The Stargate franchise exists as more than simply the television shows, encompassing novels, audio books, props and replicas, action figures, and video games. Here are a few recent news snippets on the merchandise front.
[Updated with SGA Season 4 Companion Guide — see end of article.]
Stargate Props Replicas
Gateworld reports the sad news that Legends Memorabilia (aka StargateProps) has decided to drop its MGM license for authentic reproductions of such props as the Stargate, a Zat, the Eye of Ra pendant, and a Staff Weapon, among others. Legends head Paul Brown reported sales have not been high enough to justify the costs of the licensing and production, which involves many hours of engineering to create the molds for each piece. So if you want one of those great props, head over now to order, before it’s too late! I have four of the products, and they are top-notch.
In happier news, Legends is continuing its work in auctioning of real Stargate items, as well as its autographs sales for charity on behalf of RDA and other Stargate actors. In fact, an auction has just started, and includes the mini-staff weapon that Mitchell used in “Babylon”. Head over to StargateProps/Legends to make your bids!
Big Finish Productions Audio Books
Big Finish continues to produce original audio fiction, read by Stargate actors and provided either by CD or download. A total of six titles have been released, three each from SG-1 and Atlantis. The works sound more like audio dramas than simply an actor reading a story, therefore they’re lots of fun! Visit the Stargate page at Big Finish for more info.
Stargate Novels
An impressive 17 original novels across SG-1 and Atlantis have been published by Fandemonium. Some are found in bookstores, and fans can visit the on-line shop at StargateNovels.com. Sadly three of the titles (Halcyon, Exogenesis, and Siren Song) are out of print. Some fans have reported seeing them for sale on E-bay and other auction sites, but at higher-than-retail prices.
Stargate Worlds On-Line Role Playing Game
The star of this year’s Comic Con, Stargate Worlds is continuing development, and it entered the crucial “closed beta” phase on October 13. This means a limited number of fans are being allowed to play the game for the purpose of testing it on a big scale. The lead developer recently granted a long interview, in which he noted:
So when the game comes out we want it to be another leg of the table for the Stargate franchise, to really hold it up and make it stronger. That’s really where they’ve really looked at it as well – Brad Wright and Robert Cooper have been very supportive, their comments and feedback has been a positive, open, collaborative effort.
The game should begin open beta testing early in 2009, with official release following hopefully not long after. The game will run only on Windows XP and Vista for now. Your intrepid editor tried to get a beta version to run on a Windows virtual machine on her Mac, but things did not go well. Certainly the official release will be easier for a newbie to install. The Stargate Worlds game represents a huge investment by MGM, and one that we hope will pay off for the good of the franchise!
Stargate Atlantis Season 4 Companion
Stargate Atlantis: The Official Companion Season 4, written by Sharon Gosling, is available now (Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk). From Amazon.com: “This official companion to the fourth season is packed with behind-the-scenes interviews, a comprehensive episode guide and scores of photos, including a 16-page color gallery. It features a Foreword by David Hewlett (Dr Rodney McKay), plus contributions from the production team, crew and cast!” Retail price is USD $14.95, but you can get it cheaper on-line.