alternative).

[dpippel]

Now put yourself in Paramount's (or maybe it's Nick's, since Paramount is just distributing it for Nick) position: they have no way of knowing how well this is gonna sell.

No offense Dave, but in my opinion if the marketing people involved had to wonder whether or not full season DVD sets of Spongebob Squarepants (arguably the most popular program on Nickelodeon for the last 2 seasons and CERTAINLY the most popular animated childrens show on cable/satellite) would sell, they should be fired.

By now most of the major studios can say that season sets of popular television programming on DVD is a proven success story. We have The Simpsons, Futurama, Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends, The Sopranos, Babylon 5, Friends, The Outer Limits, etc., just to name a few. More TV programming is being released in this format every month. I think they have it figured out.

In the case of Spongebob, I think a decision was made to rush some product to market in the short term because the production lag on the full season set would have meant lost revenue. It's just the way the system seems to work in some cases. As consumers we may not like it, but there isn't a whole lot we can do.

[David Lambert]

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No offense Dave, but in my opinion if the marketing people involved had to wonder whether or not full season DVD sets of Spongebob Squarepants (arguably the most popular program on Nickelodeon for the last 2 seasons and CERTAINLY the most popular animated childrens show on cable/satellite) would sell, they should be fired.

By now most of the major studios can say that season sets of popular television programming on DVD is a proven success story. We have The Simpsons, Futurama, Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends, The Sopranos, Babylon 5, Friends, The Outer Limits, etc., just to name a few. More TV programming is being released in this format every month. I think they have it figured out.

I certainly disagree with this logic you're using, and in Nick/Paramount's shoes would definately have taken the cautious approach. At the time they started, there was just zero in the way of data to prove otherwise, and research venues other than actual sales attempts are more limited than you present.

After all, the Bullwinkle set that you name is a very new release, and they had no similar Season Sets of kid shows to compare to at the time they started releasing Spongebob. Heck, Transformers hadn't even started releasing in Season Sets yet when "Nautical Nonsense/Sponge Buddies" hit stores! The Simpsons had, but it was only Season 1 so far and it was a decidedly more adult-oriented market.

All the other shows you name either hadn't made it to season sets (or to DVD at all) yet, and/or where not targeted at kids in the least.

Hindsight is always 20/20, and if Paramount knew then what they know now, season set releases of Spongebob might have been a no-brainer. But then again, so would season set releases of Star Trek: TOS. In fact, Spongebob's first release was less than 3 months after TOS's release of Vol. 40. South Park had just released another Best-Of pair (Timmy! & Winter Wonderland), KidVid releases on DVD were along the lines of DragonTales, Underdog, PowerPuff Girls, Thomas The Tank Engine, and Pokemon (none of which are yet to get season sets!), and the only animated stuff getting collection-type releases were in the Anime category.

The internet is WONDERFUL for market research, and if Paramounts only way of figuring out if Season sets of SpongeBob would sell by selling us "Best of's", then I don't think they're working hard enough.

Internet research isn't the answer either, when a large percentage of the target audience isn't internet connected. Or do you just assume that every Spongebob fan in the Region 1 area is wired to an ISP?

...they should have used their marketing guys and done some research to find out that there IS a market for releasing Season sets. Just look at all the other TV DVD sets out there...SpongeBob has practically taken over the Hot Topic stores and other "Teen" stores. To say that his DVD's wouldn't be a great seller is an understatement.

Was it as hot a hot topic back in late 2001 when they would have started planning for the first release? I sure don't recall hearing a buzz about it. In fact, in all honesty I never heard more than a word or two about the show until the DVD came out. Then suddenly there were T-shirts and toys and lunchboxes and everything else associated with a hit show. I think that the DVDs ended up being part of the marketing push that helped make the show so popular! Release more DVDs in the same model as the first was just continuing what had already been successful, without risking too much. Yeah, it was at consumer expense in the end, but they didn't know that at the time. If you go back and read Martin Blythe's posts from that timeframe, he seemed utterly convinced that this show would never end up with season sets. Sure, he was wrong in the end, but you seem to think he and everyone else involved should have known that somehow. I just don't think you're putting yourselves in their shoes quite enough! As the next quote says, consumers didn't yet know that season sets would be coming. Right; how could they when the manufacturers didn't know?!!

True, but honestly (and in all fairness to those of us who apparently didn't have the foresight to assume that a season set might be in the works)--do you think that a typical consumer like myself could have forseen the possibility that Paramount would have done so (release season sets), especially considering that they had released six "Best of" DVD titles (not including others available only on VHS)over the past couple of years or so?

Okay, but I've bought these releases, too. And obviously I have some form of buyer's remorse here, having spent the money. Do I regret 1.5 years of laughter at $10-$15 a pop, for me and my now-kindergarten-age son? Nah. And, in the end, I'l get most of my money back by either selling these off or by donating them to the daycare or a church and taking a tax writeoff on them. :wink:

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I LOVED the money back offer in the "Pearl Harbor: Directors Cut" edition for those who had bought the original release. It's stuff like that that makes us feel like they care. I hoped that this would start a trend, but I guess I just need to shut up and bend over.

I would love to get some sort of compensation for participating in their "Marketing" by buyin all of the previous 7 DVD's.

Now THAT is some constructive criticism right there. It would be terrific if there was an "upgrade plan" from the studio.

note that the S1 set is to be released 10/28, roughly one month after the Xmas disc is released (9/28). Surely Paramount didn't just decide at the last minute that they were gonna do a season set, so I reckon they could have had plenty of time to cancel the Xmas disc...

Yeah, and THAT is what I'd want to try to justify to my bosses and accountants! "Yeah, I know we've mostly produced this Christmas release and spent money to do that, but let's just through that away because we're gonna release a Season Set instead". Nah, never fly in a million years. Esp. since the Christmas-theme disc will sell quite well on its own to folks who JUST REALLY DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY ON A BOX SET!

And Regis, that really IS my final answer. All those other releases are out there for folks who just don't want to spend the money on box sets. There are a LOT of them out there, and I meet them every day via TVShowsOnDVD. Fine, the guys in this thread aren't among them, but Paramount doesn't want to alienate them or ignore them either. Nor does Fox, who is releasing single-disc Simpsons episodes. Nor does Warner, who is releasing Looney Tunes in both large and small versions.


Yeah, it hurts our feelings and our wallets when this happens. How do you think I feel as a Married...with Children fan?

Hey, at least WE are getting our box set. Many shows still aren't represented in a box set, nor will they ever be. I feel worse for a fan of THOSE shows than I do for us Spongebob fans!

[Malcolm R]

One or two "best of" collections is testing the waters (i.e. "Married with Children," "Designing Women"); seven smells strongly of forced double-dipping (especially when there's new/different material or episodes on the season set).