The News Thread (for news that does not need a thread)

Not particularly surprised there, that'll match AniplexUSA's four volume release, it'll be interesting to see how they price it. I wonder if we'll get Accel World at some point next year? I got a lot further in that than I did in Sword Art Online before giving up :wink:
 
Dannielle said:
Sword Art Online to be released over four volumes in the UK:

Today saw us host the first ever (and hopefully not last) UK Anime Network Podcast LIVE at Ayacon 2013 - the show was also broadcast live over Mixlr, and contained some exciting snippets of news courtesy of distributor Manga Entertainment's Community Liasion Jeremy Graves.

The major news to come from Mr. Graves is concerning the UK release of Sword Art Online - after being announced recently, we can now confirm that the series will be released over four volumes, with the first instalment hopefully arriving in December and one volume a month released after that point.

The series will be made available in both DVD and DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack formats.

- http://www.uk-anime.net/newsitem/Sword_ ... he_UK.html
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Really? Are they serious? Well, it kind of worked with Tiger & Bunny so I guess it would sell well.
I know Aniplex did this with America and are now forcing other countries to do the same but I was hoping it would be two parts (one for the first arc, one for the second arc), but it can't be as bad as Nisemonogatari (11 episodes with 1-7 on Part 1, 8-11 on Part 2) on full series price.
 
Ath said:
Not particularly surprised there, that'll match AniplexUSA's four volume release, it'll be interesting to see how they price it.
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"The series will be made available in both DVD and DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack formats, with an RRP of £19.99 on DVD and £29.99 on DVD/Blu-Ray combo."
 
Hmmm we'll see how that translates in terms of Amazon discount. Closer to Bakemonogatari than Tiger and Bunny I hope. Still a million miles better than AniplexUSA prices (Yeah yeah, I know they have the physical goodies, they're still not worth the markup for me at least :p ). I imagine this will do really well for MangaUK.
 
Tiger and Bunnys RRP was £34.99 if I remember correctly and they were being sold on Amazon for about £25, which later went down to £16.

I really hope it does do well for them :)
 
The problem is, AniplexUSA see MangaUK's budget releases as competition for their Limited Editions, despite us being Region B. I still find it a miracle that we were allowed to have a barebones complete collection of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I imagine that forcing us to go with four-parts is also AniplexUSA not wanting our release to step on the toes of their regular edition DVDs (especially as blu-ray is exclusive to the Limited Editions if I remember correctly).

The fact that we can only get barebones releases because AniplexUSA are worried that us getting any better will make their American fans think "You know what? I don't want to put up with this price gouging" and import from the UK is really irritating.

20thCenturyBoy said:
Joshawott said:
For some elaboration: "Pokémon: The Origin" is a special, not a series.
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Yeah, been confirmed as a special now. Also, Red, Green, Oak, Brock and Red's Mum are confirmed characters, the video looks quite good, a bit of a different animation style to set it apart too.
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It looks like the art style difference is because the character designs are more directly based on Ken Sugimori's original illustrations this time.

I must be the only Pokémon fan NOT hyped for it.
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Why not? :(

I think it'll be a nice break to get away from the monotonous rut the series has fell into and to go back to the Kanto region.
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[/quote]
I'm starting to grow concerned that The Pokémon Company is relying too much on nostalgia when it should really be pushing Pokémon XY. For example:
- This summer's movie's main stars were Genesect, the last Mythical Pokémon of Generation V and...Mewtwo. All previous movies that came out just before a new generation featured a brand new species (Movie 2 = Lugia, Movie 5 = Latias and Latios, Movie 8 = Lucario, Movie 13 - Zoroark). Sure, it's a new Mega Evolution, but it's still Mewtwo, an old Pokémon.
- The most hyped new feature of XY is the "Mega Evolutions" of older Pokémon. How about some big hype for new species of Pokémon?
- This special is airing 10 days before XY is released. Wouldn't it have made more sense to have an XY special instead, then save something like this for the franchise's 20th anniversary in 3 years?
 
At the Ayacon anime convention, Jeremy Graves of Manga Entertainment made a guest appearance on the UK Anime News live podcast and confirmed the following details about Manga's upcoming TV action-fantasy series Sword Art Online in December on DVD and Blu-ray.

- It will be released in four parts, each released as both a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack (SRP £29.99) and a DVD edition (SRP £19.99). Part 1 will carry the first 7 episodes; part 2 will carry episodes 8-14; part 3 will carry episodes 15-19; and part 4 will carry episodes 20-25. Graves commented that the four-part format was 'part of the terms of the agreement to get the show out quickly.'

- Part 1 will be released in December, with the later parts provisionally planned to be released at a rate of one of month (i.e. Part 4 is provisionally planned for March).

- Graves also confirmed there will be no extras on the release, as the extras released in the U.S. were exclusive to Aniplex of America.

- At present, there will be no 'complete collection box,' at least in the forseeable future.
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So it's the exact same format as the US release, I suppose that's good for those who don't care for the series after the SAO arc. I do wonder whether the "no extras" applies to the on disc extras too, since Aniplex's release contains the subbed Audio commentaries, Sword Art Offline episodes (11 minutes each), NCOP/EDs and Subbed/Dubbed Extended next episode previews. It's also unfortunately a BD/DVD combo, so ugly double play banner inbound.
 
Joshawott said:
I'm starting to grow concerned that The Pokémon Company is relying too much on nostalgia when it should really be pushing Pokémon XY. For example:
- This summer's movie's main stars were Genesect, the last Mythical Pokémon of Generation V and...Mewtwo. All previous movies that came out just before a new generation featured a brand new species (Movie 2 = Lugia, Movie 5 = Latias and Latios, Movie 8 = Lucario, Movie 13 - Zoroark). Sure, it's a new Mega Evolution, but it's still Mewtwo, an old Pokémon.
- The most hyped new feature of XY is the "Mega Evolutions" of older Pokémon. How about some big hype for new species of Pokémon?
- This special is airing 10 days before XY is released. Wouldn't it have made more sense to have an XY special instead, then save something like this for the franchise's 20th anniversary in 3 years?
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And yet MegaVolutions will be the biggest change up in the battle system for ages (also greatly improved by UI Improvements such as HP Damage being measured mid reaction animation). It's comparable to the change from the straight up battle system of the first three Megaman Battle NEtwork games and the last three with the Double Soul system.
Movies, are part of the larger mess that is the Pokemon cartoon which I think is running on pure momentum at this point (and the special might be part in parcel in showing investors that customers want a reset to zero on the situation)
The special itself might be a way of welcoming back fans who have fallen out of favour (or indeed just old) whilst introducing children to that part of the story (let's face it, FireRed and LeafGrean are now just shy of 10 years old at this point).
Most importantly, the 3DS allows for Direct Downloaded play which has done nothing but great things for Nintendo as far as Animal Crossing New Leaf is concerned (20% of sales of that game where DD and, that might sound miniscule, but that's 20% of 5 Million)
 
Due to Pokémon being a fad that came in, went out and is coming back, there is the nostalgia attached to it in the west. However, in Japan, that isn't there for the most part as Pokémon has always been a constant thing. However, I think with recent developments such as the Video Game Championships boom, GameFreak and The Pokémon Company have realised that there is a huge older fan following in the West (the entry cap for the highest age division is equal to the other two combined) and are trying to appeal to the people in Japan who were fans when they were younger but grew out of it - hence the nostalgia drive at the moment.

My concern though is, Nintendo have really shown that they have no clue how to promote a single product to more than one target audience (See: The Wii and Wii U) and obviously, Nintendo would be handling the promotion. Trying to juggle both the main target audience (primary school children) who have probably only played the previous generation, as well as the veteran fans...will be hard.
 
Honestly as is they'd do pretty damn well for themselves (and the Wii U is just the AAA market being a gaggle of cocks. Ubisoft shouldn't be a name of a company as so much a mark of cain) if they went as is; have the kiddiewinks excited by the new pokemans and these old pokemans who can digivolve and playing to the veteran crowd though general improvement of the game and the environment in which you play it (Ie: Direct Download play which includes being able to communicate between two versions if you're that masochistic about things, UI improvements so on so forth).

Honestly the likes of MLP has convinced me that quality will, by and large, speak for itself these days.
 
Funimation's November releases:

Akira (Blu-ray / DVD Combo) - $34.98 - 12/11
Good Luck Girl (Binbogami-ga!): Complete Collection (BD/DVD Combo) - $64.98 - 19/11
Good Luck Girl (Binbogami-ga!): Complete Collection (BD/DVD Combo LE) - $69.98 - 19/11
Hetalia - World Series: Complete Collection - 05/11
Maken-ki: Complete Collection (BD/DVD Combo) - 12/11
Maken-ki: Complete Collection (BD/DVD Combo LE) - 12/11
One Piece Movie 10: Strong World (BD/DVD Combo) - 19/11
Wolf Children (BD/DVD Combo) - 12/11

Binbogami-Ga! and Wolf Children are the only things I'm remotely interested in, and I'll probably pick them both up at some point.
 
GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

In other Studio Ghibli Blu-Ray news, it's now been confirmed that early December will see both Princess Mononoke and The Cat Returns released on Blu-Ray in Japan - both films will also be provided with English subtitles, although if you're willing to wait until 2014 we'll doubtless see both movies hit the UK in their remastered form as well.
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WOO!!!

But I'm still waiting for Only Yesterday for the UK BD release. They'll probably leave that with Ocean Waves and release them together.

Speaking of Ghibli:

The European film distribution and sales company Wild Bunch and Studio Ghibli are teaming up again to offer Hayao Miyazaki's new film, The Wind Rises, in Europe. Disney will distribute the film in France. The film will make its North American premiere in Toronto next moth. The film is also expected to play in San Sebastian, Telluride and New York.

The film, which is Miyazaki's first feature film since Ponyo, is loosely based on the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who engineered the Zero fighter plane used by the Japanese during World War II.

Wild Bunch and Studio Ghibli have teamed up in the past; Wild Bunch also holds the European licenses for Spirited Away, Ponyo, and Howl's Moving Castle.
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