Rollergames DVDs

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Permalink Reply by DavidSams on August 25, 2008 at 3:39am

Friends:

I appreciate your love for our original series, but need to set the record straight.

Please be advised that the 1989-1990 RollerGames series is currently not for sale on DVD or Video by any authorized entity. It may, or may not, be released at some point in the future--that is yet to be determined.

Anyone selling DVDs or VHS tapes of the 1989-1990 series is most-likely selling "off-air" copies. I should know, as I am in control of all original masters and broadcast tapes.

If you obtain copies of the 1989-1990 series, please be advised that these have NOT BE AUTHORIZED for commercial sale or distribution.

As to answer your questions about when this original series will be released, I will say that it makes perfect sense to release it WHEN THERE IS A MARKET DEMAND FOR IT. Bottom line: It makes the most sense to release this series once we get the sport back on the air and millions of people are exposed to it.

David Sams
Executive Producer
on behalf of the producing parties

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Permalink Reply by Sean McLean on August 25, 2008 at 10:31am

Well, that's "being advised to stop by the appropriate person(s)" right there, as far as I'm concerned. No worries David, my listings will be pulled today. So I'm guessing Mr. Sedilo actually ISN'T authorized to have made that friendly arrangement with me after all? Fun! And somehow that doesn't surprise me, given all the kafuffle between him and the Griffiths.

Oh well, glad I was able to help out a few fans along the way. And hey David - if there ever IS a DVD set of some kind planned, I'd love to be involved with it somehow! A lot of fans enjoyed my homebrew set, and it would be an honor to work on the official release in some capacity.

Just a heads up, there is a second seller offering my set (most DEFINITELY without the permission of me, Mr. Sedilo, or anyone else affiliated with the show in any capacity whatsoever) on iOffer. I have asked him repeatedly to remove his listing, with no response. You might want to give him a heads up as well. Fire me an e-mail if you want the info.

Cheers, everyone!

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Permalink Reply by The Jockey on August 26, 2008 at 6:00pm

Obviously there is a market demand for it if people are willing to purchase bootleg copies. Waiting for a potential new series to be picked up and then hoping that millions of people will be exposed to it before you release a dvd and before it inevitably gets canceled is a$$-backwards as far as I can tell.

Nostalgia is selling well on dvd right now. Old tv series are coming out faster on dvd now more than ever. An official dvd release now could help you launch a new tv series and possibly keep it on the air for longer than one season in a day-and-age when reality shows rain supreme.

Sales figures and demographic research of a dvd release can show that there is interest by the general public in this sport with potential for advertising revenue stream over a long period. It's all about making money through advertising by gearing your product towards potential buyers. Look at all the kids who now want to do swimming after seeing Michael Phelps in the Olympics. Sales of swim-related products and interest in swimming lessons went up. What your selling isn't exactly mainstream sports and a dvd release hooking onto peoples nostalgia for the old days will help a lot.

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Permalink Reply by Sean McLean on August 31, 2008 at 9:14pm

That's a very good point, Jockey. As someone who was in the tape/DVD trading game for quite a while, in addition to being an avid collector of classic TV on (legit) DVD, I have always maintained that the popularity of bootleg sets of a particular show can be an excellent way to gauge potential interest in a particular show.

And out of EVERYTHING I offered on my page at the time, I can honestly say that I received more requests for Rollergames than any other show I had. So there is clearly demand for it. Perhaps a little market research might reveal just how MUCH demand there is.

One thing I can recommend is everyone head over to tvshowsondvd.com, which is the leading website for news about current and upcoming releases of, well, TV shows on DVD. :) One feature they have is the option for fans to vote for shows they would most like to see released. I notice Rollergames in on their list...*hint hint* So EVERYONE who wants to see a DVD release of the show should head over there and cast their vote. This site actually DOES have some pull with the studios, their voting system has actually helped a number of shows to see the light of day as DVD releases.

Oh, and there's still a guy offering my Rollergames set on iOffer. Do NOT buy from him. He got the set from me a few months back, then proceeded to rip off my entire description and start selling it as if it was his own. If you read through the comments at the end of the listing, you will see that both David AND I have been trying to get him to pull the listing, but he's being a total jerk about it. Looks like others who have bought from him have also had issues, so my advice is to stay well away from this person. I hope David sends him a nice, official Cease and Desist letter to put the fear of god into him. >:D The set is NOT available anymore. I pulled my listings as soon as I got the word from David, no questions asked. But this other guy is a real piece of work who seems to think he's above everyone else... Don't give him your money.

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Permalink Reply by The Jockey on September 6, 2008 at 4:11pm

Did David tell you specifically you could not sell them anymore? I.E. Cease and Desist order from a law firm on letterhead? What I got out of his posting was that your set wasn't official but he didn't say we weren't allowed to get it if we wanted to. Maybe you should contact the person who originally gave you permission and ask him what's up. If it does turn out the person who gave you permission orally or in writing: last time I checked email is considered a legally enforceable written document, your set could be an official release even though it wasn't created with the master tapes.

BTW, I wonder if all the masters, which David says he has, are on 2" open-reel videotape, BetaSP, some other comparable tape format or hopefully the tried-and-true 35mm film stock. Video tape is nice but it's not a long-term storage medium and will degrade over time.

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Permalink Reply by Sean McLean on September 9, 2008 at 12:51pm

You raise some good points! Unfortunately, it turns out the person I originally received permission from was NOT authorized to offer permission in the first place. David sent me a Cease and Desist letter via e-mail and explained everything to me, so as far as I'm concerned that takes care of that. It's frustrating, to say the least, since I was basically the ONE fan offering a decent quality complete set for other fans, but that's the ways it goes.

I know a lot of people were happy with the set, including many of the people originally involved in the making of the show (many of the original skaters and managers got sets from me), and that alone makes it all worth it to me. It was never about making money off someone else's work, despite the fact that some people just don't "get" the inherent expense (materials, equipment, TIME) of making a high quality set like mine.

As for the masters, they wouldn't be on 35mm film since the entire show was originally shot on video. My guess would be either Betacam SP (which was gaining popularity as the new big broadcast format at the time) or 3/4" U-Matic. Or maybe even 2" reel-to-reel as you suggest. Either way, it would definitely be a good idea to at least digitally CAPTURE them for archival purposes at this point, even if a DVD release is still a ways off. Same goes for any other material that only exists on videotape.

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Permalink Reply by The Jockey on September 9, 2008 at 8:31pm

Just thinking of all the rare tv shows I could have taped back in the 80's, but never felt the urge to, that will never see the light of day again saddens me. Makes one wish the popularity of sharing over the internet and advances in digital video and dvr technology had happened 20 years earlier. Now that I'm grown up and moved out I don't even know whatever happened to most of the videos we did tape. For one day I wish I could program the Disney Channel with everything my parents ever taped for us off it in it's hay day or from ABC's the Disney Sunday Movie to show the kids of today what real television used to be like.

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