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Blood-
![](/bbs/phpBB2/images/subscriber-silver.png) Bargain Hunter
Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23898
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Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:06 pm
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I like the idea of Akibafest. I hope it catches on and becomes an annual event. Not sure when I'd ever be in LA to take advantage of it, but it would be nice to know the option is there. I also like to see anime companies thinking about different approaches, like this. This, combined with AoA's recently announced story department initiative, shows some interesting otb thinking.
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Tempest
![](/bbs/phpBB2/images/subscriber-red.png) I Run this place.
ANN Publisher
Joined: 29 Dec 2001
Posts: 10440
Location: Do not message me for support.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:48 am
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VeritasJohns wrote: | The questions were utterly gutless. Not a single one was aimed towards the quality of AoA's releases, or the decisions that go into the releases themselves - what gets subbed, and why such subpar extras. |
Please note: I wasn't involved in this interview in any way, and I haven't spoken to Zac about it. I'm just using common sense and an understanding of how ANN works to answer these questions.
Home video simply wasn't the subject of the interview. Zac wanted to talk to an industry heavyweight about the state of the industry, licensing, minimum guarantees, simulcasts, etc. AoA is first and foremost a licensing company, and while you might see them as a home-video company, it's not the most important thing they do.
The Akiba-Fest questions were probably added in because it's the newest thing that Aniplex is doing. I suspect they were also added because it was a good way to entice Goto to speak with us about the other questions.
Next time, when ANN is interested in talking about home video, if Goto grants an interview, he'll be asked home video questions. But honestly, that's an old subject. What more is there to ask them? Their position on the issue is quite well known. They've never evaded the question, they've answered it very bluntly many times before in panels, in older ANN interviews, etc... Why ask them again? The answer isn't going to change.
Quote: | But considering the fact that every other ad on ANN is an Aniplex product |
Hah! I wish! Umm, what site are you looking at? Aside from the button at the bottom of the page (which isn't very expensive), Aniplex advertises only a couple days every month.
SpacemanHardy wrote: | Henry usually screens the questions that the interviewers ask before hand. He probably refused to let them ask about it. |
Our questions with Aniplex usually aren't screened.
-t
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mangamuscle
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 2658
Location: Mexico
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:18 am
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Tempest wrote: | Next time, when ANN is interested in talking about home video, if Goto grants an interview, he'll be asked home video questions. But honestly, that's an old subject. What more is there to ask them? Their position on the issue is quite well known. They've never evaded the question, they've answered it very bluntly many times before in panels, in older ANN interviews, etc... Why ask them again? The answer isn't going to change. |
Your points are quite valid, but we have come to expect from "the media" when they interview a powerful and/or controversial figure to throw them a curverball or two; otherwise it frankly feels as advertisement "tell us about your company projects so that we can throw money at them". If Goto was a creative (meaning, someone that do creates the things that we are fans of) it then would be reasonable to ask just about his past, present or future work, albeit a curveball would still be nice.
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leafy sea dragon
Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 7163
Location: Another Kingdom
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:19 pm
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mangamuscle wrote: | Your points are quite valid, but we have come to expect from "the media" when they interview a powerful and/or controversial figure to throw them a curverball or two; otherwise it frankly feels as advertisement "tell us about your company projects so that we can throw money at them". If Goto was a creative (meaning, someone that do creates the things that we are fans of) it then would be reasonable to ask just about his past, present or future work, albeit a curveball would still be nice. |
Depends on the country. In the United States, that's pretty normal and is to be expected from organizations like CNN or TMZ, which pride themselves on asking tough questions. I don't think there is such a thing in Japan, or if there is, the interviewees are not nearly as willing to engage in tough questions.
Of course, that all goes out the window if it's someone taking questions from a live audience.
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TarsTarkas
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5883
Location: Virginia, United States
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:46 am
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leafy sea dragon wrote: |
Of course, that all goes out the window if it's someone taking questions from a live audience. |
Which is why they should be nailed with these questions at convention panels.
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Alan45
![](/bbs/phpBB2/images/subscriber-silver.png) Village Elder
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
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Location: Virginia
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:54 am
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TarsTarkas wrote: | Which is why they should be nailed with these questions at convention panels. |
Which would make no difference at all. He has been asked all those questions before and I'm sure he has a series of stock answers that he would trot out and stand there smiling. The problem is not that the questions have not been asked, it is that people don't like the answers. The bottom line is that they set prices as they do for the same reason that the tom cat licks himself (because he can).
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leafy sea dragon
Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 7163
Location: Another Kingdom
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 9:14 pm
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Alan45 wrote: |
TarsTarkas wrote: | Which is why they should be nailed with these questions at convention panels. |
Which would make no difference at all. He has been asked all those questions before and I'm sure he has a series of stock answers that he would trot out and stand there smiling. The problem is not that the questions have not been asked, it is that people don't like the answers. The bottom line is that they set prices as they do for the same reason that the tom cat licks himself (because he can). |
He's quite the politician as far as answering questions, isn't he? Only he isn't very good at not making himself look so transparent in doing it.
Maybe part of it is also having to ask the right questions, or asking them enough times. Wasn't Bandai Visual bombarded with the same questions repeatedly from convention to convention, and that was the impetus for them to reconsider their business approach?
I don't know if Henry Goto makes many convention panel appearances though. Maybe the Aniplex convention was made partially so he wouldn't have to. (Though more likely, it's there to promote Aniplex's own series while gouging big holes in your wallet, considering you have to pay an entrance fee, then everything inside continues to charge you.)
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Alan45
![](/bbs/phpBB2/images/subscriber-silver.png) Village Elder
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9879
Location: Virginia
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 7:53 am
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@leafy sea dragon
My understanding from various reports and interviews here is that Bandai Visual USA went out of business because no one bought the shows they were offering. While I guess quitting can be a form of reconsideration of one's business model, I really doubt that questions at conventions had much to do with this beyond explaining why the shows were not selling.
AniplexUSA seems to have found a way around this. Most likely the quality of their shows. They show no inclination to change.
The bottom line is that for non essential, non regulated goods a company can charge what ever they want. Each consumer has to make their own decision as to the products value to them.
I don't personally like what they are doing. There have been several shows that I would have bought and passed on due to price. That said, fans have been complaining about them since they first started, it hasn't changed anything and I honestly don't think complaints or questions will ever change them. Also I understand that some of the complaints here are simple venting. But someday you just have to let it go.
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TarsTarkas
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5883
Location: Virginia, United States
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:23 am
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Alan45 wrote: | AniplexUSA seems to have found a way around this. Most likely the quality of their shows. They show no inclination to change.
The bottom line is that for non essential, non regulated goods a company can charge what ever they want. Each consumer has to make their own decision as to the products value to them.
I don't personally like what they are doing. There have been several shows that I would have bought and passed on due to price. That said, fans have been complaining about them since they first started, it hasn't changed anything and I honestly don't think complaints or questions will ever change them. Also I understand that some of the complaints here are simple venting. But someday you just have to let it go. |
You make some valid points, but as long as Aniplex is making long range plans, so should us "disenfranchised" fans. No one is realistically expecting a 'sea change' out of Aniplex. But constant pressure, the constant knowing of your unfavorability, and any cracks that are highlighted by that pressure might make them think about it.
If you give up you have already lost, if you don't give up, you always have a chance, even if the odds aren't in your favor.
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Alan45
![](/bbs/phpBB2/images/subscriber-silver.png) Village Elder
Joined: 25 Aug 2010
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Location: Virginia
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:48 am
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TarsTarkas wrote:
Quote: | If you give up you have already lost, if you don't give up, you always have a chance, even if the odds aren't in your favor. |
That is a valid policy as far as it goes. However, there is also such a thing as picking your battles and deciding just where you want to place your trenches. Sometimes all you are doing is butting your head against a brick wall.
I think this fight was lost when AoJ first came up with the idea of starting a branch in the US. We don't hear a lot from AoA but there have been some comments that both pricing and the extras they provide us are specified by AoJ. When Henry Goto speaks of not devaluing the product, I'm hearing echoes of Japanese executives who simply don't understand the US market. They have been told but they don't like those answers either. Unfortunately they are the ones making decisions.
Something I am sure of is that nothing said here on ANNs forums is going to change anything.
Really we are not disenfranchised here. Aniplex is very good at getting all their shows up and streaming. There is a current announcement about the new Working spinoff. The cost of one of their programs will just about get you access to Crunchyroll for an entire year where you can watch most of them. In the long run they may be doing us a favor by encouraging us to abandon a dying technology. (favors like that I can do without)
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TarsTarkas
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5883
Location: Virginia, United States
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 4:18 am
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Alan45 wrote: | there is also such a thing as picking your battles and deciding just where you want to place your trenches. |
True, but it is not like we are expending much effort now anyways. As long as some fans bring up the matter and the dissatisfaction at the conventions, that is all that is needed.
Alan45 wrote: | Something I am sure of is that nothing said here on ANNs forums is going to change anything. |
Too true.
Alan45 wrote: | Really we are not disenfranchised here. Aniplex is very good at getting all their shows up and streaming. |
This is a discussion about owning, not viewing. Streaming has no place in such discussions. But for discussion let’s just say you are disenfranchised from owning. Since Aniplex caters only to the high end crowd. As was said in France, “let them eat cake”.
Alan45 wrote: | encouraging us to abandon a dying technology. (favors like that I can do without) |
Until the future can bring global internet access, with unlimited bandwidth, and a cloud based library that has everything ever created online forever; physical media will be with us for some time. For now that is the stuff of science fiction, but that is also true of mobile storage devices that could contain entire libraries of reading material and video. So the future may bring us revolutions in both physical media and streaming.
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