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NEWS: Funimation's Parent Navarre Confirms Staff Reductions


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GeneralArrow



Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 225
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:24 pm Reply with quote
If funimation tanks we are in some serious trouble. I just hope they have a plan to survive these times.
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Unit 03.5-ish



Joined: 07 Dec 2008
Posts: 1540
Location: This space for rent
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:34 pm Reply with quote
Nooooooooooo FUNi!!! Crying or Very sad

I really hope this doesn't greatly affect their business or their release schedule. Freakin' economy. =/
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kefkaownsall



Joined: 05 Jul 2008
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:48 pm Reply with quote
The good news is this isn't that much of a reflection on Funi's status. Probably the parent company needed to cut costs. It's just the economy.
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SongstressCela



Joined: 26 Sep 2008
Posts: 615
Location: Pennsylvania
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:51 pm Reply with quote
Sigh. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end. I have a feeling the American anime "industry" is going to go back to the days of scrounging together homemade subtitled DVDs and finding whatever rare domestic release you can get your paws on for some horribly inflated price.
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wilson_x1999



Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 182
Location: Monterrey, Mexico
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:20 pm Reply with quote
So... I'm guessing this is why they said in the podcast that this would be the last one :S
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pparker



Joined: 13 Oct 2007
Posts: 1185
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:36 pm Reply with quote
That's a 14% reduction for Funi, at the edge of what I consider a drastic reduction. Not enough to indicate danger, IMHO. That amount is significant for their bottom line, since human resources are the highest cost component for most companies, typically over 30% of total costs in non-manufacturing businesses. That reduction could easily make the difference between profit and loss.

In this economic environment, it sounds like an unfortunate but intelligent move to help secure the company's survival. It's a good sign actually that they are expanding their product line while at the same time reducing costs strategically. Many companies make the mistake of wholesale reductions of activity across the board, thus actively avoiding new revenue opportunity while forcing down costs. This sounds like a good thing for Funi and for the future of R1 under the current market circumstances.
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edzieba



Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 704
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:38 pm Reply with quote
pparker wrote:
That's a 14% reduction for Funi, at the edge of what I consider a drastic reduction. Not enough to indicate danger, IMHO. That amount is significant for their bottom line, since human resources are the highest cost component for most companies, typically over 30% of total costs in non-manufacturing businesses. That reduction could easily make the difference between profit and loss.

In this economic environment, it sounds like an unfortunate but intelligent move to help secure the company's survival. It's a good sign actually that they are expanding their product line while at the same time reducing costs strategically. Many companies make the mistake of wholesale reductions of activity across the board, thus actively avoiding new revenue opportunity while forcing down costs. This sounds like a good thing for Funi and for the future of R1 under the current market circumstances.
Or, to put it in terms more common on these here interwebs:
1) buy licenses
2) fire staff
3) ???
4) profit
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Richard J.



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:39 pm Reply with quote
This certainly isn't a good thing but let's not panic. Without knowing who was dropped, we really don't know the overall effect this will have on anything. At the very least, we can reasonably expect this to turn around since Funimation is one of the more profitable parts of Navarre, given past articles.

With them shutting down the BCI label (which I've read was a money pit anyway) this might lead to the parent company strengthening, which would in turn be good for Funi right?

If nothing else, the layoffs seem to the be the only signs of a problem with them. They aren't shuting down major operations right? It's not like when ADV suddenly started dropping all of it's various programs and projects and unlike Geneon, there's no capricious third party involved.

The key to keeping things going well is to go buy some DVDs, pay for some digital downloads and start going to family and friends and random strangers to say "hey, check this out!" and show them some anime.

Fans are who can fix things by getting more money into the system. We need to promote our favorite shows more, not by saying "download here" but with lent DVDs and an open mind. If you friend doesn't like subtitles, let him/her watch it dubbed! If they say that they only like a certain type of genre, find them something that fits that genre! (And I'm not talking about just on the Internet. I know some of you are like me and really don't have many friends but now's the chance to make some through anime!)
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Unit 03.5-ish



Joined: 07 Dec 2008
Posts: 1540
Location: This space for rent
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:51 pm Reply with quote
edzieba wrote:
pparker wrote:
That's a 14% reduction for Funi, at the edge of what I consider a drastic reduction. Not enough to indicate danger, IMHO. That amount is significant for their bottom line, since human resources are the highest cost component for most companies, typically over 30% of total costs in non-manufacturing businesses. That reduction could easily make the difference between profit and loss.

In this economic environment, it sounds like an unfortunate but intelligent move to help secure the company's survival. It's a good sign actually that they are expanding their product line while at the same time reducing costs strategically. Many companies make the mistake of wholesale reductions of activity across the board, thus actively avoiding new revenue opportunity while forcing down costs. This sounds like a good thing for Funi and for the future of R1 under the current market circumstances.
Or, to put it in terms more common on these here interwebs:
1) buy licenses
2) fire staff
3) ???
4) profit


In this case, would the "???" be the big plot twist EVERY animu needs?
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teh*darkness



Joined: 16 Feb 2007
Posts: 901
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:00 pm Reply with quote
edzieba wrote:
pparker wrote:
That's a 14% reduction for Funi, at the edge of what I consider a drastic reduction. Not enough to indicate danger, IMHO. That amount is significant for their bottom line, since human resources are the highest cost component for most companies, typically over 30% of total costs in non-manufacturing businesses. That reduction could easily make the difference between profit and loss.

In this economic environment, it sounds like an unfortunate but intelligent move to help secure the company's survival. It's a good sign actually that they are expanding their product line while at the same time reducing costs strategically. Many companies make the mistake of wholesale reductions of activity across the board, thus actively avoiding new revenue opportunity while forcing down costs. This sounds like a good thing for Funi and for the future of R1 under the current market circumstances.
Or, to put it in terms more common on these here interwebs:
1) buy licenses
2) fire staff
3) ???
4) profit


Or as the article said that Navarre let go a huge amount of their workforce as well, this is more likely forced layoffs due to the parent company than anything being wrong with Funi's financials. It's more like them taking the fall for the other badly performing divisions under Navarre Inc. Which sucks, but is the way of the business world.

On another note, stop complaining about if this'll affect their release schedule. They explicitly said it won't. Geez... lrn2read.
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Paploo



Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Posts: 1875
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:17 pm Reply with quote
Well, the Economy's kind of iffy, and it does sound to be more Navarre-related then Funi-related. And it's not the first time an anime company had layoffs.

How to solve the problem? Keep buying anime Anime smile Funi certainly has a lot of good stuff on slate.
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kokuryu



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 915
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:23 pm Reply with quote
I feel sorry for the people who lost their jobs.

But Funi did the right thing, and is probably going to be in a very strong financial position once the economy swings back around. I hope they will be able to re-employ everyone then.
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Seraphim_Alchemist



Joined: 29 Apr 2006
Posts: 114
Location: Camuy, P.R. (US)
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:24 pm Reply with quote
I normally don't post often and it's been awhile since I've been here... but reading two news about staff reduction does have me concerned. Specially when hopefuls such as myself with aspirations of working in said companies read them.

I'm only a year away from getting my BA in Tele-Communications... let's just hope things start getting better soon.
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GeneralArrow



Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 225
Location: United States
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:34 pm Reply with quote
Seraphim_Alchemist wrote:
I normally don't post often and it's been awhile since I've been here... but reading two news about staff reduction does have me concerned. Specially when hopefuls such as myself with aspirations of working in said companies read them.

I'm only a year away from getting my BA in Tele-Communications... let's just hope things start getting better soon.

If your Tele-Communications you'll almost always have a job. esp if its with your city. Its a technological field so you should pretty good off.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:46 pm Reply with quote
GeneralArrow wrote:
Seraphim_Alchemist wrote:
I normally don't post often and it's been awhile since I've been here... but reading two news about staff reduction does have me concerned. Specially when hopefuls such as myself with aspirations of working in said companies read them.

I'm only a year away from getting my BA in Tele-Communications... let's just hope things start getting better soon.

If your Tele-Communications you'll almost always have a job. esp if its with your city. Its a technological field so you should pretty good off.
Yeah, they always need someone to change out a black box, or replace a card when it fails, but having a BA might make you a bit over qualified.

On topic now and in reality it's FUNi that is the bright spark in Navarre's cylinder at the moment, so Navarre won't be doing too much damage to it.
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