The history of Showbiz and PTT would make for a great book.

[PaulKTF]

I decided to post this here since it's neutral territory and I didn't want to show any favorism in this case.

I was just thinking- imagine a comprehensive, objective book that detailed the history of Showbiz/CEI, and PTT/Nolan that took us through the companies' development of their respective concepts, detailing the competition between Showbiz and PTT, the buyout of PTT, and the ramifications of that event and how we got to where we are today.

Maybe throw in a few interviews with the key players involved in the story, some pictures of key people/places/events, and detail the changes that the AA figgures have gone through. I think Travis would be a great person to write such a book. He definitely has the knowledge to pull it off if he ever wanted to.

I think it would make for a really cool book, especially if it provided an objective look at the various events that have happened in the last 30 years. Let everybody tell their side of the story so the reader can make up their own minds.

It would probably have to be self-published and be printed only as each copy is ordered, since I'm suer there aren't enough people interested in buying it to justify a widespread publication.

[ChuckEZone]

That sounds like a great idea.. I know I'd definitely want a copy. There are people around here who would love to contribute, so Travis (or whoever else decided to take on this project) wouldn't have to do it alone.

[PaulKTF]

That sounds like a great idea.. I know I'd definitely want a copy. There are people around here who would love to contribute, so Travis (or whoever else decided to take on this project) wouldn't have to do it alone.

Absolutely- I think a lot of you could contribute a lot to it. That'd be a fun little project for us to put together.

Travis; what do you think?

Off the top of my head, here are a few topics I think should be covered:

Nolan leaving Atari and forming the PTT concept.
The openings of the first PTT and Showbiz locations, and how customers reacted.
Aaron's pre-Showbiz history and development of the Wolfpack 5 and Hard Luck Bears (since both shows were peiced together to form the RAE).
The war that both franchises had in finding prime locations.
The rides and games that Showbiz and CEC created.
Marketing strategies and promotions of both companies.
The decision to go from the Wall Portraits to the Balcony (putting more central focus on the show).
The decision to keep Helen as a permanent member
PTT's financial troubles, the lawsuit(s), and the buyout by Showbiz.
The ramifications of the buyout- Showbiz's decision to replace CEI's voices with their own, and the eventual decision to break away from CEI and remove the RAE, and Concept Unification.
CEC's evolution from rat to mouse and the decision to focus less on the supporting characters.
A complete chronological history of the show- From Wall Portrait to Balcony to Rocker/Porch to 3-Stage/3-Stage/1-Stage, to todays' Studio C.
A guide to the characters' costumes throughout the years.Just looking over that list; I'm sure there's more than enough material to make for a good sized book. Am I missing any interesting subjects?

[Lively Star King]

I would love to see something like this get released by a significant publishing company. I know that most of us here will definitely grab a copy of it if it is to ever happen. The publication will feature everything that we've ever wanted to know about the establishments and what all has occured in regards to history and evolution. I wonder how thick the book would be? How much will it sell for? If it proves to be popular then keeping it stock will turn out to be a difficult task. Nevertheless, I think this idea for a book is very amazing!:)

[VegaNova]

I think that it would be great to put something like this together. Years ago I would have said it wouldn't work, but we've been in contact with enough of the key players now and have found enough documentation to really pull this off.

My worry was always that people wouldn't pay for something they could get here on the site for free. But I know a lot of people don't have the time to go through all the different photos, docs, etc on here and a book would be right up their alley.

My father has always pushed me to compile a book on the collectables of both companies. This is something that doesn't currently exist out there either... when you look at fast food collecting books you'll be lucky if CEC/ShowBiz stuff has 10 items listed.

The first thing that would need to be done is getting all the info compiled. That's what I'm struggling with on the site also. As soon as the Photo Gallery is finished, I want to begin work on the characters/stages section. When that happens I'll definetely be calling for everyone's assistance. I'm not afraid to say that many of you know this stuff far better than I do. ;)

[dheineCECfan]

What about the rights for a biopic motion picture dealing with Nolan Bushnell, founder of CECPTT?

[PaulKTF]

What about the rights for a biopic motion picture dealing with Nolan Bushnell, founder of CECPTT?

The odds of that happening are slim to none. Movies take a lot more money to put together than a book. I really doubt enough people would pay to see a movie about Nolan for any movie (even a cheaply produced one) to recoup its costs.

[Rapid T Rabbit]

There have been books (both positive and negative) about McDonald's, so why not CEC?

[dheineCECfan]

The odds of that happening are slim to none. Movies take a lot more money to put together than a book. I really doubt enough people would pay to see a movie about Nolan for any movie (even a cheaply produced one) to recoup its costs.

Where's Michael "Sicko" Moore when you need him?

[PaulKTF]

Where's Michael "Sicko" Moore when you need him?

Busy making movies people actually want to see, I believe...