Forum - View topic

NEWS: Konami Joins Bidding for 4Kids' Yu-Gi-Oh Assets

So I guess Konami has really had it with the brand being mismanaged over hear. I can only imagine what 4kids antics has done to global sales of the card game.

I hope Konami gets it, so that we can finally get an uncensored version of Yugioh.

I hope Konami gets it, so that we can finally get an uncensored version of Yugioh.

This is just like when [Pokemon] was taken from 4Kids and given to... Pokemon USA, a company Nintendo of America made to handle the anime here. The dub 'quality' stayed the same in that case, so I imagine it'll stay the same here as well. 4K Acquisition Corp is just Yu-Gi-Oh's own Pokemon USA

Dammit Viz Media, bring Yu-Gi-Oh! back home. If there ever was a chance to do that since before 4Kids grabbed hold of the anime before there was a chance of the manga being published here, now would be it. Consolidate the efforts you're putting into other newer series which could be released at any other time in the future into taking back the anime counterpart of one of your classic cornerstone series in this one and likely only opportunity!

By mismanaged I mean if this is no longer on TV we'll have our trading card line die and it will cost us.

Tenbyakugon wrote:

Dammit Viz Media, bring Yu-Gi-Oh! back home. If there ever was a chance to do that since before 4Kids grabbed hold of the anime before there was a chance of the manga being published here, now would be it. Consolidate the efforts you're putting into other newer series which could be released at any other time in the future into taking back the anime counterpart of one of your classic cornerstone series in this one and likely only opportunity!

They didn't grab One Piece when it was in a similar situation. They didn't grab Dragon Ball Kai, and they didn't grab Toriko. They ain't gonna grab Yu-Gi-Oh! in fact, it's too late. The deadline for bids passed.

The name for this subsidiary Konami made is kind of cruel. "4K Acquisition Group"? Jeeze guys, don't make it seem like the only reason you started this branch was to buy 4Kids, lol.

Tenbyakugon wrote:

Dammit Viz Media, bring Yu-Gi-Oh! back home. If there ever was a chance to do that since before 4Kids grabbed hold of the anime before there was a chance of the manga being published here, now would be it. Consolidate the efforts you're putting into other newer series which could be released at any other time in the future into taking back the anime counterpart of one of your classic cornerstone series in this one and likely only opportunity!

They didn't grab One Piece when it was in a similar situation. They didn't grab Dragon Ball Kai, and they didn't grab Toriko. They ain't gonna grab Yu-Gi-Oh! in fact, it's too late. The deadline for bids passed.

yamiangie wrote:

By mismanaged I mean if this is no longer on TV we'll have our trading card line die and it will cost us.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is on TV in North America. I'd actually be more wary of the series with Konami given they have absolutely no TV background what so ever.

Primus wrote:

Tenbyakugon wrote: Dammit Viz Media, bring Yu-Gi-Oh! back home. If there ever was a chance to do that since before 4Kids grabbed hold of the anime before there was a chance of the manga being published here, now would be it. Consolidate the efforts you're putting into other newer series which could be released at any other time in the future into taking back the anime counterpart of one of your classic cornerstone series in this one and likely only opportunity! They didn't grab One Piece when it was in a similar situation. They didn't grab Dragon Ball Kai, and they didn't grab Toriko. They ain't gonna grab Yu-Gi-Oh! in fact, it's too late. The deadline for bids passed.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is still, by far, more popular than One Piece and Toriko in North America, so it makes sense for them to not grab at either of them. It competes well with other major anime, manga, and TCG franchises in Japan, it being a frontrunner in all of those mediums in North America. (And of course, the TCG is still the world's most popular card game.) Funimation laid claim to the Dragon Ball anime YEARS before we saw the first English edition of the manga. It's been at the point where you can't think of Dragon Ball and not think of Funimation.

Tenbyakugon wrote:

Primus wrote: Tenbyakugon wrote: Dammit Viz Media, bring Yu-Gi-Oh! back home. If there ever was a chance to do that since before 4Kids grabbed hold of the anime before there was a chance of the manga being published here, now would be it. Consolidate the efforts you're putting into other newer series which could be released at any other time in the future into taking back the anime counterpart of one of your classic cornerstone series in this one and likely only opportunity! They didn't grab One Piece when it was in a similar situation. They didn't grab Dragon Ball Kai, and they didn't grab Toriko. They ain't gonna grab Yu-Gi-Oh! in fact, it's too late. The deadline for bids passed. Yu-Gi-Oh! is still, by far, more popular than One Piece and Toriko in North America, so it makes sense for them to not grab at either of them. It competes well with other major anime, manga, and TCG franchises in Japan, it being a frontrunner in all of those mediums in North America. (And of course, the TCG is still the world's most popular card game.) Funimation laid claim to the Dragon Ball anime YEARS before we saw the first English edition of the manga. It's been at the point where you can't think of Dragon Ball and not think of Funimation.

Except for all those people in Canada, and Europe who grew up with an alternate English dub of the show that Funimation had pretty much nothing to do with, and the kids who will also grow up with an alternate English dub of Kai. But who cares about them?

It’s not surprising to see exactly why Konami wants to claim the US rights to 4Kids’s holdings on the property. As the Japanese distributor and licensor of the card game, there is value in the rights on the block, In particular, this includes “business relating to and commercial Use of Yu-Gi-Oh!, including the rights granted under the Yu-Gi-Oh! Grant Agreements, all other Purchased Assets relating to Yu-Gi-Oh!, The CW Block and [4Kids'] right to Use and profit from the foregoing and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Related Intellectual Property, the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Productions.”

So, basically, any and all American licensing of the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand and TV series.

Should Konami will, they would have full control of the property in the lucrative western market. And, rather than collecting royalties through various middlemen, they will reap profits more directly via sales of product and agreements via distributors like CW, who airs 4Kids’s programming. Of course, a humorous bit of irony does arise in the situation, as Konami will still be paying licensors TV Tokyo, ADK, and Nihon Ad Systems to use what is, essentialy, their own property. Of course, that’s not entirely true – it still belongs to the parties of TV Tokyo, ADK, and Nihon Ad, as the TV show is a licensed product created by the three current licensors. A Konami purchase, in this case, would instead create a far more interesting path in which money changes hands. Essentially, Konami, as licensor, would pay TV Tokyo, ADK, and Nihon Ad as part of the existing agreements in place. These partners would then take a portion of this payment, and forward it to Konami’s Japanese division, as a cost of maintaining the license and doing business.

Of course, I don’t expect it to get to that point just yet.