CaBil, I'm in Vienna (technically Ffx, but right next to the Vienna Metro).

Oh, the very end of the orange line? Urgh, I am at the very opposite of the network, the MD end of the green line.

Beats driving. But still. I may have a player in DC, in which case we could meet in the middle. My profile addy is good, if you want to zap me offline.

Rob, what do you think of the magic system in the Buffy rpg?

I don't have any memory of it at all, but it's been a few months since I read the book. So I guess I couldn't have thought it was too good or too bad.

I thought this was somewhat interesting. It's from an article about TV show tie-in novels in the Dec 23 issue of Publisher's Weekly.

Now in it's seventh season, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has become an unalloyed phenomenom that's spun off nunerous licensed products. And with more than three million books in print, it has set a new standard for branded series of original novels. "Buffy has its own life as a license separate from a TV tie-in," said Borders's media book buyer Michael Garza. "Usually, interest in tie-ins dwindles over the life of the series, but Buffy has had a longstanding sales picture and a tremondous fan base." Even rival publishers admit "it has really set the bar for where these books can go," as Ballantine's v-p director of sales and marketing Anthony Zaccardi commented.

"The storyline is really rich with characters and mythology," said Clancy. "People feel involved in the growth of the characters in a way you can't be with half-hour sitcoms or even some dramas." The series has also inspired a communal sensibility among its fans. According to Clancy some have even hosted charity parties that were promoted via the Internet, and sometimes even attended by cast members.

As the charity events suggest, Buffy is snagging an audience far older than you might expect. In fact, Buffy used to have separate teen adult tie-in lines, but they're merging into a single series that's accessible to everyone. "The readers range from age 8 to 68 based on the letters we get," said Clancy.

Note: Edited many hours later, because while interest in tie-ins might dwindle, it doesn't swindle.

I thought this was somewhat interesting. It's from an article about TV show tie-in novels in the Dec 23 issue of Publisher's Weekly.

This ties in with the discussion of raw viewing numbers versus loyal buy-everything fans. Buffy is a rich franchise that has made a lot of money for Fox.

Which is why no doubt they will offer Joss gobs of cash to continue the cash cow, and produce something Buffyverse next season. Not Angelverse...

No. That's Fox, the studio, making money off of Buffy (and, yes, Angel) tie-ins. UPN does not make a penny off of the tie-ins.

Fox does hold a significant stake in UPN, and so could pressure UPN to keep it, but UPN may not be willing or able to pay the kind of money it's been paying for Buffy so far.

Yeah, but I can see FOX offering Joss gobs of cash to keep the show on the air, I can also see FOX finding a home for it, even if they have to lean on their broadcasting arm to do so.

And Fox certainly has a history of keeping profitable shows on the air for way, way too long, until they become empty, dessicated corpses of their former selves CoughCoughSimpsons... CoughXFilesCough.. CoughMWC...