Bandai Entertainment will stop shipping anime to retailers in November

Vash1306

Vash1306

CAGiversary!
To all anime fans who haven't bought all that they want from Bandai, get on it now before its to late!

Credit to WTK
Bandai Will Stop Shipping Anime to Retailers In November
Ken Iyodomi, who is the president of Bandai Entertainment, sent us over a letter this morning to give us a heads up on what we've known has been coming and just never had a date for.

He writes:
"I am writing to inform you that Bandai Entertainment Inc in discontinuing its home video publishing and distribution business effective March 1, 2013.

As we methodically wind down the business, the last day that Bandai will be accepting any purchase orders is November 15, 2012, with our last shipments occurring on November 30th, 2012.

On Behalf of Bandai Entertainment Inc, I want to express our gratitude for the opportunity we've had to do business with your company, and I think you in advance for your understanding and assistance during this period."
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Well, we all knew this was coming up. While Bandai's remaining catalog of Anime release will 'officially' go out of print in November, I just want to remind everyone that quite a few of their SKU's have already stocked out and others will probably sell out prior to the Nov cutoff, so if you need to pull the trigger on any of their stuff, don't wait too much longer.

This also means that current backorders for existing products are less likely to be filled, but we will do whatever we can to bring in as much Bandai stock as we can afford to between now and November.
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via RACS
Several people have written in a little confused about Bandai's announcement last week that they will stop shipping to retailers in November. Most people want to know "what's going to happen to all their titles"? We'll here's the deal - effective Nov of this year everything in Bandai's DVD and BD catalog will officially go out of print (as will their entire selection of manga in October). Bandai has said they intend to shop some of these licenses out, but that process is likely to be slow and their back-catalog is just way to big to be absorbed into the market by the rest of the industry as it stands, so while it's likely that a few of the premium licenses will eventually end up getting re-released by someone else (hey Sentai, please pick up K-On season 1, OK?), I imagine most of their catalog will simply go dark. Now that doesn't mean that all their releases will just vaporize in November - retailers like us are currently scrapping together as much money as we can find to do big final buy-ins on Bandai's remaining stock, and at least for us, we're hoping to stock some of their titles pretty deep assuming we can get them. Over the next 6-12 months I would expect prices to rise for OOP Bandai titles that end up getting bought up quickly and become a little harder to find. This will, of course, result in the same bitching and moaning characterizing any price increases as greed and averice from the usual suspects who couldn't be bothered to pull the trigger on these titles for the many years they were available at the regular prices. Oh joy, I can't wait to read those people comments! :) But I also expect prices to decrease for a time on the titles that retailers choose poorly on and end up bringing in too much stock.

And before you ask, I have no idea what will become of Gundam - that series is an awfully big bite for another studio to try to take on. I fear the chances now that we'll ever see ZZ, Victory, or Turn a Gundam released in R1 are now pretty slim. ~sigh~

Anyway, we're going to go through the site during for the next couple of weeks and mark all Bandai releases as 'discontinued - limited to stock on hand' and also we'll be publishing a list shortly of all in stock Bandai titles so that you can see if there is anything you need before the lights go out in November.
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Apparently, Sunrise insisted on licensing the Gundam franchise as one big contract. This is why it took a few years for the Gundam cartoons to come to the west, no one was willing to sign up for such a big licensing deal. Bandai was one of the bigger publishing studios bringing anime to the west at the time, and they opted to take on the challenge.

The bad news is that as long as Sunrise sticks to this policy, it is highly unlikely that we will see another company publish Gundam in the west. There are so many Gundam shows, and so many of them are older, that it is very unlikely that any current anime publisher would choose to pick up the entire package. This means that the Gundam DVDs are actually at greater risk of being permanently OOP in the west than almost any other series that Bandai currently publishes.
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didnt know that wonder why they did that??? if they do stick to that then funimation is really the only publisher outside of japan that could afford that. seems like all our hopes hinge on funimation the house of dbz.

though i guess it does it make easier would be my guess.
 
Went to Best Buy today and used some reward zone certificates to get Cowboy Bebop complete for $26. Ordered Gurren Lagann on Amazon for $30 and Outlaw Star on eBay for $30.

As much as I want The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and various Gundams that I don't own, I've reached my budget for now. I'll have to get them off eBay at some point if other places run out : /
 
[quote name='fishphoenix']As much as I want The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and various Gundams that I don't own, I've reached my budget for now.[/QUOTE]

I feel you. While the Gundam series are more affordable now than ever, there are just so bloody many of them. They can eat into your wallet really fast. I already took some serious damage last week shoring up gaps in my collection. I might go for another purchase this week, I believe Right Stuf has the Gundam Wing boxes down to $30 each. But yeah, trying to pick up the majority of the Bandai catalog is punishing on anyone's budget.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']I feel you. While the Gundam series are more affordable now than ever, there are just so bloody many of them. They can eat into your wallet really fast. I already took some serious damage last week shoring up gaps in my collection. I might go for another purchase this week, I believe Right Stuf has the Gundam Wing boxes down to $30 each. But yeah, trying to pick up the majority of the Bandai catalog is punishing on anyone's budget.[/QUOTE]

Can't help but agree with you more. Attempting to buy a lot of the series Bandai had will surely hit anyone hard (sans the people who easily make bank)
 
G-Gundam was more of a competition anime like zoids. As for gundam wing, it was pretty good but it is kinda hard to rewatch now. War in a pocket seem fresh the way they told the story though a child on the sideline and Gundam 00 reminded me of code geass in the way the models kept evolving and the many twists that made it addicting.

I started collecting my favs a few months ago so I lucked out and I just ordered $200ish to get the last gundam series from amazon. The only one I'm missing now id the Gundam unicorn, and I can't decide if I'm crazy enough to shell out for the blus or not.

trailers:

Mobile Suit Gundam Trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeNKubtJB1A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c30IcxtrnU

Gundam Zeta Trailer:
Best I could do, most trailers were for the movie trilogy remake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg0z1bm38Z4

Gundam 0080 War in a Pocket trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUn7KgXhwwI

Gundam 08 MS Team trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHORiWcYzEY

Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1UwqzAUwSs&feature=relmfu

Mobile Suit Gundam Chars Counter Attack (Movie) trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqcXyoGHNL8&feature=related

Gundam F91 trailer:
again best I could find
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2duSaXppPQ

G-Gundam trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRercuwUQwI

Gundam Wing trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVcCB4fze94

Gundam Wing Endless Waltz (movie) trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSAe5MMJZ2w&feature=relmfu

Gundam Seed trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToV3SqqD240

Gundam Seed Destiny trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5-2WTeHq9U

Gundam 00 trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecrypvIG9-8

Gundam 00 (movie) trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdc88oxxI88&feature=relmfu

Gundam Unicorn trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxB_H6iux1w

And for Shits and Giggles, and so everyone knows why its bad:
Gundam SD trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhoUhLp9Fio

Bonus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_75ym4LRBk
[/QUOTE]
 
Found the Cowboy Bebop perfect sessions limited edition boxset from a CEX store in my area for 6 bucks.The box was beaten to hell,but the dvd's work,which is all that matter.
 
[quote name='ZeroFlame15']So how long do you think it will be when we see all these titles appear to have become OOP?[/QUOTE]

Thats hard to say, Since they officially stop production in November I'd have to say it wouldn't be long. I'd guess they would start selling out soon after due to christmas sales.
 
[quote name='ZeroFlame15']So how long do you think it will be when we see all these titles appear to have become OOP?[/QUOTE]

November. A title is Out Of Print when they stop printing more of it. And that is happening around November. There are actually quite a few Bandai titles that are already out of print. Most of the original sets have been out of print for several years. (Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop, all of the Gundams, etc...) They normally stop printing the regular single-disc sets once they start releasing season box sets.

Once November hits, it is OOP for the entire Bandai catalog. And there's no guarantee that any of those series will get picked up again by another publisher. That's what has everyone so stirred up. If one was of the speculative inclination, you could grab up a bunch of Bandai sets now and flip them in about six months for double what you paid for them. By that point most of the supply will have dried up and the price on sites like eBay are going to skyrocket.
 
[quote name='ZeroFlame15']So how long do you think it will be when we see all these titles appear to have become OOP?[/QUOTE]

We're already seeing it with a few things, mostly Blu-rays at the moment.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']By that point most of the supply will have dried up and the price on sites like eBay are going to skyrocket.[/QUOTE]

Can't stress this enough, it's going to be INSANE. Especially Gundam....
 
[quote name='RaidenMGS3']Can't stress this enough, it's going to be INSANE. Especially Gundam....[/QUOTE]

stuff like this is one of the primary reasons pirating movies exists anyway. forces the person who does want to buy it to find other ways. granted there will always be thieves but this doesnt help. oh well hopefully something will be said eventually.

[quote name='Kirin Lemon']We're already seeing it with a few things, mostly Blu-rays at the moment.[/QUOTE]

hopefully some of those blu rays reappear it would be nice.
 
[quote name='kayne2000']stuff like this is one of the primary reasons pirating movies exists anyway. forces the person who does want to buy it to find other ways. granted there will always be thieves but this doesnt help. oh well hopefully something will be said eventually.
[/QUOTE]

I blame today's generation of customers and their love of "digital air". Netflix, Download only video games and DLC, Kindle, iTunes.... unfortunately they're the majority and they've sent the message they'll gladly pay money and not require physical copies of anything. Really makes me wish I was born a few decades earlier, I'm really not looking forward to the future at all.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']November. A title is Out Of Print when they stop printing more of it. And that is happening around November. There are actually quite a few Bandai titles that are already out of print. Most of the original sets have been out of print for several years. (Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop, all of the Gundams, etc...) They normally stop printing the regular single-disc sets once they start releasing season box sets.

Once November hits, it is OOP for the entire Bandai catalog. And there's no guarantee that any of those series will get picked up again by another publisher. That's what has everyone so stirred up. If one was of the speculative inclination, you could grab up a bunch of Bandai sets now and flip them in about six months for double what you paid for them. By that point most of the supply will have dried up and the price on sites like eBay are going to skyrocket.[/QUOTE]

Okay so how long do you think it will be before the stock that the remaining stores have (Rightstuf, RACS, Amazon, etc.) dry out? Still November?
 
November is the cut off date for retailers to stock up on the Bandai titles. Rightstuf and Amazon will probably order a decent amount but once those stock run out they are gone. It's like how some Geneon and ADV titles linger around still today.
 
[quote name='Vash1306']November is the cut off date for retailers to stock up on the Bandai titles. Rightstuf and Amazon will probably order a decent amount but once those stock run out they are gone. It's like how some Geneon and ADV titles linger around still today.[/QUOTE]

So in your opinion, how long do you think that stock that stores like roghtstuf and amazon will last?
 
[quote name='RaidenMGS3']I blame today's generation of customers and their love of "digital air". Netflix, Download only video games and DLC, Kindle, iTunes.... unfortunately they're the majority and they've sent the message they'll gladly pay money and not require physical copies of anything. Really makes me wish I was born a few decades earlier, I'm really not looking forward to the future at all.[/QUOTE]

while true. there is also the fact that sometimes fansubs and whatnot are of better quality than the dvd releases. but i do agree i dont like digital only stuff. i can see the ease of it one HDD is alot easier to carry around than cases upon cases of dvds and games.

i think it will be interesting if the economy truly collapses and not this mini recession but a full scale collapse which seems probable it will be interesting to see where all this digital media lands especially stuff with endless DRM and without a steam to activate it or a kindle account then what? or even better people that watch netflix and think they actually own those shows. yes some people ive met in real life have argued its on netflix i own it.

though to be fair i probably am a dvd and game hoarder so that cant be all that healthy either lol


[quote name='ZeroFlame15']So in your opinion, how long do you think that stock that stores like roghtstuf and amazon will last?[/QUOTE]

its hard to say.

gundam will probably be gone quite fast if i had to guess.
code geass is probably up there too
cowboy beepop while popular who knows as that series has been circulation for a while so it has a lot of copies already.

so it truly depends. then you have odd balls like me that loved shows like kurokami that arent as loved by the mainstream so some stuff like that could sit around forever. though amazon is clearancing it out right now so who knows.

then we have shows like eureka 7 that are highly praised but didnt quite catch the american audience as people thought they would.

then we have the amazing X factor of what will funimation buy off of bandai? and of course what will bandai actually keep reprinting till november? will we see another print of the blu ray of the girl who lept for time among others?

the bottom line is i dont think anyone can or does know at this point.
 
Like kayne2000 said, it's going to vary from series to series. There are a lot of factors at play.

Personally, I wouldn't expect the general stock at retailers like Amazon and Right Stuf to stick around for more than six months. The times have changed. Internet communication has made it easier than ever for news and information to be spread. By now most interested parties already know about Bandai's impeding closure. Few people are going to be caught unawares by this.

And most distributors just aren't going to be able to stock up as much as they would like to. While there is a certain demand for legacy titles like this, it isn't strong enough to justify substantial stockpiling. The existing stores are going to dwindle quickly as the fans in the know rush to grab what they can before it runs out.

Expect the more recent, better-known series to sell out first.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']Like kayne2000 said, it's going to vary from series to series. There are a lot of factors at play.

Personally, I wouldn't expect the general stock at retailers like Amazon and Right Stuf to stick around for more than six months. The times have changed. Internet communication has made it easier than ever for news and information to be spread. By now most interested parties already know about Bandai's impeding closure. Few people are going to be caught unawares by this.

And most distributors just aren't going to be able to stock up as much as they would like to. While there is a certain demand for legacy titles like this, it isn't strong enough to justify substantial stockpiling. The existing stores are going to dwindle quickly as the fans in the know rush to grab what they can before it runs out.

Expect the more recent, better-known series to sell out first.[/QUOTE]

Oh okay. I keep asking when I would expect to see the retailers to not have the Bandai stuff at a decent price cause I had planned to get some Bandai stuff for my birthday (November) and for Christmas. Would you expect to see places like Rightstuf and Amazon have enough stock to get through Christmas? I know we dont know when we will see the stock dry up but just wanted to get someone's opinion about it.
 
I think most of them will have stock through Christmas. Especially the on-line retailers. They can afford to stock more copies, as shelf space isn't an issue. Warehouse space is considerably more efficient, as display does not have to be taken into account. Physical retail locations are going to run out a lot sooner.

At the same time, the only way to guarantee you will get any of these series is to start looking now. (hence the enthusiasm for prices/deals in this thread) If you miss the window of opportunity you might get stuck paying post-OOP prices for some of this material.
 
[quote name='ZeroFlame15']Oh okay. I keep asking when I would expect to see the retailers to not have the Bandai stuff at a decent price cause I had planned to get some Bandai stuff for my birthday (November) and for Christmas. Would you expect to see places like Rightstuf and Amazon have enough stock to get through Christmas? I know we dont know when we will see the stock dry up but just wanted to get someone's opinion about it.[/QUOTE]

its truly hard to say because some blu rays like girl who leapt through time just recently vanished and its a question of whether bandai is truly going to keep printing everything until november because just because they say they will does not mean that is what will happen. if a company is closing or drastically downsizing their financial situation is poor. printing discs does and dvd cases does cost money. bandai likely does not have a whole lot of cash sitting around if they did they would not be in this situation more than likely.

and again there is your own tastes in anime too? are you going to be like me and love kurokami that most people bashed? and especially bashed the dvd blu ray release? in other words are you going to like those less popular dvds and thus less likely to keep getting stock dvds? or are you going after the more popular gundam that will popular be printed up to last the possible second as i expect the demand for gundam to start skyrocketing.

if i was you...start eyeballing the shows you want and get them when they go on sale ASAP. of course if its a choice between that or paying the rent...obviously pay the rent.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']Like kayne2000 said, it's going to vary from series to series. There are a lot of factors at play.

Personally, I wouldn't expect the general stock at retailers like Amazon and Right Stuf to stick around for more than six months. The times have changed. Internet communication has made it easier than ever for news and information to be spread. By now most interested parties already know about Bandai's impeding closure. Few people are going to be caught unawares by this.

And most distributors just aren't going to be able to stock up as much as they would like to. While there is a certain demand for legacy titles like this, it isn't strong enough to justify substantial stockpiling. The existing stores are going to dwindle quickly as the fans in the know rush to grab what they can before it runs out.

Expect the more recent, better-known series to sell out first.[/QUOTE]

also this will mean a lot of people will be eyeballing the shows they really want making it harder to get the deal and more likely they will go OOP faster. especially because any anime fan by now knows OOP anime is a nightmare price wise.
 
If anyone is interested, Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer on Blu has been steadily dropping in price on Amazon over the past few days. It's down to 17.98.
 
So, anyone want my copy of Saber Marionette J? ;)

Back to the subject, I mostly have what I want from Bandai. Mostly what I'd be interested in is stuff I have partials for (second half of Eureka 7, second season of Harhui Suzumiya.). The only thing that I don't have that I might want is FLAG.
 
I don't think anybody's mentioned "Star Driver" on this thread yet. If you love stunning visuals, robots, and high school life, then you should definitely consider picking this show up---especially on Blu-Ray. "Star Driver" was produced by BONES, who also produced Eureka Seven and Full Metal Alchemist. I have a feeling that the Blu-Ray copies of this series will skyrocket once out-of-print.
 
[quote name='JoePianist']I don't think anybody's mentioned "Star Driver" on this thread yet. If you love stunning visuals, robots, and high school life, then you should definitely consider picking this show up---especially on Blu-Ray. "Star Driver" was produced by BONES, who also produced Eureka Seven and Full Metal Alchemist. I have a feeling that the Blu-Ray copies of this series will skyrocket once out-of-print.[/QUOTE]
Star Driver is one of those shows that I've been on the fence about ever since Bandai originally announced they were going to stop producing anime. $60 for a 26-episode BD set is a good price, but I can't help but feel like that money would be better spent on something else (Black Lagoon, Steins; Gate, Shakugan no Shana, Hellsing Ultimate, even one LE volume of Madoka)
 
[quote name='JoePianist']I don't think anybody's mentioned "Star Driver" on this thread yet. If you love stunning visuals, robots, and high school life, then you should definitely consider picking this show up---especially on Blu-Ray.[/QUOTE]

Star Driver has some of the most flamboyant costume design I've ever seen, even in anime. Many of the characters regularly sport atire that Liberace would have proudly worn on-stage. If Elton John watched this series, he'd pull out a sketch pad and start taking notes for his next tour. The wardrobe in Star Driver is simply THAT over-the-top.

It might actually be worth it just for the spectacle presented by the wide variety of alternative attire.
 
[quote name='roger watersmelon']Star Driver is one of those shows that I've been on the fence about ever since Bandai originally announced they were going to stop producing anime. $60 for a 26-episode BD set is a good price, but I can't help but feel like that money would be better spent on something else (Black Lagoon, Steins; Gate, Shakugan no Shana, Hellsing Ultimate, even one LE volume of Madoka)[/QUOTE]

If I had to choose, I would definitely pick-up Steins;Gate and Madoka Magica over Star Driver (in fact, I have all the LE Madoka sets, plus I have Steins;Gate on pre-order at RightStuf.com). However, if you've got some extra funds to spare and itching for some beautiful visuals with nonsensical robot-centered plot, you should consider getting "Star Driver"
 
[quote name='JoePianist']However, if you've got some extra funds to spare and itching for some beautiful visuals with nonsensical robot-centered plot, you should consider getting "Star Driver"[/QUOTE]

Agreed. It's not a series that can be taken seriously. But for a bit more light-hearted romp with some fun characters and decent humor, Star Driver delivers.

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Planetes from my local Half-Priced Books for $25. It was not in the best of condition (dirty case, no paper insert) but for the price it was quite reasonable. I cleaned the case and discs up and it is now presentable. I have not watched the series yet, but have heard several recommendations for it. (also, it hails form the Bandai stable)
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Planetes from my local Half-Priced Books for $25. It was not in the best of condition (dirty case, no paper insert) but for the price it was quite reasonable. I cleaned the case and discs up and it is now presentable. I have not watched the series yet, but have heard several recommendations for it. (also, it hails form the Bandai stable)[/QUOTE]

Planetes is wonderful, and that was an excellent find.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']Agreed. It's not a series that can be taken seriously. But for a bit more light-hearted romp with some fun characters and decent humor, Star Driver delivers.

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Planetes from my local Half-Priced Books for $25. It was not in the best of condition (dirty case, no paper insert) but for the price it was quite reasonable. I cleaned the case and discs up and it is now presentable. I have not watched the series yet, but have heard several recommendations for it. (also, it hails form the Bandai stable)[/QUOTE]

Planetes is indeed incredible, I'm really glad I took a chance on that show as it's one of my favorites. It starts off really well and only gets better.
 
Not worried about this Bandai anime discontinuation.

Same thing happened with the Geneon anime discountinuation back in Christmas of 2007.

Lots of DVD prices went up, only to go back down months later.

I remember when people were paying $50 on Ebay for a single DVD volume of Ergo Proxy and Texhnolyze.

Now you can still get these same DVD volumes for about $4 - $7 a piece on both Amazon and Ebay.
 
Not worried about this Bandai anime discontinuation.

Same thing happened with the Geneon anime discountinuation back in Christmas of 2007.

Lots of DVD prices went way up, only to go back down months later.

I remember when people were paying over $50 on Ebay for a single DVD volume of Ergo Proxy and Texhnolyze, which means paying over $300 - $350 if you wanted to complete the set.

Now you can still get these same DVD volumes for about $4 - $7 a piece or get the whole set for just $30 in Amazon.
 
[quote name='HanawayCoca']Not worried about this Bandai anime discontinuation.

Same thing happened with the Geneon anime discountinuation back in Christmas of 2007.

Lots of DVD prices went way up, only to go back down months later.

I remember when people were paying over $50 on Ebay for a single DVD volume of Ergo Proxy and Texhnolyze, which means paying over $300 - $350 if you wanted to complete the set.

Now you can still get these same DVD volumes for about $4 - $7 a piece or get the whole set for just $30 in Amazon.[/QUOTE]



Yeah because Funimation picked a lot of those titles. You are ignoring the stuff that didn't get picked up like Karin or older series that went out of print like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura. Or hell go look up the prices for Ronin Warriors!
 
[quote name='coolsteel']Yeah because Funimation picked a lot of those titles. You are ignoring the stuff that didn't get picked up like Karin or older series that went out of print like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura. Or hell go look up the prices for Ronin Warriors![/QUOTE]
Don't forget When They Cry. That series was even picked up by Funimation, but it too has gone out of print again.
 
[quote name='coolsteel']Yeah because Funimation picked a lot of those titles. You are ignoring the stuff that didn't get picked up like Karin or older series that went out of print like Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura. Or hell go look up the prices for Ronin Warriors![/QUOTE]

this. this is also what i know a lot of us are truly hoping for. but either way funimation knows how to make a profit off of anime so i doubt they will do anything too terribly stupid.
 
^Is Funimation currently profitable?I remember when their parent company sold them off about two years ago for a very low 24 million that Funimation lost over 500k that quarter.I don't know about now but just curious,are they making a profit nowadays?
 
[quote name='Magiblaze']^Is Funimation currently profitable?I remember when their parent company sold them off about two years ago for a very low 24 million that Funimation lost over 500k that quarter.I don't know about now but just curious,are they making a profit nowadays?[/QUOTE]

hmm didnt know that but they have dbz and dbz prints money so....

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-10-31/funimation-parent-reports-2q-results

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2012-03-07

http://www.animevice.com/news/funim...prepares-to-put-it-on-the-auction-block/4726/

seems their profits were up a year or two ago but sales down is what the title to that says but i didnt read it all.

and honestly if funimation is only worth 24 million are we shocked? anime is a niche market. this isnt windows and this isnt american idol this is a niche market of hard to please people. though i have no idea how good or bad 24 million is or if that is even representative of what they are really worth or not
 
I think it was a bit surprising back then when they were bought back in like 2004 or 2005 or whenever it was, it was bought for around 100-125 million compared to being sold off about 5 years later for a fraction of that.

Its a big problem these days compared to years before where all these streaming sites and Netflixs weren't quite as big.Seems like the best you can do is just host the anime for free on your website and put ads at the start and hope to make a little money to try and combat it being so easy to get access to but I don't think you can expect as big profit margins like they had before.
 
yea legal streaming services are a factor but honestly that is hitting everyone not just funimation. im curious to see in 10 years how physical media responds to this or if physical media really just does die off...though i imagine physical books will survive. but dvds and games i am curious about.

i do hope funimation can stick it out i'd have for fansubs and torrents to be the only means to watch anime. but then again they are legal if you cannot buy the product and play it in your country lol but still would be quite sad if that happened.
 
I hope that doesn't happen. Unlike a lot of people, hope that some of you agree with me, I actually prefer to have a physical copy of my media, mainly because I can touch it and what not.
 
[quote name='Olengie']I hope that doesn't happen. Unlike a lot of people, hope that some of you agree with me, I actually prefer to have a physical copy of my media, mainly because I can touch it and what not.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you 100%. The tangibility of a physical media is important to me and helps put me at ease that I actually OWN the product. I cannot say the same for digital distribution and media. I love streaming but I never feel like I own anything I stream or what I have downloaded from let's say PSN, Live, etc.
 
Physical media isn't going anywhere until the whole country has access to high speed internet, which will take a long time unless the federal government foots the bill.
 
[quote name='kyrhon']What do you guys think of Cowboy Bebop? Do I need to worry about not being able to pick up a copy in the future?[/QUOTE]

you should hang your head in shame or not owning it already lol
 
Sorry. I should hold my head in shame as well. I'm more of an Outlaw Star Fan.

My friend who really hates anime only likes Cowboy Bebop. :lol:
 
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