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Bandai Entertainment Halting Video/ Manga Distribution in America

Topic started by Dream on Jan. 2, 2012. Last post by sickVisionz 8 months, 2 weeks ago.
Post by Dream (4,391 posts) See mini bio Level 20
Not exactly the best news to start off the new year on.
 
Long story short, Bandai will be halting future distribution of new DVD and manga releases next month while any titles still in print will continue to be released for as long as Bandai holds licensing rights to said titles. This has resulted in plans for several anime and manga title releases to get axed as pointed out in the article I have linked to.
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by Destinyheroknight (9,208 posts) See mini bio Level 21

Man, that suck

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by The_Desert_Tiger (1,224 posts) See mini bio Level 13

That's really unfortunate.

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by Bigheart711 (2,931 posts) See mini bio Level 20

Well, that's messed up. :(

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by ShadowKnight508 (5,315 posts) See mini bio Level 19
Moderator

Now that really makes a bad start for 2012 for fans of the franchises that Bandai has distribution rights to in America.

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by sickVisionz (3,774 posts) See mini bio Level 24
Moderator

Even though the writing was on the wall for a while now with their releases that seemed to be all over the place and experimental, it's still sad to see them exit the new releases part of the industry.

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by ZombiePie (843 posts) See mini bio Level 15

The update to this news story isn't just that North American distribution has been halted but that Bandai Entertainment has completely gone under.

Well... so much for all three of the people patiently waiting for a North American release of Turn A Gundam!

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by buhssuht (223 posts) See mini bio Level 19

can't really blame them, since they're victims of piracy

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by Dream (4,391 posts) See mini bio Level 20
@ZombiePie: Not completely under. The company will still be holding licensing, streaming and broadcasting rights to its titles. The company is just exiting the distribution side of the anime industry here in the states.
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by ZombiePie (843 posts) See mini bio Level 15

@Dream said:

@ZombiePie: Not completely under. The company will still be holding licensing, streaming and broadcasting rights to its titles. The company is just exiting the distribution side of the anime industry here in the states.

Which means the anime distribution industry in North America is now an oligopoly.

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by Dream (4,391 posts) See mini bio Level 20
@ZombiePie: Counting the number of leftover distributors:
  1. Funimation
  2. Sentai Filmworks
  3. Media Blasters
  4. NIS America
  5. Rightstuf
  6. Aniplex
  7. Viz Media

Still a bit more diverse than choices you would have locally with anything like Internet or TV services.

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by ZombiePie (843 posts) See mini bio Level 15
@Dream said:
@ZombiePie: Counting the number of leftover distributors:
  1. Funimation
  2. Sentai Filmworks
  3. Media Blasters
  4. NIS America
  5. Rightstuf
  6. Aniplex
  7. Viz Media

Still a bit more diverse than choices you would have locally with anything like Internet or TV services.

The number of names suggests monopolistic competition (which is still not that great for consumers) but without any hard numbers about how much of the market each of those distributors owns it's hard to tell. I would hazard a guess however that two or three of those names comprise of over 50% of the distribution market in North America. 
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by sickVisionz (3,774 posts) See mini bio Level 24
Moderator

@ZombiePie said:

Which means the anime distribution industry in North America is now an oligopoly.

You give them too much credit suggesting that they were keeping it from being an oligopoly. Funi and Viz run the market share game and whenever Disney decides to release a Miyazaki movie they give #1 a run for their money with that single release.

It's not all bad though. The US market is in such a rush to bottom when it comes to pricing that nobody can really abuse power in a way that negatively effects the pockets of consumers.

Edited 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by ZombiePie (843 posts) See mini bio Level 15

@sickVisionz said:

@ZombiePie said:

Which means the anime distribution industry in North America is now an oligopoly.

You give them too much credit suggesting that they were keeping it from being an oligopoly. Funi and Viz run the market share game and whenever Disney decides to release a Miyazaki movie they give #1 a run for their money with that single release.

It's not all bad though. The US market is in such a rush to bottom when it comes to pricing that nobody can really abuse power in a way that negatively effects the pockets of consumers.

Having time to re-examine my comments has led me to realize they are a hyperbole. The distribution of anime is like most media in North America in that it has always been oligopolic.

Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by Dream (4,391 posts) See mini bio Level 20
I guess it's now official. By the end of the year, Bandai Entertainment's presence in the home video and distribution market will be zilch. :( 
 
Sad to see another major anime distributor go completely belly-up.
Posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Post by sickVisionz (3,774 posts) See mini bio Level 24
Moderator

Sad to see them go but I think the US anime shake up is pretty much done now. You've got niche labels popping up, NISA and Discotek seem to be stable with NISA seemingly coming closer and closer to being a major player, and the big dawgs are all ok.

Posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Post by Dream (4,391 posts) See mini bio Level 20
@sickVisionz: Perhaps. But it's gonna leave a pretty good-sized gap in the industry with the many titles Bandai brought here to the states like the Gundam franchise, Cowboy Bebop and the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise.
Posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Post by Elfenlied1012 (472 posts) See mini bio Level 15

Damn, I liked bandai

Posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Post by sickVisionz (3,774 posts) See mini bio Level 24
Moderator

@Dream: Considering the number of shows they had, I don't think it's possible for them to leave that big of a whole in the industry and their more popular licences will probably get snapped up by Funimation or Sentai. Cowboy Bebop is like one of the best selling series in the US. There are probably companies chomping at the bit to get it.

Posted 8 months, 2 weeks ago
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