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Aniplex's Pricing Point: Can it be justified?

I just find it amusing that so many expert economists got it wrong when we look at the state of the global economy.

It's mind-boggling to read these people's excuses, then in another unrelated post, proudly share with the world quite a bit of their collection remains in its original shrink wrap. These people get an instant dismissal from me when talking about price, because they're just posting to whine without truly understanding what markets are.

First, the complaints about AoA's pricing stem from a keen understanding of the current R1 anime market, not the opposite as you claim.

We understand that Funi, Sentai, NISA, Viz, Media Blasters, Nozomi, Discotek, etc all are fairly close to each other with respect to price points.

However, we can say - with complete understanding of the R1 market and with complete justification: you are price-gouging.

Price gouging is a price set when no alternatives are present in the same market, and our very R1 existence makes the use of "price gouging" absurd.

If anything, we can claim R1 is price gouging the market by delivering goods which constantly demand that magical price point, such as subtitle only products having the same MRSP as its more expensive-to-produce dubbed product.

But yet, people don't complain about that. Nor do they complain about the increasing two-part collections, which now increase those prices despite others being sold as a whole unit.

We're at a disagreement here because many (note: not all) posters clearly do not understand their own market.

This is why I made the blanket statement, because it's not price gouging. It's taking advantage of a free market, and yes, Blood-, there is a difference.

Price gouging is a price set when no alternatives are present in the same market, and our very R1 existence makes the use of "price gouging" absurd.

What's staggering is this same audience then turns itself onto Sentai's recent distribution list of upcoming titles. Are you really going to convince me this is a group that understands its markets when they're declaring doom and gloom because Sentai's over-saturating the market? Not going to happen, Blood-.

When the fans in this market can show a consistent understanding of what companies do to meet the demand, and not formulate its opinions on a clear entitlement issue, then I'll change my attitude, but they must make the first move.

A free market allows AoA to walk in with its products and demand a price, and it should not have to consider what current R1 companies are doing. It doesn't have to.

I'll be fair and honest here: the biggest reason I see these posts as nothing more than whiny entitlement is because people are ignoring the facts present to them, which is these title are selling. It wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if there were a limited number of products produced, and if this didn't meet the "better discount" from press houses, the increase in price is justified, even if it's "absurd" by many R1 fan's belief.

I can relate to people's objecting of these prices if they were common across the R1 landscape, but they're not. Just because one can't get this particular title isn't justification to call out price gouging when other titles can be purchased which they choose not to buy because they don't like the title.

Especially when we hear Shawne state sales are ... *gasp* ... growing.

That's expected because R1 "understands", right?

Nor do they complain about the increasing two-part collections, which now increase those prices despite others being sold as a whole unit.

You can write a multi page synopsis on aniplex's pricing but it all comes down to 2 words-bullshit. Are you willing to pay their prices or not? If no then simply don't but any of their releases, if so then do and stop complaining.

Latching on to semantics now? They are increasing the cost of something without warrant other than the fact they want to and they can. Fine, don't even call it price gouging, call it whatever the hell you want, but that doesn't change what it is.

Need I remind you that insults are not allowed. Implying that this is all about entitlement is not only blatantly false, but insulting to those in the camp upset with AoA's practices as a whole. The sheer fact of the matter is they are inflating prices drastically with no real product gain or justification for the increase. They are offering little to nothing more for 2 to 3 times the price, sometimes even more.

You're right, it doesn't have to, that does not justify it or in any way counter the points people are making by calling them out on this however. Your point is useless and contributes nothing beyond the very basest of understanding of a free market which has never been disputed.

Insults again. The only point you just made is that it is Aniplex that has the sense of entitlement, as nothing you presented made a case towards the contrary.

Irrelevant and pointless statement. When one company is inflating the price with no cause and offering nothing more then people are entirely justified to call them out on it. Who are you to tell people what they can and can't call out and dislike. And yet they are the ones with the "sense of entitlement"?

Except for a few statute uses, "price gouging" only means "they're charging more than I care for". It's a complaint, not a fact.

Not everyone shares your valuations; anyone who buys one of their sets clearly feels what they're offering is worth the price asked. As for justification, read the interview with their president: low prices didn't grow the market. Therefore, they're going another way.

They decided how things werre going wasn't working well enough and they felt they could do better. That's justification enough for trying, whereas some of these complaints are merely about them having the temerity to upset the status quo(which they really haven't)

No it doesn't - nothing he said makes that point in the least. This whining is entirely about AoA's goods not sharing a price level with the other distributors - in other words, it's about the whiners feeling entitled to the price level.

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Quote: Irrelevant and pointless statement. When one company is inflating the price with no cause and offering nothing more then people are entirely justified to call them out on it. Who are you to tell people what they can and can't call out and dislike. And yet they are the ones with the "sense of entitlement"?

Again, you present your judgement as if it were fact. It's one thing to say you don't like their prices - it's self-entitled whining to claim they must keep theirs in line with the one you're used to.

Well, if it will help ease your super literalist mind, then how about figuring out that we are using price-gouging as a term to describe a situation where one distributor, thanks to its protected status as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Japanese parent company that actually produces the titles it sells, is pricing some of its products way above territory norms. When it does that, a consumer cannot go to a competitor to get that item since it has the exclusive right to sell that title in the territory.

If it helps you to figure out why we use the term "price gouging" to describe this situation, consider that when companies call a person who downloads or streams some IP without permission or paying for it a "pirate" they don't ACTUALLY mean that person is on the high seas taking over other vessels.

Both those statements are ridiculous. I purchased all three PMMM LE sets because I wanted them, but I don't feel they were "worth" the price I paid. I felt that even before they were in my possession. I knew I was being overcharged, but I wanted the extras that weren't available with the other versions. There is a huge difference between reluctantly paying a price when there is no other consumer choice available (except not to buy at all) and "clearly feeling they are worth the price asked."

I knew pro-AoAers would jump all over Henry Goto's no growth comment. The guy is smart, I'll give him that. Too bad pro-AoAers can't figure out that his remark has zero to do with AoA's pricing policies. Its pricing policies are dictated by the nature of its setup, not the nature of the NA market. It is a tiny, 5-person operation. It's an experiment. It doesn't have the capacity to follow a mass-market approach like a Funi or a Sentai (i.e. selling products in b&m stores and a wide range of online retailers as opposed to just a few). Because of its setup and because it is not subject to market forces the way an independently owned company is, it can get away with a high price / low volume strategy. Why do you think Funi and Sentai don't follow that model? Do you think they aren't just as aware as Henry Goto is that the market didn't grow when prices lowered? Of course they are. But they also realize the obvious: lower prices may not grow the market, but trying to follow AoA's model would destroy the market. Only a small handful of collectors would be left.

Again, another typical pro-AoAer dismissal of our real complaint. People aren't pissed because of some "upsetting of the status quo" - they're pissed because AoA is offering titles they want and can't get anywhere else for prices that are considerably higher than the ones charged by any other R1 distrib. Full stop. Hey, it's cool if you or anyone else feels differently, but at least have the intellectual honesty to acknowledge what our side's complaint really is instead of some dumb strawman argument.

[S]ome of these complaints are merely about them having the temerity to upset the status quo(which they really haven't)

Ah yes, the ever reliable "entitled whining" dismissal. There is nothing "entitled" about complaining that a company that has an exclusive license for a product that we want is vastly overcharging for that title compared to if ANY other company had the exclusive license for that product. That is simply normal, understandable, logical consumer behaviour. What are we supposed to say, "Oh thank God I get to pay 200% more for Bakemonogatari because AoA is distributing it as opposed to NISA!!!"

Polycell wrote:

Keonyn wrote: Irrelevant and pointless statement. When one company is inflating the price with no cause and offering nothing more then people are entirely justified to call them out on it. Who are you to tell people what they can and can't call out and dislike. And yet they are the ones with the "sense of entitlement"? Again, you present your judgement as if it were fact. It's one thing to say you don't like their prices - it's self-entitled whining to claim they must keep theirs in line with the one you're used to.

Yep, another typical mischaracterization of Keonyn's words. Nowhere does he say that AoA MUST keep its prices in line with other distribs. He, like myself, fully understands they have a complete right to charge any price they want. What he is saying is that those of us who complain about their prices are justified in doing so. Something that the pro-AoA side refuses to acknowledge, of course.