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Hey, Answerman! - Licentious Licensing


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RyanSaotome



Joined: 29 Mar 2011
Posts: 4210
Location: Towson, Maryland
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:38 pm Reply with quote
I don't get how buying ZnT S4 makes sense first. Its a series thats a direct continuation of the first 3, and asking people to get spoiled about the ending of the series before seeing the earlier stories just seems... weird to me. I'd expect anyone who really is interested in the series to go watch the other seasons with alternative methods before buying ZnT 4.
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Sheleigha



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 1674
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:05 pm Reply with quote
Regarding the Umineko anime, I feel like it was Nisa's way of saying "this is the closest we can get to licensing the game". As a VN it's SUPER text-heavy, and also a console game. Some VNs have been localized, but all have been handhelds. Although I'd love to play the game... you can see why companies have been avoiding that title, despite a semi-large fanbase that's been asking for it.

Since Nisa does anime too, it really feels like this was the "next best thing" to getting the game. Can't help but say, at least they are trying.... Perhaps with sales and having the anime out there, there WILL be more interest in the game itself. Who knows though. I just don't see it as a slap in the face, like many have been.
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Zalis116
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Joined: 31 Mar 2005
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Location: Kazune City
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:14 pm Reply with quote
I still don't see why people are clamoring for Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei from Media Blasters. Sure, it's a good show and all, but MB's minimalist subtitling approach is simply not going to do the series justice. It'd be better to hope that someone else mysteriously winds up with the license, as seen with Ikki Tousen Great Guardians.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:17 pm Reply with quote
To me paying Japanese prices for simultaneous releases is not worth it. As much as I am enjoying Gundam Unicorn, I would have been fine waiting 4-6 months (after each movie was released in Japan) for the R1 release. Also, I really enjoyed Kids on the Slope, but I can wait up to a year to buy a DVD/BD release from Sentai.

In addition, with legal simulcasts, it makes it easy to wait for an eventual home release. As long as I know an R1 release is happening, I can patiently wait.
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superdry



Joined: 07 Jan 2012
Posts: 1309
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:28 pm Reply with quote
Regarding answerman's question. As an importer (funny enough that there was a question regarding ZnT and I just received all six volumes of the final season on BD today), the simultaneous releases doesn't affect me. But, what I would like to see for shows that are really popular is a drop in price - something in-between Japanese and Westerner pricing for worldwide releases.


RyanSaotome wrote:
I'd expect anyone who really is interested in the series to go watch the other seasons with alternative methods before buying ZnT 4.


Maybe they're banking on people who have watched the first three seasons and want to own it by buying F first. Of course the problem becomes if F does not sell well.


Last edited by superdry on Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
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wandering-dreamer



Joined: 21 Jan 2008
Posts: 1733
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:32 pm Reply with quote
Oh man, the only series I have ever truly marathoned was the first season of Nanoha (it was exam week, snowy, and a classmate and I were bored) and it's pretty much put me off the rest of the series. Maybe if I had watched it episode by episode I would have liked it better but watching it all in one go made it just so dull.
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Animerican14



Joined: 19 Aug 2006
Posts: 963
Location: Saint Louis, MO
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:43 pm Reply with quote
Man, that question regarding Bandai Entertainment feels so timely. Apparently, a BD set of Cowboy Bebop is set for release in Japan this upcoming December , but with neither English dub nor subtitles.... if they were still around in their original, healthier state, I feel that'd we'd get this fairly soon.

And I still hope it won't be too long before we get this set over here... I've toyed with the idea of getting the Anime Legends DVD set, but at the news of this set's existence, now I might even be more reluctant to buy it, as cheap as it is nowadays. I really hope one of the big American anime distributors will release the BDs here... I mean, Bandai can license out home media rights for brands of theirs to other companies, now, right?
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:49 pm Reply with quote
angelmcazares wrote:
To me paying Japanese prices for simultaneous releases is not worth it. As much as I am enjoying Gundam Unicorn, I would have been fine waiting 4-6 months (after each movie was released in Japan) for the R1 release. Also, I really enjoyed Kids on the Slope, but I can wait up to a year to buy a DVD/BD release from Sentai.

In addition, with legal simulcasts, it makes it easy to wait for an eventual home release. As long as I know an R1 release is happening, I can patiently wait.
Same here. To me this business of not offering a DVD, or BD, or both after the simalcastings is catamount to throwing the baby out with the bath water. They have become so concentrated on beating the fansubbers that they have abandoned the buying faithful flock. It's all coming to tears on both sides. Now if they allowed me to record a simulcast for my own archiving at cost I might dive into it instead of dipping my toe in to find it just too cold for me. There's no easy anwers for this, but nothing's impossible if bothsides can negotiate a compromise.
@Lord Byonius: I said this at last answerman thread. It 's Bandai's job to get me to buy, make me want to buy, something, But it's never my, or anyone elses job to buy it.


Last edited by Mohawk52 on Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
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RyanSaotome



Joined: 29 Mar 2011
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:52 pm Reply with quote
The simulcast is just like a TV airing. I don't see why everyone NEEDS to be able to own everything when its easily viewable at any time through the simulcasts. Having it be a "premium option" for the most hardcore fans, like in Japan, is probably the way the Japanese companies would make the most money.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:01 pm Reply with quote
Broadcasting licenses are a flat fee as broadcast times are agreed before signing. It's merchandise that brings in the brass after that, and that includes DVD, and Bluerays, but that can't happen if those are not available. They can't whinge that no-one's buying discs when they aren't making them available, or try to take advantage of that by making just a few and then try and gouge the buyers, I'll never play that game.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
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Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:06 pm Reply with quote
Animerican14 wrote:
Man, that question regarding Bandai Entertainment feels so timely. Apparently, a BD set of Cowboy Bebop is set for release in Japan this upcoming December , but with neither English dub nor subtitles.... if they were still around in their original, healthier state, I feel that'd we'd get this fairly soon.


I would love Cowboy Bebop in BD. I would consider importing this Japanese set if it had the English dub.

RyanSaotome wrote:
The simulcast is just like a TV airing. I don't see why everyone NEEDS to be able to own everything when its easily viewable at any time through the simulcasts. Having it be a "premium option" for the most hardcore fans, like in Japan, is probably the way the Japanese companies would make the most money.


I agree that you do not need to own EVERYTHING. I have the Crunchyroll anime subscription, and I am very happy with it. I can watch its titles whenever I want, but I like to own on physical media the series that I really enjoyed.


Last edited by Angel M Cazares on Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:13 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Sunday Silence



Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 2047
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:11 pm Reply with quote
So the entire Answerman column for today is "You're a bad anime fan regardless of what you do."

And people wonder why Anime is in dire straights.
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Brand



Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 1029
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:20 pm Reply with quote
It's not like NIS can license Higurashi, doesn't Funimation hold the rights to that? I remember asking Funimation a few year ago about getting the second season of Higurashi and they basically said they would if the first season sold better. I guess it didn't.

And I don't see the PS3 version of the Umineko novels ever coming out here. Not only would the text take forever to translate but then editing. And doesn't the PS3 version have voice also? That would have to be dubbed (because Sony demands that kind of thing). It seems like a super costly endeavor.
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RyanSaotome



Joined: 29 Mar 2011
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:23 pm Reply with quote
brand wrote:
It's not like NIS can license Higurashi, doesn't Funimation hold the rights to that? I remember asking Funimation a few year ago about getting the second season of Higurashi and they basically said they would if the first season sold better. I guess it didn't.

And I don't see the PS3 version of the Umineko novels ever coming out here. Not only would the text take forever to translate but then editing. And doesn't the PS3 version have voice also? That would have to be dubbed (because Sony demands that kind of thing). It seems like a super costly endeavor.


I think Sony is starting to give into companies about that policy. The latest Record of Agarest War 2 got a disc release without a dub.
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neocloud9



Joined: 06 Oct 2008
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Location: Atlanta, GA
PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:32 pm Reply with quote
Now - correct me if I'm wrong on this - didn't Sentai hint that they'd be releasing the first three seasons of Zero before the fourth one hit shelves? I know Cristina Vee hinted she was working on more Zero, by tweeting that she was doing voiceover for a "familiar" show, though I guess we have no way of knowing for sure which season she meant... But I do seem to recall someone mentioning (in these forums) addressing this very question to Sentai and getting a response along the lines of: "By the time season 4 comes out, this will be a non-issue."
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