Forum - View topicNEWS: ICv2: North American Manga Sales Down 20% in 2009
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Next Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
poonk
 Posts: 1490 Location: In the Library with Philip |
|
|||||
As for josei-- I'd love to see more variety of josei titles being licensed because I do love me some J-dramas, many of which are similarly (adult) female-oriented. In fact, I ended up following along (& buying) the entirety of Tramps Like Us after watching its adaptation as the Kimi wa Petto drama. I've also had my eye on Suppli (loved the drama) but the spotty release schedule has frankly scared me off. I know, I know, it's the chicken and the egg conundrum-- if I don't support (a.k.a. buy) volumes 01-03 why would they release v04? But the prospect of buying a series which as a niche title is not necessarily assured to be completed is a major turn-off. I'm just not sure what to do. |
||||||
|
||||||
teh*darkness
 Posts: 901 |
|
|||||
|
Well, I can't say I contributed to this problem, as my days of buying 20-30 manga a month ended mid-2007 when I suddenly had to start paying my own rent. Since then, I've reorganized my manga collection into "complete", "incomplete", "dropped" (lack of interest) and "dropped" (by licensor). Let me just say, the "incomplete" category is very small, and I don't start many new series anymore. What little money I have to spare has gone more towards games nowadays, rather than anime/manga, as I get a lot more enjoyment/reuse out of games. And as for scanlations... I'm sorry, but from my experience and encounters, the majority of manga scan readers aren't even in the US. As for me, the only series I read in scans is Bleach. I'm a few volumes behind in the English release, but I've got all 44 volumes in Japanese. I'm getting pissed at Viz for slowing down their releases by putting it in their SJ mag... so I buy it whenever I happen to be near a bookstore, but it's become less of a point, since I'm technically reading a translated version of the Japanese release online and supporting the official Japanese releases when they come out. But that's just me...
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Sailor S
|
|
|||||
|
I can't stand scanlations, it's just not enjoyable to read manga on my computer for me. But, I also have slowed down on my manga buying a bit, not because of lack of funds, but because there just hasn't been as much good stuff out. Or, if there has been good stuff, I might very well have missed it because it's tough to know exactly what is coming out unless you see it on a bookstore shelf. That's what I liked about Shojo Beat, I could sample a bit and see if I liked it
|
||||||
|
gorbal
Posts: 114 |
|
|||||
|
Aging manga fans are realizing they don't have al ot of money to swing around anymore.
They really need to get new shows for girls and boys on TV. Shows Like Shuga Chara and Natsume Yuujinchou would be great series for the Disney Channel or nicktoons to pick up- preteen girls love cute boys yet we give them animation without cute boys in it and think that will keep them happy. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
JuicyB
Posts: 278 |
|
|||||
|
No mention at all of the economy huh? I personally have a huge collector's mentality when it comes to manga, but I guess I'm in the minority. I think they're right when they mention the lack of mainstream hits on american television though - most of my friends from high school have heard of Eva or Cowboy Bebop for example and everyone knew DBZ, but there hasn't been anything to capture the imagination of american audiences since then it seems. Naruto doesn't count, only 13 year olds care about it.
|
||||||
|
||||||
Moomintroll
 Posts: 1600 Location: Nottingham (UK) |
|
|||||
I know what you mean - the total number of releases is down but the number of titles coming out that I actually want to buy is higher than ever.
That's a fair point. But it doesn't explain why other segments of the comics market haven't seen the same level of fall-off (and have even seen increases in some instances). It can't just be the economy. A number of the publishers - especially Viz - seem to be concentrating more and more resources on seinen, josei and alternative manga, which would seem to indicate that they recognise that age demographics are an important factor. It's easier and safer to retain readers by offering them material that keeps up with their maturing tastes than it is to try and re-launch a teen fad with every new generation.
You love them so much that you can't get the publisher's name right? |
||||||
|
||||||
|
ParadoxCafe
Posts: 46 Location: Your Face |
|
|||||
|
When I first started to buy manga, it was during... 2005? Yeah when the market started to really boom I guess. I have a "collector's" mentality when it comes to manga as well but like some others said, we're probably in the minority.
Could the drop in sales (besides the crap economy) be because of certain publishers who get certain series? For example, I'm really resistant to buy Tokyopop books because I don't really like them all that much. Now, I get most of my manga from Yen Press/Viz/Del Rey. Not only do I buy their stuff because of the series they have, but because of the quality of their manga, especially with Yen Press. I don't have any business knowledge so I'm just guessing. 
|
||||||
|
||||||
population_tire
 Posts: 575 |
|
|||||
|
Looks like I need to save the manga industry. The only new (as in not from half-price books) manga I buy as it comes out is FMA. I used to be caught up on every single series I own...which is a lot. I used to buy at least 4 volumes a month of manga...
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
GATSU
Posts: 15292 |
|
|||||
|
RE: Price issues. The reason they can keep 'em that low in Japan is there's an audience for 'em. Those are still the best deals on the comic market, though.
Nine: The appeal of a book shouldn't be about the page count, but about whether or not the concept appeals to you. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
sharonlover
Posts: 78 Location: Washington DC |
|
|||||
|
Because it has nothing to do with the state of the economy or the lack of quality work.
Being a member of a scanlation group, if the manga industry would pick up the pace on translating and releasing items, they would have no one to place poor sells on besides themselves. I don't see why they can't release online translations (for a fee obviously). It takes a scanlation group a day to get something new up, and that's having to put more work into then they would, they've got professionals, the right equipment and groups that can work together in an office. Most of it's digitized and swapping out the text would be nothing. just an opinion though 
|
||||||
|
||||||
Mr. sickVisionz
 Posts: 2173 |
|
|||||
|
I doesn't help that companies like Viz basically got rid of the $7.99 price point and bumped everything up to $9.99. I haven't purchased a single title that used to be $7.99 since they did that and I can't see myself doing it in the future either.
In all honesty I doubt that would have any impact on people scanlating. Look at the anime industry. TONS of shows are simulcast and often for free. The only effect it had is that torrent sites used to be filled with fansubs and now they're filled with rips of legal subs and fansub of a show that's simulcast. There's a large number of fans/translators who aren't doing it to get stuff out to the people quickly. They do it because for some reason they don't want to consume content legally, even if it's easier and quicker to get it legally. I doubt manga would be any different. |
||||||
|
||||||
Celes
 Posts: 223 Location: Madison, WI |
|
|||||
|
I've been buying more manga than ever (probably around 10-15 volumes a month), but I am in the "aging" shojo market and once the series I got hooked on through Shojo Beat and some other series I started a few years back end, I think my buying will drop accordingly. I'm not seeing all that many titles directred towards someone my age (josei, primarily) and as a 24 year old I am getting a bit tired of the high school drama scene. I get all the josei I can, but I will also say that with Shojo Beat dropping dead I do not catch wind of upcoming titles anymore that I might be interested in.
|
||||||
|
||||||
Seljuk
 Posts: 139 |
|
|||||
You love them so much that you can't get the publisher's name right?[/quote] I feel foolish. That's what I get for posting so late, no? 
A racial slur, huh? Guess I've been reading too much Neal Stephenson lately. He drops that every other page or so. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
labantnet
Posts: 57 Location: Anoka, MN |
|
|||||
Not refuting your point, but maybe it's about who is buying the given product? Not all industries were hit the same. Maybe the people buying American Graphic Novel Properties have jobs where they may not have gone through the same kind of layoffs as other fields? Similarily, I would guess that most manga is purchased by teens or their parents. Teens are not working as much or as long as they used to, and therefore don't have as much disposable income, also they may be spending their money on other things like cell phone bills (That mommy cannot pay for anymore), or car insurance (Same). The parents may also not be able to pay for those disposable things anymore because of ARM's and poor job prospects, cutting their disposable income. Times are tight, but maybe those that read AGNP(Above) are being hit less than most? |
||||||
|
||||||
|
labantnet
Posts: 57 Location: Anoka, MN |
|
|||||
At less than 480P resolutions. Get HD content streaming, I'll put up with commercials to legally watch shows within a week of Japanese air time... If streaming worked here, which it doesn't, yet. Internet speeds are WAY too slow. Streaming a youTube video is slow enough, full 1080P HD? I don't think so. Get the Telco's to stop F***ing around, and get up 50Mbps or more, and then give us streaming 1080P and I'll take commercials. That last sentence may be kinda hard to read, but I'm too lazy to figure out how to fix it. |
||||||
|
||||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group