Forum - View topicAnswerman - Why Doesn't Netflix Simulcast?
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steelmirror
 Posts: 342 |
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Just to throw my own anecdotal 2 cents out there, I'm a huge LWA fan and it definitely stung when Netflix grabbed the title and decided not to simulcast it-but that hasn't stopped me from being excited about it! Once it had its legitimate, legal release, I traipsed over to Netflix first thing and gave it a binge, and in the end everything worked out fine; waiting a few weeks didn't hurt me at all. Great show!
As for random people who don't normally watch anime discovering a show on Netflix, my brother hates (as in, actively gives me crap for watching) anime, but he's watched Seven Deadly Sins, that new Castlevania thing, One Punch Man, and a couple others on Netflix out of boredom, and has gradually come to admit that he really enjoyed them! And my little 12 year old cousin who doesn't know a thing about anime watches a bunch of shows on Netflix without even realizing that they are from Japan; when I told her that Fairy Tail was a Japanese show she didn't believe me, because all the voices are in English! So while the business model does irk me a bit every time I have to wait to watch a show I was excited about, honestly, in the end I DO get to watch it, so having a little patience doesn't kill me. And, at least from my limited sample size, that strategy does seem to be paying dividends in terms of enticing non-anime fans to give the shows a chance, so in the end I have few complaints (at least until next time they delay release on a show that I'm slobbering all over). 
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Primus
 Posts: 2761 Location: Toronto |
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I've got to say. I find it interesting that Netflix's highest profile anime "originals", 7 Deadly Sins and Little Witch Academia, both saw recently announced PS4 games for worldwide release. Most anime gets low end Japan-only 3DS or Vita games.
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AnimeLordLuis
 Posts: 1626 Location: The Borderlands of Pandora |
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I am perfectly fine with the way Netflix runs things since I prefer to watch my Anime series dubbed so I'm used to waiting and though Funimation's simudub was a God send for me I can still be patient.
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18185 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Frankly, I think the people who watch 20+ shows per week are crazy and risking rapid burnout, for this exact reason. I don't find it to be too much trouble to keep track of what's going on in 8 or so shows per week, nor would probably anyone else who was raised in an era where following series week-to-week was your only option. Besides, it's not a big deal to briefly review a previous episode before watching the new one if you're concerned about forgetting details.
Yes, but what the big deal about that? Again, at least some of us were raised on TV shows operating this way with no option for binge viewing, so it's no big deal.
If you're trying to follow that insane a number of shows then sure, maybe. But again, I think you're overestimating the problem here. You have to remember that most serialized series are designed with precisely the lingering anticipation in mind. |
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dsfjr1190
Posts: 29 |
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My opinion on why Netflix doesn't simulcast, specifically in America:
1. They've already said on record that people don't get hooked to shows on their service until around the 4th or 5th episode. Having all of the episodes available at once makes it more convenient for the viewer to keep watching for another few episodes if the first couple of episodes didn't impress them. If they released episodes weekly, would viewers who weren't grabbed by the first episode bother returning the next week for the next episode? Unlikely. They'd probably have already moved on to something else. 2. I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix wanted to wait for a dub. The general audience is far more likely to watch a show if it is in their own language. Kids, especially. A little kid interested in watching LWA would be less interested if they couldn't understand the language and had to read subtitles. 3. Unlike Funimation, Crunchyroll, Amazon Strike, Daisuki, etc.... anime isn't Netflix's only priority. They don't cater exclusively to the hard-core anime fan audience and I wouldn't be surprised if the number of Netflix subscribers who have watched anime are higher than most of you think. They've made it readily accessible to 100 million global subscribers. I'm sure Netflix has created quite a few casual anime fans. |
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WatcherZer
Posts: 274 |
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In the UK Netflix barely does anime at all, they briefly had Gurren Lagaan some time ago but about only series they have today is Knights of Sidonia and Attack on Titan.
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11348 |
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If someone is a subscriber to Netflix, how does that person watching fansubs of one of their series harm Netflix (or any other subscription service, for that matter)? You've already paid Netflix for your all-content pass, so they have all the money they're asking of you regardless of where you actually watch the series. If I see a movie in a theater and don't watch it again on Netflix, it doesn't affect them. They've paid what they paid to the content creators to get it on the service, I've paid what I paid to watch whatever is on the service, and beyond those transactions, how is the source of the video on my computer relevant to them? Until Netflix becomes pay-per-view, as far as I can see, it's not.
Almost no one who doesn't have Netflix now is going to sign up for it just for anime. In the past they might have (I'm an anime fan because of Netflix allowing me to sample a ton of anime disks for series not on tv back in 2003), but now, certainly not in any numbers to even make a blip on the curve. The point is that Netflix can do what they want about how they release the series they license, but I don't see how going after pirates who fill the gap they created themselves helps their bottom line, and will just piss off existing fans even more, who may drop their subscriptions in protest. |
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EricJ2
 Posts: 4016 |
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Exactly--While I didn't want to go through the whole thread, I also had to look up the article before delving into the bonehead-obvious answer of "Because they're NOT A FREAKIN' ANIME SERVICE!!" When we have fans arguing for eight pages over why mean ol' Amazon wants to charge them twice for their streaming service, I think fans need a little more appreciation of what's Crunchyroll and Funimation.com, and what's not. So Netflix got a few anime series, like Seven Deadly Sins and Little Witch Academia, for a symbolic stab at viewer demographics...Hoo-rah. But they're still a mainstream service for TV shows and (they claim) movies, and they're not interested in keeping anime fans abreast with all the new series, as much as those services that make their chief living at it. They're the Cartoon Network Toonami of the streaming age
Oh. So he did address the obvious answer, then. Good, everything's in order.
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EricJ2
Posts: 4016 |
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For that matter, why binge, PERIOD? Yes, the shows are all in front of you like a buffet...Just exactly what anyone does when they go to a buffet is up to that individual person. I just know that when I go to the corner library and see a shelf of books in front of me, I'm not obligated to read every single one of them in marathon succession. If Netflix US decides to release a completed series, and some foreign-offshoot Netflix East-Ruritanian doesn't, that's entirely up to that branch country's service. However, when I come late to a series that's already completed on Crunchyroll, and I see the run of episodes in front of me, I don't see a sign saying "Expires in 48 hours, please watch all 13 episodes before then." |
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Cyberphobe
 Posts: 194 |
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I think Alexandre is confusing "people" with just himself, because the "people" are not mad that Netflix and Amazon doesn't weekly stream. If they were these companies wouldn't rake in millions of dollars every year, because their customers would just leave to find other streaming serves that did weekly stream. The whole point of Netflix, and the focus of its appeal, is the fact that you can binge watch their shows. This seems like it's just some angry dude with too much time on his hands, and not enough patients.
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Actar
 Posts: 1074 Location: Singapore |
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Okay, I never understood the Netflix model. If you want to binge watch, there's nothing stopping you from simply waiting until a series has finished airing/streaming to do so. You can choose to do that. As-is, they're holding a series hostage for many fans in order to force their viewers to enjoy their content in a certain way. That's beyond bizarre.
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Amiantos
Posts: 342 |
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I'll start off with a large number of shows each season but by the 3rd week I've gotten a feel for what I'll enjoy and what I wont. Those that I feel I won't either get dropped or put on back burner in case I hear that it gets really good soon after. So really after week 3 I'll have 3-5 shows a season to watch.
Not really, I grew up with anime on TV and a lot of anime blocks would be once a week so I've been used it since I was young.
Not really, I had a ton of shows winter season but nothing could top me from anticipating the next ep of Gundam IBO since it was still running at that time. I've seen most stories presented in anime in some form or another by this point in my life. I tend to stick around for the Robots, the characters or general animation. I knew from the start of s2 with the op's on exactly how the series would end but didn't stop me from watching. |
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CaRoss
 Posts: 457 |
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Sure, not everyone will do it, but when it is the standard for fans, complaints are going to justifiably arise. There's nothing wrong with that at all and it is wrong to claim they are entitled due to it. I was extremely frustrated with how The Seven Deadly Sins was handled. I still waited, but I voiced my complaints. However, the pirating threats definitely can be viewed negatively. That's a different attitude to deal with and far more fair to describe as "entitlement." It's just not fair to lump all complaints in as "entitlement" when it is a valid complaint for fans. |
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Actar
Posts: 1074 Location: Singapore |
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I also see that the fearmongering is still ever-present. I highly doubt Netflix or Amazon will go after fansub groups. Not only will they ruin a ton of good will, I highly doubt they see them as s threat. Not only is piracy NOT mutually exclusive to watching it legally, they wouldn't be doing this binge watching nonsense if they thought it wasn't in their favor. I mean, they are "marketing it properly" after all. (^.^)
...also, "Hollywood-backed anti-piracy initiative"? Well, I guess there's no cause for worry then. |
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Fruit Punch Samurai
 Posts: 12 |
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Very informative article, I'm definitely showing this to my friends so they can get an idea as to why Netfliix does things their way.
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