sniper_samurai
Railgun
I'd say less than 50 copies left considering the tweet they just put out.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Standard Edition Blu-ray & DVD Releases Confirmed!
- Thread starter NormanicGrav
- Start date
No one other than ayase in the post above mine then?: "Except the LE selling out kinda proves there was a market for it, doesn't it?"
The news story linked to in the original post also says "With the recent release of the special 1000 print edition of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex selling out almost completely..." which is close enough and I'm sure I read another source saying that it had sold out but I can't find the page to back that up so you can discount that if needed. I'm basically saying that you should take everything with a pinch of salt, especially when it comes to PR. The Last Jedi is the best movie ever made if you believe what you read on certain media outlets. That's all I'm saying, not trying to cause any arguments
EDIT: Oh, and that tweet you mentioned wasn't there when I wrote all the above stuff!
Look, if they're saying 50 left now then fair enough.
ayase
State Alchemist
In my post (and the news story, I imagine) I used "selling out" to mean "it is currently in the process of selling out" rather than "it is sold out". I think that's a fairly standard use of the language, but I understand the confusion. I didn't mean to imply it had sold out yet.
Yeah, no worries. I know what you mean and wasn't trying to draw you into anything or be overly pedantic or anything like that but if someone's going to say that I've made stuff up when I can prove that I haven't then.... do you blame me?
Anyway, I'm interested in this press release I've read about here and on a couple of other places. It mentions the chapters fix (and maybe some other stuff?) but I can't find any mention of any fixes on things like MangaUK's own site or twitter feed. Can anyone point me in the direction of the press release that's being referred to?
I know some people are taking the "suck it up" approach to this but I'd be interested to know if they SHELLed out (see what I've done there?) the 100 quid for the set themselves. I just think MangaUK could have been a little less corporate greed-esque when it came to "remembering" that they'd planned a much cheaper set all along. They had pretty much stated that there wasn't one on the cards for the forseeable future yet 17(?) days after release comes the announcement. That's an extremely short forseeable future, dontchathink? Maybe the LE set will massively increase in value but who knows? It's essentially now a 50 quid or so book with a box that you can't fit on your Blu-Ray shelf. I think I'd have liked the option to choose which set I went for rather than feel I'd been used as a test marketer and paid a fair old wedge too. But hey... that's life, eh?
Anyway, I'm interested in this press release I've read about here and on a couple of other places. It mentions the chapters fix (and maybe some other stuff?) but I can't find any mention of any fixes on things like MangaUK's own site or twitter feed. Can anyone point me in the direction of the press release that's being referred to?
I know some people are taking the "suck it up" approach to this but I'd be interested to know if they SHELLed out (see what I've done there?) the 100 quid for the set themselves. I just think MangaUK could have been a little less corporate greed-esque when it came to "remembering" that they'd planned a much cheaper set all along. They had pretty much stated that there wasn't one on the cards for the forseeable future yet 17(?) days after release comes the announcement. That's an extremely short forseeable future, dontchathink? Maybe the LE set will massively increase in value but who knows? It's essentially now a 50 quid or so book with a box that you can't fit on your Blu-Ray shelf. I think I'd have liked the option to choose which set I went for rather than feel I'd been used as a test marketer and paid a fair old wedge too. But hey... that's life, eh?
ayase
State Alchemist
I could be wrong, but I feel like the people who didn't actually want an LE but bought it anyway because they thought it was the only release coming are probably a very small minority. I like SAC a lot and I'm happy with the LE, I think £100 was a perfectly fair price to pay for it given that I've got both series, both OVA compilations and SSS all on Blu-ray, in a nice box, with a decent book, when collecting the single releases and SSS on DVD when they came out probably cost me an extra £50-£60 on top of that.
People who can't find a place for it on their shelves need to collect more art books or vinyl, it goes fine with those
People who can't find a place for it on their shelves need to collect more art books or vinyl, it goes fine with those
You know, you may well be right. I probably am in a minority and I'm obviously only able to speak from my point of view but I do feel justified in being somewhat annoyed because I feel MangaUK were a little naughty in how they've gone about this. I know there are a few others in the same boat as me... even if it's only a small boat!
There'll no doubt be something else way more important to worry about tomorrow and it's not like I've "lost" money but I guess I'd have preferred it if they'd been a little less underhand about the releases they had planned all along. Obviously, I also reserve the right to be secretly happy if it turns out that the LE set becomes extremely valuable down the line
There'll no doubt be something else way more important to worry about tomorrow and it's not like I've "lost" money but I guess I'd have preferred it if they'd been a little less underhand about the releases they had planned all along. Obviously, I also reserve the right to be secretly happy if it turns out that the LE set becomes extremely valuable down the line
cyborg 002
School Idol
I still have the DVDs.
From what I understand nothing beats the JP and the Korean Kimchi releases.
How is the picture quality on the Manga ent BD and the US BD releases compaired to the JP BDs and Kimchi BDs?
From what I understand nothing beats the JP and the Korean Kimchi releases.
How is the picture quality on the Manga ent BD and the US BD releases compaired to the JP BDs and Kimchi BDs?
HdE
Comic Book Guy
Mad work schedule plus a stinking head cold has put me a bit behind with AUKN goings on.
Quick post to repond directly to Ayase:
No, it isn't. What I'd like to see are day one standard editions released alongside collector's editions. At present, the market for physical media seems skewed to cater to folks with deep pockets. Any sales model will do comparatively well if there's no alternative at point of sale. Given a day-one choice of expensive and not-so expensive editions of a show, I think it might be suprising to see how product sells. If lower prices enabled fans to buy more anime on disc at point of release, I think there's a good number of folks who'd spring for that over some of the admittedly lovely special editions we see.
My bigger point, which you seem to have missed, is that fans were told, very clearly 'There are no plans for other editions.' As somebody else has already stated in this thread, you'd have to be a bit naive to have believed that. But, WE SHOULD NOT BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE EVEN HAVE TO DEBATE THAT POINT. Allowing fans to pre-order an item under the impression that it's the only way they'll be able to get it is NOT okay.
You may need to re-read my earlier post and make sure you understand it. I said:
"In recent months, I've detected a few practices and some language being used which indicates that standard edition on-disc releases are likely to become an endangered species. Which is asinine. They should be the ground level point of access for folks wanting to own a show on disc."
Quick post to repond directly to Ayase:
No, it isn't. What I'd like to see are day one standard editions released alongside collector's editions. At present, the market for physical media seems skewed to cater to folks with deep pockets. Any sales model will do comparatively well if there's no alternative at point of sale. Given a day-one choice of expensive and not-so expensive editions of a show, I think it might be suprising to see how product sells. If lower prices enabled fans to buy more anime on disc at point of release, I think there's a good number of folks who'd spring for that over some of the admittedly lovely special editions we see.
My bigger point, which you seem to have missed, is that fans were told, very clearly 'There are no plans for other editions.' As somebody else has already stated in this thread, you'd have to be a bit naive to have believed that. But, WE SHOULD NOT BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE EVEN HAVE TO DEBATE THAT POINT. Allowing fans to pre-order an item under the impression that it's the only way they'll be able to get it is NOT okay.
You may need to re-read my earlier post and make sure you understand it. I said:
"In recent months, I've detected a few practices and some language being used which indicates that standard edition on-disc releases are likely to become an endangered species. Which is asinine. They should be the ground level point of access for folks wanting to own a show on disc."
ayase
State Alchemist
But as I think we both know @HdE, it’s very difficult for UK distributors to gauge demand for any given series because the UK market is small and unpredictable. If you produce a 1000 print run and it sells out in a week, fantastic, there’s clearly demand there and you can produce more. If you produce 10000 and only sell 50, you’re a wee bit screwed. You're right, sales numbers might be surprising in a good way. But equally they might be surprising in a bad way. This is why I think the “Small run LE first, larger run standard if it sells” model does make sense.
We also know Manga in particular have been very wary about shows on Blu-ray for this very reason - Low sales leading to cancelled further releases, disappointment for fans and anger being directed their way (MVM have had this issue as well though seemingly to a lesser degree or at least eliciting less fan anger, possibly because the shows they haven't continued with were even more niche - Patlabor, Hidamari Sketch). I don’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility that they may genuinely have believed this set would sell poorly and not even warrant a standard edition. In previous years Manga's bread and butter has been the market you're talking about - Cheap standard editions for the mass market.
But my point (I can read, thanks) is that I think the size of that market you're talking about is shrinking. I think the number of folks who want a no-frills show on physical media is even less than it was, even with the UK's pitiful sales numbers, because people formerly in that market are finding themselves either in the "prepared to pay more for a nice collector's edition" camp or the "I'll just stream it since I can watch a lot more anime for less money that way" camp. What I'm suggesting is that the market you're championing is becoming a less viable market in the UK in the age of streaming, and that may be a reason why it's no longer being catered to in the same way it was.
Finally there's the issue of what a licence costs vs. how many units are likely to sell, which will also affect pricing. If you're only going to sell 500-1000 copies of something, you have to charge what will make a profit otherwise it's probably not even worth licensing - I'd personally rather things were released than not, even if that means they're pricey.
We also know Manga in particular have been very wary about shows on Blu-ray for this very reason - Low sales leading to cancelled further releases, disappointment for fans and anger being directed their way (MVM have had this issue as well though seemingly to a lesser degree or at least eliciting less fan anger, possibly because the shows they haven't continued with were even more niche - Patlabor, Hidamari Sketch). I don’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility that they may genuinely have believed this set would sell poorly and not even warrant a standard edition. In previous years Manga's bread and butter has been the market you're talking about - Cheap standard editions for the mass market.
But my point (I can read, thanks) is that I think the size of that market you're talking about is shrinking. I think the number of folks who want a no-frills show on physical media is even less than it was, even with the UK's pitiful sales numbers, because people formerly in that market are finding themselves either in the "prepared to pay more for a nice collector's edition" camp or the "I'll just stream it since I can watch a lot more anime for less money that way" camp. What I'm suggesting is that the market you're championing is becoming a less viable market in the UK in the age of streaming, and that may be a reason why it's no longer being catered to in the same way it was.
But would they be spending more money with distributors, or just the same amount? If it's the latter, there's not really much incentive for them to do things that way because that means extra licence costs for no more profit. UK standard editions don't usually offer much compared to US standard editions (unless the US edition is horribly broken, which admittedly was the case with GitS) which are released in a much larger market and therefore more viable. I think UK distributors have to offer something different in order to attract people who'd otherwise import (which is something people burned in the past by Manga/MVM failing to finish series on Blu-ray are already doing).
Finally there's the issue of what a licence costs vs. how many units are likely to sell, which will also affect pricing. If you're only going to sell 500-1000 copies of something, you have to charge what will make a profit otherwise it's probably not even worth licensing - I'd personally rather things were released than not, even if that means they're pricey.
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Girls with Guns
Chuunibyou
Well crap, I bought the CE release but it arrived fairly damaged, the box had torn apart during shipping and so was wide open on one side when I received it. The box set must have fallen out more than once in shipping, and any packing slip inside was gone. It took Zavvi almost 3 weeks to get everything to me to make an international return for a replacement - I guess I'll be lucky to even get a replacement, now. My damaged copy is supposed to arrive back at Zavvi today.
Doesn't look like it's available on their site anymore, I suppose I'm screwed. Maybe someone who wants the Standard Edition instead would sell me their CE set.
Doesn't look like it's available on their site anymore, I suppose I'm screwed. Maybe someone who wants the Standard Edition instead would sell me their CE set.
Luke
Student Council President
Girls with Guns
Chuunibyou
Well, I received my Out of Stock email from Zavvi this morning, so they are only able to refund me. Who/what is this Enter the Fray? The link goes to the Manga Contact Us page, what am I supposed to tell them - "I was instructed by Enter the Fray to contact you directly about a replacement?" Thanks for the assistance, Luke!
Lambadelta
Mad Scientist
Fray works at Manga
Hi there, I'm sorry to hear you've been having difficulties with Zavvi, please could you send me an email via Contact Us | MangaUK and I'll see if there's anything I can do to help.
Girls with Guns
Chuunibyou
OK, I am in the process of doing that right now - Thanks also to you Sir, for the help!
Girls with Guns
Chuunibyou
Message sent. My loss of the UK LE box set was a big blow to my large Ghost in the Shell collection I've been gathering together, I really hope there is a way to get a copy back for my collection!
Girls with Guns' Ghost in the Shell Collection
Girls with Guns' Ghost in the Shell Collection
Adam-M
Stand User
Show off
Lambadelta
Mad Scientist
worse comes to worst you can always get the FR version which has the same packaging, and get the UK standard
Girls with Guns
Chuunibyou
Hmm, I guess that would work, as I'd probably get the Standard edition anyway for the corrected chapter-stop discs to put into the UK Set anyway - but would the book be in French, then? The book is one of the main reasons I wanted the big set.