Anthologies vs. Best of sets

[HBsam31]

I got this idea from someone in the Dvd section. If this is in the wrong place please move it. WWE likes to put out best of sets as opposed to Anthologies. Wrestlemania, Summerslam, the Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series all have Anthology sets although they have not finished Survivor Series, and it looks like they might not. I for one like the complete anthology sets as we can relive each and every event instead of what WWE deems the best of. Some will argue it takes to much time and money on WWE's part to put out an Anthology especially with all the editing they have to do with entrance music, royalties paid, and to a lesser extent having to edit out everything Benoit related. I myself would pay more to have a more complete set of events, and lets face it if people are willing to pay I don't see why they wouldn't put the time needed into it. So what do you guys prefer. Anthologies or Best of sets?

 

[King Sheamus]

I got this idea from someone in the Dvd section. If this is in the wrong place please move it. WWE likes to put out best of sets as opposed to Anthologies. Wrestlemania, Summerslam, the Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series all have Anthology sets although they have not finished Survivor Series, and it looks like they might not. I for one like the complete anthology sets as we can relive each and every event instead of what WWE deems the best of. Some will argue it takes to much time and money on WWE's part to put out an Anthology especially with all the editing they have to do with entrance music, royalties paid, and to a lesser extent having to edit out everything Benoit related. I myself would pay more to have a more complete set of events, and lets face it if people are willing to pay I don't see why they wouldn't put the time needed into it. So what do you guys prefer. Anthologies or Best of sets?

Easily Anthologies as you said you get to relive everything. Lots of times what the wwe picks as the best I disagree with. So when you buy a best of you hope a certain match is on the DVD. But when you buy a Anthology you know it will be. Also I love the RR Anthology one of the best.

 

[scomvp316]

Anthology sets work in the DVD/Blu-Ray industry cause the companies that produce them are giving back to the fans. I understand that it takes much longer with all the legal and logistical stuff that goes into the archives but if anthology sets didn't work then explain to me why "Season's" are outselling via units then all pre-picked compilations. As far as the royalities are concerned when WWE bought out other promotions those contracts came with it but I am sure most of those contracts have a buyout exit clause. The ones that don't and thats very miniscule work with that talent to come to a reasonable conclusion for the betterment of the fans. The DVD/Blu-Ray industry is controlled by the fans not the suits of these companies. These archives can be re-packaged numerous times with added features. I think the two best sets WWE could have would be combo sets. Those would be WM/Starrcade and then SSlam/GAB. Those are the two best events normally each year when both companies were going against one another. Especially both Starrcade and GAB really flourished when both were in the same years from 85-91. WWE needs to stop glorifying itself seeing that they already won and keep the archives in its original integrity. The only stuff that needs to be edited if no PSA before the material is Benoit's material. I go to nearly 100 wrestling events every year since 86 and more now than ever fans want Box Sets in the original format to relive those glorious events whether they liked both promotions or just one of the promotions. WWE I can gurantee if they stop playing corporate games with the fans over the archives each year those archives could almost double the sales of the PPV's!

 

[FlairFan2003]

Anthology sets cost a lot more money, casual fans who enjoyed the product in year past wont pay that kind of money. I might enjoy a Best of Starrcade set but with an anthology Id pay way more and get what, matches involving Jimmy Valiant, Sid Viscious, Johnny Ace ? I can live without that.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Anthologies hands down. I have the WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rymble ones and would have no probel getting the survivor series one if they would complete it instead of it just ending at 96.

BTW, anyone out here have any idea why they stopped there? Are there any plans on completing the Survivor Series anthology?

 

[Owen 3:16 says I just stole your Slammy!!]

I love the anthologies because you get all the matches. I love the SummerSlam one's. I just wish on the anthologies that they give you bonus footage with promo's, interviews, or matches that brought it up to the feud that is featured on that PPV.

 

[scomvp316]

Anthology sets do cost more money but the true fan will pay for the historical importance of having that set. Show me a PPV that from the first match the main event was a stellar event. Even when JCP had the best booking in the biz some PPV's were lackluster on a few matches. Starrcade is on equal groung with WM seeing VKM did get the idea of WM from seeing Starrcade.

 

[scomvp316]

I think what would be cool for a Christmas gift is if WWE released the complete seasons of Raw and Nitro. I would pay $200 for the whole set of every episode and in their original entirety minus the Benoit footage unless WWE showed a disclaimer that a portion of proceeds would go to the Benoit family along with Concussion Research Centers

 

[dman1373]

i still want all the starcades, cause they missed a whole lot of great matches.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

The problem is, most of WWE's events don't have enough consistently good material to merit an anthology box set release. Of course they'll do the WrestleMania's or the Royal Rumble's, because on the whole these are BIG events that people will always pay to see over and over again.

They're never going to do an anthology for a PPV like the Great American Bash, because half of them were shit. I'd much rather watch 3-4 hours of the BEST content, or at least what WWE thinks is the "best" content, instead of sitting through a couple days worth of crap I'm never going to care about anyways. There's also problem with branding consistencies. They change the names of their events so much you can't really blame for them not trying to piece together sets.

The same goes for gimmick match "best of" sets. I'm not going to watch every single ladder match in the history of the industry. There are a LOT of terrible ladder matches. But I will definitely sit down for a few hours and watch a "Best of TLC" DVD! I can see the appeal in wanting a complete collection of Monday Night Raw (every other show in history has done it...why not WWE?) but are you really going to sit through that much terrible just to relive your favorite memories?

I'm happy with the "Best Of" collections. Not every moment can be memorable; some just deserve to be forgotten so the ones that stick with us seem all the more enjoyable.

EDIT: ALso, WWE releases every PPV they do on DVD. At the end of the year they also release a full collection of that years PPV's. So really, the burden is on you to assemble your own anthologies if you really want them.

 

[scomvp316]

I attend alot of wrestling events each year and I listen to what fans want. To start off with GAB was the original summer event and not Summerslam. If you would watch each year's version of SSlam and GAB there are only a few SSlam's that were better that year than the GAB event. The context of this thread is about archives and not recent digital material. You sir are in the minority that give great WWE fans a bad rep. There is a minority % of WWE fans who are elitist and think WWE is the only promotion that matters and ever mattered!

 

[One to Remember]

the third option should had said "it depends on the event being showcased.."

I've heard about half a dozen of you raise concerns over editing Benoit material and i think your being outrageous. He was the main event of one of the WMs for pete's sake. No one has said to quit showing the Snuka leap off the cage because Jimmy's girlfriends dead body was found in their apartment and the authorities shifted their investigation on him..

I might wanna see a WrestleMania anthology but maybe not a Bad(d) Blood anthology. Likewise not every Bash at the Beach was as good as the 1996 showing show i might want to see the best of. Collecting every blu ray/dvd release every freakin week is going to become costly.

On a side note i hate editing period. When I am watching Raw from 1999 I want to hear the guys call it the WWF.. I dnt wanna see Fs blurred out all the time. I went n youtube to watch Goldberg beat Hogan clean on nitro and while i loved it i noticed towards the end they played his wwe entrance music and not his original military theme. i notice things like that and hate them..

 

[scomvp316]

I have excellent news on a possible box sets of both Starrcade and GAB. WWE has just released some retro Starrcade and GAB T-shirts and a person I know that workson the DVD Creative Team in WWE thinks they could release complete box sets of these events. WWE's only concern is would they release them before the Network launches or wait and see what the ratings of some of the Starrcade and GAB events would get on the Network. There is also talk within the company of doing box sets again but only for Blu-Ray because WWE believes only the serious fan would purchase box sets and they want full value based off of the digitize end of the business!

 

[scomvp316]

I came up with a great idea of a box set. WWE likes to use the term Road To Wrestlemania then lets have a box set that starts with programming in November and all the way through the WM event as a box set. That way the fans get to see the build up to WM and how that is forwarded into WM!

 

[rokuma]

BTW, anyone out here have any idea why they stopped there? Are there any plans on completing the Survivor Series anthology?

My guess is they didn't want to put out all of the Survivor Series without including Survivor Series 97...the Montreal Screwjob. They just recently put that match out on Blu-Ray for the first time ever, so maybe the rest will come?