Forum - View topicNEWS: ADV Films, Geneon USA's Distribution Deal Cancelled
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starcade
Posts: 204 |
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Well, there goes the merger... I can't see any other real outcome for all this except, now, the outright disappearance of Geneon's titles from the anime landscape in North America altogether. It is sad, because it might signal even a much deeper problem with anime marketing in North America than, to now, has been apparent.
I think that, pretty much, clinches it right there. It sounds like Geneon is about to become a thing of the past, since it seems that the whole thing all along was to get out of the NA market entirely and just become a licensing firm, as you stated above.
I think that might be, literally, a $64,000 (or more) question. Maybe ADV took one look at the whole catalog, saw what it was, and didn't like it or something. This was a move that could've helped ADV immensely, but then this???
Well, there you have the American anime economy in a nutshell. Either fansubs are there as a bane of the existence of the economy, or the only reason there still IS an economy. Discuss that at will. Last edited by starcade on Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Paploo
Posts: 1875 |
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Well, with renting, the video store does actually pay the company for the product- likewise libraries. And only one copy of the product exists, which a person can only have for a limited amount of time [vs. keeping forever, and having no need to buy if you want to watch if again]. If it's popular, more copies will be bought by the library/video store, again, benifitting the anime company. Renting anime is a more positive thing then downloading fansubs, and perfectly legal. I imagine anime companies do get some decent buisness to a small degree dealing with NetFlix, Blockbuster, public library systems [just look at all the library events Tokyopop sponsors- given the bulk of manga some libraries buy, it's not just charity] Though ideally, fans should be supporting companies as directly as possible.... it's kidn of silly of them to hassle you for buying your anime, and supporting what you like. ps-- Likewise, watching anime on TV isn't bad either- cable stations do PAY for those rights. Whereas fansub sites..... don't. |
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief
 Posts: 1684 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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Uh, ANN is allowed to post news stories that aren't just parroting other sources and press releases. In fact, most sources of journalism should. But yes, there should probably be at least a vague mention of a source on there.
Well, the big, most obvious difference is that renting is legal. And at some point, someone has bought the product to rent it at all. |
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ZaWarudo
 Posts: 106 |
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Nothing would hurt the western anime market more than completely getting rid of fansubs.
Though a large portion of people download anime simply because they don't want to pay, as with any other form of media that is pirated on the internet, another large issue is the language barrier. It takes far too long for shows to be licensed and distributed in America. I believe if a company was able to work out a deal where they would license an anime, get each episode subtitled within 1 or 2 days, and put it online for download for a nominal fee, they would reap huge rewards. |
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Paploo
Posts: 1875 |
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Well, as for being the reason why it existed---- Most anime companies domestically speaking, were born in the late 80's [ADV/Animeigo] to mid 90's, LONG before the existence of downloadable fansubs.
VHS fansubs were difficult to acquire, and focused on unlicensed titles that were at the time likely to remain so. And sales of them were often cracked down upon at conventions. Digital fansubs focus on shows likely to be licensed, already licensed, or even just outright bootlegging domestic titles by posting dubbed and subbed versions produced by ADV, Geneon and Co. on YouTube. And downloadable fansubs didn't really exist until the early 2000's- just when the domestic industry was starting to take off, and build it's market. By 2004-ish, a lot of fans were starting to get introduced to fandom by them rather then by Anime DVD's---- and in the past few years, digital fansubs popularity continues to grow unabated, with YouTube playing a huge role [only being a few years old, vs. Animego's 20-ish years]. Anime companies started releasing less, cancelling licenses [see Mermaid Melody], taking less chances, and on occasion, dropping dead altogether [CPM, I miss you]....... One wonders what affect the advent of YouTube [which makes watching fansubs hasslefree/easy] has had on the sales of anime companies..... Last edited by Paploo on Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:39 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief
Posts: 1684 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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You are absolutely right. Unfortunately, the Japanese entertainment industry is very resistent to new technology (due mostly to a very messed up copyright system there), so this remains a dream. It can be very frustrating. |
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starcade
Posts: 204 |
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I think it just has to be finally admitted that the Golden Age of Anime in America is dead. One has to wonder if there IS a meaningful "Western anime market", but one thing is for sure: If there is one, it's not sustainable in present form.
And that's the only way anime will survive in America: The Japanese basically control it, beginning to end, and do, essentially, as you state here. It'll be like the death of the CD in the music industry (such as one of those exists anymore)... |
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kyokun703
 Posts: 2505 Location: Orgrimmar |
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I hope we get some kind of comment on Friday, 'cause this really sucks if they cease production and releasing. I'm collecting six of their series right now, and I'll be pissed and upset if I can't finish them.
(edit: corrected number of series) Last edited by kyokun703 on Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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You'll have more on this in the coming days. Your skepticism is healthy but unnecessary here. |
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MeggieMay
 Posts: 607 |
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Well that was my point - I wasn't asking for them to just parrot stuff  .
True enough (and I didn't even mention libraries). I just have to wonder how much potential revenue is lost by people simply refusing to buy more than just the copy the rental place has verse more people buying the shows. I also don't like being made fun of for buying my Anime  [the situation bugs me but I'm not trying to make a case for fansubbing here - I'm more bothered by the general attitudes I run into on the subject of buying Anime].
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief
Posts: 1684 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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Well, that's true, but like many downloaders those people probably wouldn't be buying in the first place, even if the option to rent wasn't there. For most people, certainly myself, there are shows that are worth buying and shows worth owning permanently. I don't think anyone believes it was a good thing back in the day when people HAD to fork over $35 for a VHS tape to see if they liked a show. There's so much (bad) anime out there that nobody in their right mind would buy stuff sight-unseen. However, if you want to see it multiple times, purchasing makes more sense. If there are not enough people who want to do that, the show should not have been licensed and/or needed to have been marketed better. That line, buy or rent, exists for everyone, and because you like collecting doesn't mean you should be made fun of for it. If anything, it means you could be a fun place to rent from.
Unless you're talking about friends that are renting and then RIPPING the DVD's themselves. In that case, you need to make new friends. |
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phoenixphire24
 Posts: 260 Location: SoCal |
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This is so sad. I hadn't gotten anything from Geneon in a long time, but I just got Shounen Onmyouji, Hellsing U, and Saiunkoku. Plus, I just got Gankutsosu from Netflix, which I was planning on buying if I liked it. My friends and I have been watching KKM since disc 1 and it would be a shame to have it end now when the series is almost over. If they have to sell off all their stuff, I'm going to have to find some money fast so that I can get all the series I never got around to buying.
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khryoleoz
 Posts: 158 |
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No! Not my favorite of all the R1 anime acquirers. I can't imagine an industry without Pioneer who gave me Ai Yori Aoshi, Mahoromatic, Card Captor Sakura, Vandread, Dokkoida, Dual, Tenchi, El Hazard, Trigun, Battle Athletes, Chobits, Hand Maid May, ROD TV, Heat Guy J, Gun Grave, AMG Movie, Mini Goddess, Paranoia Agent, Last Exile, Haibane Renmei, WXIII, Stellvia, Strawberry Eggs, Tsukihime, Ultra Maniac...
And what will become of anticipated titles like Hellsing, Black Lagoon, Zero's Familiar? Please don't close shop...ever! It's usually your titles wherein I can listen to favorites of mine, Bridget Hoffman, Melissa Charles, and Kirk Thornton. |
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Paploo
Posts: 1875 |
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I had a friend who had some seriously misinformed opinions about the anime industry who questioned why on earth I would pay for my anime...... it's a sad thing 
Collecting anime dvd's and vhs is a fun thing to do, so more power to you 
Sorry for all the doomsaying Justin. I'm just pretty shocked by all this. I'm certainly glad that we don't have to pay 35 bucks for a 2 episode VHS anymore, but I do hope that Geneon's closure isn't the sign of worse things for the market, and that anime will continue to be available at good prices, and from a large range of companies, with good competition and a wide variety of licenses. The loss of CPM, and now Geneon, makes things so uncertain. |
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la_contessa
Posts: 200 Location: Pennsylvania |
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Thank you. I've been saying this for YEARS! For the longest time, the only Geneon title I owned was Paranoia Agent because it was the only one worth paying my right arm for (that's what it felt like they charged). Of coure, Bandai is out-pricing even Geneon at the moment, so they don't look so bad anymore, but still. I'm surprised to hear Funimation and Media Blasters are the cheapest for retailers, though--ADV seems very inexpensive. On topic--this worries me. Not even so much for all the Geneon series I so desperately want to finish/see, but for the North American anime industry in general. I really hope this isn't a harbinger of something worse. |
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