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So now that Activision has signed up with GOG, I would like to put this out there: Would they ever consider opening Activision/Sierra's vaults and releasing the almost finished game of Babylon 5: Into the Fire?
Certainly there would be a lot of hurdles, but there are still plenty of fans around who would be more than willing to pay for this game...
Babylon 5: Into The Fire
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Wow, I never knew about that game. I wonder what stopped it being released? It's certainly something I would play.
I have to imagine though, an unreleased game would probably be taking on more than gog would want to right now. That being said, it would generate some press!
I got a new computer just for this game... Then it never came out, even though it was basically finished... I never understood the decision. I went from a 233MMX to a PIII (I think), so I had needed an upgrade anyway.... but man.... I can't see (legal reasons, etc.) this ever happening, but I would buy it!! :-)
This game is tied for my most disappointing cancellation. The other one is ST: Secret of Vulcan Fury
WWWWHHHHHHYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post edited February 03, 2010 by drhoads
Its hard enough getting games that were finished!
In the meantime, you can always try Babylon 5: I've Found Her, a rather fancy starfury combat sim. Think it was based on Freespace 2
boobylon hehehehe
Heh, never saw Babylon 5 on TV (only fragments) and when I saw the entire box with all seasons, TV movies, etc. in one box for only £60 I decided to grab it. Not a bad series at all! For that money, it was ridiculously cheap.
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Red_Avatar: Not a bad series at all!

I enjoyed it mainly because of two characters : G'Kar and Londo Mollari. The rest was "ok" to my taste.
Well, I was an enthusiast abotu Babylon5, even asked a friend who had the complete series (+ movies) to lend it to me for a while, but I couldn't get past season 4... The hurdle is that before watching the final season, it's better to watch several TV movies, but the first I saw was so bad i switched happily to Big Bang Theory and Sanctuary...
Post edited February 04, 2010 by xa_chan
One of my disappointments in Babylon 5 was the first half of season 5, with the advent of the "telepath war" . Unfortunately at the time, it looked like no one was going to pick up the show after season 4, even though it was meant to be a five year arc. So a lot of the story's main arc was finished up in season 4 rather than season 5.
Then, the channel TNT stepped in and saved them. However, this was a mixed blessing, as TNT had B5 on right after wrestling, and forced the show to have more violence and sex.
Also, at the same time, there was some sort of contract dispute with Claudia Christian (aka "Ivanova"), and Tracy Scoggins came in as Elizabeth Lochley. She was a poor, bland substitute for the energetic and eccentric commander everyone came to enjoy.
As far as the movies are concerned, "In the Beginning" is by far the best. It tells the story of the Great War between Minbari and Earth. Meant to be watched after season 4, it fills in a lot of backstory from the years leading up to the main story.
The other movies, especially "River of Souls", were forgettable, and the fifth season can be watched without having to sit through these additional movies.
Although season 5 has a slow and somewhat painful start, there are some great episodes even early on ( "A View from the Gallery", with Bo and Mac, remains a personal favorite), and the story does keep on improving by the end of the season.
In my opinion, the complete series is definitely worth a watch, and it is always interesting to note the impact the show had on television series afterwards.
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OmegaWolf: One of my disappointments in Babylon 5 was the first half of season 5, with the advent of the "telepath war" . Unfortunately at the time, it looked like no one was going to pick up the show after season 4, even though it was meant to be a five year arc. So a lot of the story's main arc was finished up in season 4 rather than season 5.
Then, the channel TNT stepped in and saved them. However, this was a mixed blessing, as TNT had B5 on right after wrestling, and forced the show to have more violence and sex.
Also, at the same time, there was some sort of contract dispute with Claudia Christian (aka "Ivanova"), and Tracy Scoggins came in as Elizabeth Lochley. She was a poor, bland substitute for the energetic and eccentric commander everyone came to enjoy.
As far as the movies are concerned, "In the Beginning" is by far the best. It tells the story of the Great War between Minbari and Earth. Meant to be watched after season 4, it fills in a lot of backstory from the years leading up to the main story.
The other movies, especially "River of Souls", were forgettable, and the fifth season can be watched without having to sit through these additional movies.
Although season 5 has a slow and somewhat painful start, there are some great episodes even early on ( "A View from the Gallery", with Bo and Mac, remains a personal favorite), and the story does keep on improving by the end of the season.
In my opinion, the complete series is definitely worth a watch, and it is always interesting to note the impact the show had on television series afterwards.

Indeed. Just don't bother with the follow-on, "Crusade". It was an abortion caused by yet more studio interference, and JMS walked out on it....it didn't get much past a dozen episodes IIRC, and they were .... well, terrible is probably just about the right word.
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OmegaWolf: Also, at the same time, there was some sort of contract dispute with Claudia Christian (aka "Ivanova"), and Tracy Scoggins came in as Elizabeth Lochley. She was a poor, bland substitute for the energetic and eccentric commander everyone came to enjoy.

Really? I thought she was great, I found myself wishing she came in earlier. i thought she was particularly awesome in Day Of The Dead & The River Of Souls movie (and the lingerie hologram isn't the ONLY reason)
I was soo disappointed when they cancelled this... but I think by that point the TV B5 had been messed around with so much that they'd lost half their audience. I think that played into the cancellation.
The almost-cancellation in S4 and then the resultant space-filling of S5 was such a shame, up to that point B5 had rocked. (for a long time it was much better than ST:TNG).
Thing is, if they'd managed to keep the franchise alive, through games or whatever, they could have had another massive Trek-style franchise on their hands... but it ended up ending so ignominiously. Sad.
B5 was essentially the first big-story-arc TV show, which was the prototype for many shows we see today (lost, etc..) - and had the same positives and negatives (risk of early cancellation). Also, if B5 hadn't forced TNG into changing to CGI then we'd probably still have star-trek show using models. And without it, trekkies would never have gotten DS9 either.
PS/ I have that huge DVD boxset too.... yay for cheap deals on ebay.
Just finished S4 of B5 (DVD rentals), and was looking forward to S5... hopefully I can get past any initial disappointments.
It is very obvious that they tried to tie everything together at the end of s4 though. Kinda like the 4400 in that respect, which was also shortened (although that one by the writers strike).
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OmegaWolf: So now that Activision has signed up with GOG, I would like to put this out there: Would they ever consider opening Activision/Sierra's vaults and releasing the almost finished game of Babylon 5: Into the Fire?
Certainly there would be a lot of hurdles, but there are still plenty of fans around who would be more than willing to pay for this game...
Babylon 5: Into The Fire

While that would be incredibly awesome if GOG could pull it off, I don't think it is very likely. Not only was it to be developed and published by companies that no longer exist, but it was also a licensed property that belongs to Warner Bros. Its doubtful that Activision even has any rights to it, despite picking up the leftovers of Sierra. You're better off getting one of the many mods that bring B5 into games, like The Babylon Project for Freespace 2.
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soulgrindr: B5 was essentially the first big-story-arc TV show, which was the prototype for many shows we see today (lost, etc..) - and had the same positives and negatives (risk of early cancellation). Also, if B5 hadn't forced TNG into changing to CGI then we'd probably still have star-trek show using models. And without it, trekkies would never have gotten DS9 either.

Whether people realize it or not, Babylon 5 had a large impact on TV. As you mentioned, the use of a story arc rather than being an episodic series influenced the creation of many shows afterwards. Also, the use of CGI rather than miniatures was new (thank you Commodore Amiga!), as well as choosing to shoot the series in a 16:9 aspect ratio, rather than the standard (for the time) 4:3.
With "Into the Fire" , as far as I recall, the ship models were provided by Netter Digital, the special FX company for the show. This game would have been a side story with new footage of all the main characters and music by Christopher Franke, the show's composer. A real treat for fans of B5.
I believe the video game would have been quite successful, had it been released. Space sims were extremely popular in the 90's. What would have set this one apart is that as you were promoted, you received the respective responsibilities with it. For instance, if you became a captain, you could have your own capital ship and possibly even a fleet.
On top of that, the physics engine was supposed to be top-notch and realistic (but still fun), evidently unlike any other space sim out at the time. Add to that the fact that hundred of ships could do battle at a time, and you had one interesting game for the masses, not just B5 fans.
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