Bandai license two series & launch controversial rel. sched.

I really like these two series but there is no way that i am going to get 7 dvds for 13 episodes for the price that they are charging.I dont mind there being no dubs but Bandai still expect a lot of money for only 1 or 2 episodes per dvd and i would rather spend my money on collecting some other series and wait for a decrease in price.
I think that its ridiculous to expect £25 for 1 dvd of Shigofumi with 1 or 2 episodes on while at the same time charging £15 for Lucky Star with at least 3 or 4 episodes per dvd.
 
Lucky Star and these are different companies technically so the price of one has little bearing on the other.

They're competing with R2 disc pricing, not R1. The trade off is getting the series announced relatively fast and high quality releases. But maybe fans don't want speed as much as they say they do, when it has a price tag.

R (the only show I want they have is "Haruka" and I'm not biting at that disc count irrespective of cost - never seen it so continuing to not see it isn't going to ruin my life :p).

R
 
melonpan said:
People outside of Japan devalue what anime is actually worth, and all I read is constant complaining about the prices of it.

People work on anime for peanuts, for your enjoyment, if you can't be bothered to fork out the extra cash, then at least don't moan about it.
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It's quite reasonable to complain about something that is full price but contains only 1/4 the content of an average DVD volume. I also fail to see where they get enjoyment out of it if they are willing to try to screw customers over by making the DVD as minimal as possible. They should know that enough people complain about the current prices for regular DVDs.

I am fine with forking out extra cash, but this is just bloody ridiculous.
 
CitizenGeek said:
1 episode on the first volume is injustifiable, no matter what the price (unless it's, like, $3 or something; which it won't be, this is BV).
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I seriously thought it was a joke at first, now I'm just appalled :evil:
 
The question is: Can people really afford this? Or are they just getting annoyed for the sake of it? This is what the Japanese pay for their anime, for every series, do they complain....? Maybe... but it's a collectors market and they understand that so they cut their cloth accordingly. That's something Westerners can't seem to comprehend.

In my opinion, it's better to have a company being active, licensing, and releasing anime, than not having that company at all. Bandai Visual have said on their blog that they are not getting enough people buying, and ultimately if that doesn't change then they'll pull out of the US market. So before you think that that's a good thing, think that actually there was probably little to no chance you'd be seeing the likes of Shigofumi and True Tears this year, let alone next year, if at all. They're not massively popular, like sola is.

Of course there are a lot of reasons as to why people think they shouldn't have to pay for these releases. They're all genuine reasons, but they're not going to change over night, or in the next few years probably.

So basically. Get over it.
 
melonpan said:
In my opinion, it's better to have a company being active, licensing, and releasing anime, than not having that company at all. Bandai Visual have said on their blog that they are not getting enough people buying, and ultimately if that doesn't change then they'll pull out of the US market. So before you think that that's a good thing, think that actually there was probably little to no chance you'd be seeing the likes of Shigofumi and True Tears this year, let alone next year, if at all. They're not massively popular, like sola is.
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The only good thing they did was Please Teacher, and that's not even been released here. It might not be good for them to pull out, but I certainly won't miss them.
 
Maxon said:
melonpan said:
In my opinion, it's better to have a company being active, licensing, and releasing anime, than not having that company at all. Bandai Visual have said on their blog that they are not getting enough people buying, and ultimately if that doesn't change then they'll pull out of the US market. So before you think that that's a good thing, think that actually there was probably little to no chance you'd be seeing the likes of Shigofumi and True Tears this year, let alone next year, if at all. They're not massively popular, like sola is.
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The only good thing they did was Please Teacher, and that's not even been released here. It might not be good for them to pull out, but I certainly won't miss them.
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No. Bandai Entertainment did Please Teacher. They're a separate entity to Bandai Visual. You say these things so quickly, but the negative impacts of such things happening could ultimately go back to the anime being produced. Bandai Visual finance a hell of a lot of anime you know, just like Geneon did. I guess that's your choice though, doesn't matter if anime isn't going to be properly funded, the magical anime fairies will make everything better.
 
The question is: Can people really afford this? Or are they just getting annoyed for the sake of it?
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It is annoying to have such high prices for such few episodes over such a number of volumes, but I don't mind because I can afford it (just).

We shouldn't complain really, its not like other anime companies do it like the Japanese; we should be lucky that BVUSA is the only one. If others did it, too, buying anime would be such a chore, and people just wouldn't be able to get as much or even afford it (though I guess the Japanese somehow manage).
 
For releases like this it's called digital distribution. Sadly many anime companies seem too old fashioned to think about using i-Tunes or other methods of DRM (to a degree) protected downloadable formats. They clearly think fansub download = bad, official download = file sharing between friends/burning to DVD selling on eBay. If only they did something like 4OD or used i-Tunes they'd see a huge return on profits.

Then release normal anime sets on a limited run for those who want both, or waited for the DVDs. Such a lucrative market...
 
Archaic Sage said:
For releases like this it's called digital distribution. Sadly many anime companies seem too old fashioned to think about using i-Tunes or other methods of DRM (to a degree) protected downloadable formats. They clearly think fansub download = bad, official download = file sharing between friends/burning to DVD selling on eBay. If only they did something like 4OD or used i-Tunes they'd see a huge return on profits.

Then release normal anime sets on a limited run for those who want both, or waited for the DVDs. Such a lucrative market...
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The problem is, when you are trying to entice "tech-savvy" people currently using file-sharing into paying for their downloaded content, DRM is not a very attractive proposition. The restrictions placed upon the content that you buy make it a very hard pill to swallow when these people are aware of the same or similar content for free but without the difficulties and problems incurred by DRM. Of course it can be argued that most people will be watching this anime on a PC running WIndows so content could be made to work only under that format but many want to be able to transfer the episodes onto their PSP or iPod or whatever else for their own convenience.

Personally I would refuse DRM enabled content for anything other than a short-term rental. If I buy something I want it to remain mine for as long as I wish to keep it and (in the case of downloaded content) be able to transfer it from one system to another as I see fit. The biggest problem with DRM is that PCs do not last a long time and if the content I buy is bound to a particular PC then that is at best a long-term (possibly 2-3 years given the maximum length of time I will retain any given PC before buying a new one and as little as a month or two if I happen to buy towards the end of a PC's life) rental. That, to me, is not acceptable and is the reason I would not buy into it.
 
There's all talk about getting digital distribution up and running, but I'd like to see that run alongside physical media releases. Digital distribution will ultimately lead to a hell of a lot less quality than physical media, and I've been gagging for HD anime for a long time now - if digital distribution is going to come at the cost of physical media then I think I'd have to reconsider my place in this industry.

In that sense, I'm glad production/distribution/licensing companies are taking their time moving into digital distribution.

And as has already been said. I'd much prefer a Japanese style release - very limited extra special (i.e. proper thick chipboard artboxes, super jewel DVD cases, uncompressed audio, less episodes per disc - but ultimately in a boxset form - the death of volume releases can't come any sooner in my opinion, unless they're at the cost of special extras), that is actually limited. As I've said many times, there's the market for hardcore collectors there, and always will be. There are thousands of people on various forums I go on who would jump at the chance to get a nice 'proper' limited release for an (above) average price. It's been proved with that little experiment by "Nine Inch Nails", where they released a $300 extra special "deluxe" limited edition release of their album with all the trimmings, and which sold out in a couple of days therefore making as much money for the band as they would of by selling a regular album in several months.

Things are just so slow - it's so boring. The ideas are here.. large industries and companies are just so stuck with doing things their own way (and often finding that it doesn't work), that things take several years longer than they need to. Bandai Visual listen though, and as the recent news (news 2) shows, they're adapting.
 
I'm sorry for the inconvenience for the fans, particularly the fans of Shigofumi, true tears and sola. They will be released in the future in some format, but not this summer for sure.
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That's completely annihilated my day.
 
Aion said:
I can't wait for Beez to release 'Volume 1' over here...

"Get volume 1 of this amazing series for as cheap as £13.99!!!! Contains one epic 19 minute episode AND, free of charge, clean versions of the opening and ending. To make the deal even sweeter, we'll include trailers of all our upcoming releases!!!!!!"
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Beez routinely remaster the DVDs to give them higher episode counts. This has been happening with Gundam Seed Destiny, taking a 14 volume series and remaking it as a 10 volume one.
Taylor said:
The pie is a lie.
The cake is a fake!
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Back to school for you.
 
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