Do companies have a moral obligation to make fandom affordable?

[MajorHoy]

This thread could have really used a poll . . .

[Kirby101]

This thread could have really used a poll . . .

Pretty sure every one would vote NO.

[babyblob]

Pretty sure every one would vote NO.

Nah I would have voted yes because I love messing with polls

[Scott Taylor]

Have you seen the stuff they do at the Star Wars experience hotel thing? Its way cool and obviously very expensive to put on, not including the capital costs just to build the place. Disney does cost quite a bit of money for anything having to do with their parks or hotels, but its well worth the expense imho.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking of Disney as if it were still the 1980s and 1990s, in terms of what they offer and the typical price ranges it should be at. They have since become a luxury place that is meant to be a once in a while experience for most. Once they started offering payment plans for the annual passes, you knew what was coming.

Sure the rich can afford it easier, but when is that not the case.

[MajorHoy]

Have you seen the stuff they do at the Star Wars experience hotel thing? Its way cool and obviously very expensive to put on, not including the capital costs just to build the place. Disney does cost quite a bit of money for anything having to do with their parks or hotels, but its well worth the expense imho.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking of Disney as if it were still the 1980s and 1990s, in terms of what they offer and the typical price ranges it should be at.

The only time I've ever been to a Disney park was Disney World back in the early 90s when I was in my 30s.
I was by myself, and I stopped there for a few hours during the last day of a week in Florida before I caught a flight out of Orlando to get back home. (I figured since I'm down there, I might as well go there so I could say "I was there".)

[seismic-2]

If I understand the OP correctly, Star Wars fans are griping not only that Disney is offering an item of fandom that they can't afford but especially that some of the people who can afford it, and who will purchase it, aren't genuine die-hard SW fans but are simply rich people who want to vacation in a resort and for whom the SW theme is just a bonus, as a source of quaint amusement. In the opinion of the truefans, this makes those "casual" fans somehow unworthy of staying at the resort, even though they can afford it. I'd say the people who believe that take fandom way too seriously, by making it into a religion and wanting to deny non-believers access to their sacred temple (even though they themselves could never go there, in account of the cost).

[PwrdOn]

If I understand the OP correctly, Star Wars fans are griping not only that Disney is offering an item of fandom that they can't afford but especially that some of the people who can afford it, and who will purchase it, aren't genuine die-hard SW fans but are simply rich people who want to vacation in a resort and for whom the SW theme is just a bonus, as a source of quaint amusement. In the opinion of the truefans, this makes those "casual" fans somehow unworthy of staying at the resort, even though they can afford it. I'd say the people who believe that take fandom way too seriously, by making it into a religion and wanting to deny non-believers access to their sacred temple (even though they themselves could never go there, in account of the cost).

Well I think that this is sort of a common gripe these days as nerd fandoms as Star Wars and Marvel become more mainstream, and companies pivot away from making hacky low-effort content and merchandise meant to serve a small niche demographic, and toward more premium experiences targeted at wealthier consumers who no longer have to treat their fandom as something to be embarrassed about or hidden from their rich friends. And while this type of gatekeeping is often incredibly cringeworthy, there is something to be said for the fact that it's usually the basement dwelling hardcore fans that really help to sustain the interest in a franchise in the long term, whereas the trend-obsessed mainstream tends to just engage with it briefly before losing interest and moving onto the next thing. Avatar had the biggest box office take of all time and yet nobody ever seems to think or talk about it at all, and regardless of what Hollywood tastemakers want to believe, that does matter.

[babyblob]

To be honest the whole fan boy getting upset their favorite brand now has mainstream appeal bugs the Hell out of me. Yes we comic fans for years with buying the comics kept things going. But it was the MCU movies that made a crap load of money and keep the comics going. And of course the movies are made for a wide selection of the population and not just the fan boys. If they did an Avengers movie for the fan boys based on some of the plots we love like the Skrull Kree War, or put the High Evolutionary in The Thor movies most people would not understand or care what the Hell is going on. So they give them fun new updated Origins with new stories. otherwise the movies would bomb and we get no more super hero movies.

Fan boys just need to shut up and accept that they did not create these characters, and knowing every bit of back story, cannon, and own a 500 issue run does not give them ownership or say in how the properties are handled. Nor do they have any say in who gets to see and enjoy them or not enjoy them. They need to get over themselves.

I didnt really like the 2 MCU Spiderman movies. but a lot of people did and I am happy that they did well. Im sure some people got into Spiderman characters from the movies and even though they are not the same Peter Parker and Spiderman maybe they enjoyed the comics enough to keep going.

A good example for me is The Simpsons. I cant stand the show in the last 10 years but a lot of people who were not Simpsons fans since the start like myself do enjoy them. Good for those people. And there is nothing stopping me from watching my old Dvds and loving the old stuff

[seismic-2]

I would love to see the truefans' reaction when the news media interview the first people to shell out the $4800 for a 2-might stay at the resort, and it turns out to be someone who has only a vague familiarity with the franchise. "Tell me, Mr. Smith, what was the resort like?" "It was a lot of fun, Cindy. When we got out of the cab the bell boy came out to pick up our bags, and he was dressed in that big furry animal costume like the guy in the movie! What was his name? Death Raider?"

[Mister Mets]

I thought from the title that the question was about whether companies have an obligation to make some aspects of fandom affordable, and my answer would still be no, but the question is at least understandable.

The idea that everything should be affordable is ridiculous.

With something like a luxury hotel, offering a quality experience costs money before you consider that the company wants to make a profit at the end. It's not going to help the Star Wars brand if it's a partnership with Days Inn even if more people can afford it.

[Zauriel]

Well, Disney could build a star wars-themed 1-star motel with no room service if they agree to make fandom affordable.

[Starter Set]

I know a couple of pubs who are as dangerous and dirty as the Tatooine cantina if you want a very vivid but cheap star wars experience.

You aren't going to see much old jedi there but there is definitely going to be some individuals looking just like wookies.

[maczero]

I would love to see the truefans' reaction when the news media interview the first people to shell out the $4800 for a 2-might stay at the resort, and it turns out to be someone who has only a vague familiarity with the franchise. "Tell me, Mr. Smith, what was the resort like?" "It was a lot of fun, Cindy. When we got out of the cab the bell boy came out to pick up our bags, and he was dressed in that big furry animal costume like the guy in the movie! What was his name? Death Raider?"

Too funny! I admit I have an almost visceral reaction when someone is totally ignorant about Star Wars. I remember being turned off by this girl when she referred to Chewbacca as "that furry bear thing from Star Wars".

[babyblob]

I would love to see the truefans' reaction when the news media interview the first people to shell out the $4800 for a 2-might stay at the resort, and it turns out to be someone who has only a vague familiarity with the franchise. "Tell me, Mr. Smith, what was the resort like?" "It was a lot of fun, Cindy. When we got out of the cab the bell boy came out to pick up our bags, and he was dressed in that big furry animal costume like the guy in the movie! What was his name? Death Raider?"

I kind of what to troll these sites of True Fans by talking about how cool the laser swords are, and how much I love the scary guy with the breathing problems, what about that super cute Robot on the soccer ball, and that little green wise Kermit thing

[Gray Lensman]

I thought from the title that the question was about whether companies have an obligation to make some aspects of fandom affordable, and my answer would still be no, but the question is at least understandable.

The idea that everything should be affordable is ridiculous.

With something like a luxury hotel, offering a quality experience costs money before you consider that the company wants to make a profit at the end. It's not going to help the Star Wars brand if it's a partnership with Days Inn even if more people can afford it.

Which gets back to the original question - No, they don't have a moral obligation to make anything affordable, really. Depending on the branding of the company and the fandom, they DO have a fiduciary duty to avoid angering the fanbase to much, but that is a far different thing than a moral duty.