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NEWS: NHK: Shueisha to Sell Manga on U.S. Phones Next Spring




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tasogarenootome



Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 593
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:02 pm Reply with quote
WOW That's exciting news! I hope this turns into a profitable endeavor for them!

Interesting that it says phones running Microsoft systems specifically - I guess that means iPhone users are out...? I don't know what OS iPhones use, but I assume it's Mac-based.
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bossyman15



Joined: 04 May 2005
Posts: 35
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:12 pm Reply with quote
They'd be wise to release them for Iphone and Android phones too.
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leftbehindxp



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 142
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:18 pm Reply with quote
Ouch. Well I guess us Apple users get the shaft again, but its normal anyways. It only makes sense, Microsoft is more popular to use.

I like the idea, but I think phone screens are way to small to view manga, or even comics in general. Even when zooming in on a phone to see clearly it's still a drag. I rather just buy the book and read it like that. Prefer printed media anyways.
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bossyman15



Joined: 04 May 2005
Posts: 35
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:32 pm Reply with quote
leftbehindxp wrote:
Ouch. Well I guess us Apple users get the shaft again, but its normal anyways. It only makes sense, Microsoft is more popular to use.


Microsoft popular? On PC yeah but phone nope!
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leftbehindxp



Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 142
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:43 pm Reply with quote
bossyman15 wrote:
leftbehindxp wrote:
Ouch. Well I guess us Apple users get the shaft again, but its normal anyways. It only makes sense, Microsoft is more popular to use.


Microsoft popular? On PC yeah but phone nope!


But what about the software thats needed to make the program? Perhaps they'll make it using Microsoft computer software due to it's popularity.

I wouldn't be to sure about Apple having that popular of a phone. One, it's only being distributed by one company, AT&T. And two, they only share about 2.5 of the market share according to this recent article http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10387473-94.html. I would include a third point about what phones are popular in Japan but I don't know where to find accurate data about that.
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1685
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:49 pm Reply with quote
Just because the software itself is being made by Microsoft doesn't mean it will only be for Windows Mobile-based phones (which are horrid and are being phased out by most manufacturers). Microsoft already develops software for the iPhone, and I'm not sure but they probably have Android apps either already out or in development.

So for Microsoft to make Shueisha a program that will allow them to aggregate manga content across a wide variety of smartphone OSes would be quite possible, probable even.

Then again, who knows. Leaping onto Windows Mobile NOW is possibly the dumbest thing a company can do. Which means that the idea has been seriously considered. All heil the corporate world! Very Happy

leftbehindxp wrote:
I wouldn't be to sure about Apple having that popular of a phone. One, it's only being distributed by one company, AT&T. And two, they only share about 2.5 of the market share according to this recent article http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10387473-94.html. I would include a third point about what phones are popular in Japan but I don't know where to find accurate data about that.


You're looking at worldwide overall handset marketshare. Of course that's not going to have a smartphone dominate, simply because the biggest markets are the developing world. The big market leaders, therefore, are going to be manufacturers of cheap handsets that can't produce images high-res enough for manga. The only phones that can are smartphones.

As for smartphones, here's a very recent article highlighting where things are at there. Keep in mind that the current market leader, RIM's Blackberry, also has many phones that can't produce manga images. Based on this, it's pretty clear that anybody trying to do mobile content in the US would probably be targeting the iPhone first, and then other platforms. The iPhone has not been quite as successful in Japan, but it hasn't been the failure some have pegged it to be. But other platforms do dominate there.
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/28/rim-and-apple-top-u-s-smartphone-market-share/
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Daimao Raki



Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 593
Location: Dark Side of the Moon
PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:54 pm Reply with quote
Good news IMO. Companies need to keep hitting different markets as some people would rather have digital manga.
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calimike



Joined: 11 Feb 2008
Posts: 113
PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:29 am Reply with quote
I saw it on NHK World NEWSLINE on UTB 18.2 (Over the Air) substation of KSCI 18 in Los Angeles an hour ago.

Quote:
Japanese comic books going global

A major Japanese publisher is to sell electronic versions of Japanese comic books overseas to compensate for declining domestic sales.

Industry sources say that Shueisha will offer e-books via a Microsoft website that allows users to download software to mobile phones. It plans to begin the service next spring.

The site will be accessible in 28 countries and regions including Japan, the United States and India.

Shueisha intends to offer Japanese and English versions of 20 to 30 popular comics, including Dragon Ball.

The publisher will become the first Japanese firm to operate a full-scale e-book business for overseas customers.

Japanese companies have previously offered limited services due to concern about copyright infringement.

But increases in Internet security and mobile phone functions are contributing to the expansion of the global electronic book market.
2009/11/12 09:17(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)

http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/12_12.html


Go to NHK World (English)
http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/index.html

You can watch NHK World on Live Streaming via Jib TV
http://jibtv.com/ and click on "On Air" for live streaming.
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nadir-seen-fire



Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 90
PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:46 pm Reply with quote
jsevakis wrote:
...

leftbehindxp wrote:
I wouldn't be to sure about Apple having that popular of a phone. One, it's only being distributed by one company, AT&T. And two, they only share about 2.5 of the market share according to this recent article http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10387473-94.html. I would include a third point about what phones are popular in Japan but I don't know where to find accurate data about that.


You're looking at worldwide overall handset marketshare. Of course that's not going to have a smartphone dominate, simply because the biggest markets are the developing world. The big market leaders, therefore, are going to be manufacturers of cheap handsets that can't produce images high-res enough for manga. The only phones that can are smartphones.

As for smartphones, here's a very recent article highlighting where things are at there. Keep in mind that the current market leader, RIM's Blackberry, also has many phones that can't produce manga images. Based on this, it's pretty clear that anybody trying to do mobile content in the US would probably be targeting the iPhone first, and then other platforms. The iPhone has not been quite as successful in Japan, but it hasn't been the failure some have pegged it to be. But other platforms do dominate there.
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/28/rim-and-apple-top-u-s-smartphone-market-share/

Not to mention that doing something for the iPhone automatically includes all those iPod Touch users who aren't even in those phone statistics.
I don't have an iPhone yet (3year contract with a crappy phone provider; and phone companies want me to pay for another 3y contract just for me to get a iPhone locked into their service), but even I have an iPod Touch. Honestly a teenager interested in manga is unlikely to get a MS based Smartphone, but just about any spoiled teen from a middle-class family can probably get ahold of a iPod Touch.
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