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NEWS: Aniplex USA to Release Complete Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works Anime BD Box Set


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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 9:35 am Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
How does this company still exist with these prices? Especially in this day and age when you can watch this on Crunchyroll for free. And this is like a six year old show.


It is as kotelo_ says, the fans know there will be no regular edition. You either buy it now at Aniplex prices or risk never seeing it again. Crunchyroll and other streaming services are irrelevant. Nothing streams forever. Here today, gone tomorrow. There are tons of anime that are not available on streaming services.

If you are a fan of a series, and you know you will want to watch it again in the future, you buy it.

I have a couple of anime, that I can only watch on laserdisc, and a couple more only on DVD.
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One-Eye



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Posts: 2260
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:16 am Reply with quote
While I'm not a fan of AoA pricing the old 2 part sets combined came out to about $420 at full retail. They were more expensive than the Fate/Zero sets at the time, which I own but there was no way I was going to spend more for UBW so I passed on it even though the completionist in me howled.

The new complete box set is cheaper, but its also unfortunately what Aniplex considers a priced down set. I still may not buy it partly because I've cooled on the franchise and because I don't like UBW as much as other parts in the franchise. Still at least its available and cheaper than it was, stuff like Baccano! and ROD no longer is available and hasn't in quite some time.

Doesn't make me happy, but it is what it is.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:20 am Reply with quote
One-Eye wrote:
and ROD no longer is available and hasn't in quite some time.

Doesn't make me happy, but it is what it is.


Yeah, I broke down and picked up the Read or Die BluRay set last time it was available. Glad I did, despite the price.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4784
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 12:17 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
It is as kotelo_ says, the fans know there will be no regular edition. You either buy it now at Aniplex prices or risk never seeing it again. Crunchyroll and other streaming services are irrelevant. Nothing streams forever. Here today, gone tomorrow. There are tons of anime that are not available on streaming services
Fate is one of the most popular franchises and still making tons of money for them so I seriously doubt it’s going away anytime soon especially with Funimation now streaming it as part of their new streaming deal. I’m glad for Fate fans who are happy with it. Some of us still can’t afford these prices and have other priorities. If it goes away oh well. There are lots of other anime to watch. Pay these extreme prices or risk never seeing this show again doesn’t seem like good business practice to me. Especially now that they’re releasing a cheap standard edition set for Demon Slayer through Funimation only highlights how arbitrary these pricing decisions are.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 12:30 pm Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
so I seriously doubt it’s going away anytime soon


I agree with you about the prices. There are only a few Aniplex titles I have picked up, because I wanted them and had the discretionary funds to use. There is plenty more I would like to have, but as you said.

"Soon" is the operative word. But even popular shows get replaced by newer popular shows eventually on streaming services.
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HakaHina



Joined: 01 Nov 2019
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 2:52 pm Reply with quote
[quote="Cardcaptor Takato"]
Quote:
Pay these extreme prices or risk never seeing this show again doesn’t seem like good business practice to me.


You obviously don’t realize that companies in Japan thrive on this gentei culture with products and merch. Making something limited, even artificially, makes demand skyrocket. Hell, Comiket itself is based on this principle, just look at all the long lines and wait-times.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4784
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 8:50 pm Reply with quote
HakaHina wrote:


You obviously don’t realize that companies in Japan thrive on this gentei culture with products and merch. Making something limited, even artificially, makes demand skyrocket. Hell, Comiket itself is based on this principle, just look at all the long lines and wait-times.
And I choose not to reward that kind of artificial scarcity by taking my money elsewhere and I have no issue with accepting the risk of something I couldn't afford anyway possibly going OOP. We live in a world with so much easy to access and affordable content just at our fingertips that I just don't need this.
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HakaHina



Joined: 01 Nov 2019
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:41 pm Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
And I choose not to reward that kind of artificial scarcity by taking my money elsewhere and I have no issue with accepting the risk of something I couldn't afford anyway possibly going OOP. We live in a world with so much easy to access and affordable content just at our fingertips that I just don't need this.


I can respect that. I’m just taking issue with the claim that a business model like this isn’t healthy business, when in fact, it is.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4784
PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2020 1:35 am Reply with quote
HakaHina wrote:


I can respect that. I’m just taking issue with the claim that a business model like this isn’t healthy business, when in fact, it is.
Ii'm sure it works well enough for Aniplex's demographic base of hardcore collectors but it doesn't seem like the kind of model that can grow beyond the hardcore collectors, especially nowadays as more fans are turning to streaming and buying digitally than they are buying physical releases. I remember Pioneer used to release a lot of high end premium anime boxsets and they were around for a long time but they were one of the first to go under when the anime bubble burst. Bandai Visual USA used to put a lot of expensive fancy collector's editions and they lasted a few years but they're gone now too. Aniplex is probably going to be around for some time but it is telling they're teaming up with Funimation now to put out a cheaper standard edition of Demon Slayer and are slowly being consumed by Funimation/Sony. They might not go away entirely like Pioneer and Bandai Visual did, but I think even Aniplex can see the writing is on the wall that they do have to reach some kind of compromise with casual consumers. The Japanese and Western markets have different expectations so you can't really compare the way Japanese companies do things to American companies. But even recent statistical data shows Japanese consumers turning to streaming over physical media. And even as well as Aniplex does for themselves, I'm willing to bet companies like Funimation and Viz far outsell them.
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HakaHina



Joined: 01 Nov 2019
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2020 8:15 am Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:

They might not go away entirely like Pioneer and Bandai Visual did, but I think even Aniplex can see the writing is on the wall that they do have to reach some kind of compromise with casual consumers.

And even as well as Aniplex does for themselves, I'm willing to bet companies like Funimation and Viz far outsell them.


True, these points would be stronger if Aniplex didn’t have other large sources of revenue and was focused solely on anime distribution. Franchises like MagiReco and FGO which bring in billions (not yen either, dollars!) alone can bankroll anything the company wants to do anime-wise (and it has, as evidenced by the numerous Fate projects in recent years). Because of that, they have leverage in the way they price their boxsets, something that Funimation nor Viz can do. I mean, other companies probably do sell more sets than Aniplex does because of price, but I don’t quite think Aniplex really cares at all.

But all of this doesn’t really matter anyways, both Funimation and Aniplex are owned by parent Sony, so they’re essentially the same, just one brand dedicated to die-hards and another to casuals.
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TarsTarkas



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 5821
Location: Virginia, United States
PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2020 9:18 am Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
But even recent statistical data shows Japanese consumers turning to streaming over physical media. And even as well as Aniplex does for themselves, I'm willing to bet companies like Funimation and Viz far outsell them.


Japanese consumers still doesn't equate to Japanese anime fans. All that means is the average Japanese consumer is using streaming more. Which isn't really hard to doubt, since the Japanese video industry is still stuck in the DVD age. Anime, American movies, and select Japanese titles get BluRay releases, but everything else is DVD only.

While profit from overseas sales and streaming licenses is increasing, most of the profit anime companies make is still from Japanese anime fans.

Aniplex's business model is that they are the Rolls Royce of the anime industry. Nothing has changed their mind on this for years now. I don't see that changing anytime in the near future either. They simply don't care what we think. It is what it is.
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FlareKnight



Joined: 17 Apr 2008
Posts: 171
PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2020 8:19 pm Reply with quote
I completely agree that it is what it is. They will always price their stuff into the realm of the ridiculous. That's not going to change. It will still be total insanity and that will also never change.

Just one of those things. Have accepted I won't be giving back financially to certain franchises I really like because of Aniplex doing their thing. But nothing to be done about it.

At least the Fate franchise continues to thrive and will continue to get additional shows in the future.
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cheapassgamer



Joined: 07 Feb 2016
Posts: 27
PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2020 11:31 am Reply with quote
Meh, this show was mediocre at best. Fate/Zero was MUCH better.

I would pay this type of pricing for a Garden of Sinners English dub, but probably nothing else.
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