Forum - View topicNEWS: Newtype Readers Unhappy with DVD change
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beverins
Posts: 34 |
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I like to read Protoculture Addicts, myself. Between that and Newtype, I get all the info I want. And internet, of course.
I appreciated September's Newtype with the article on the Soul Of Chogokin toys, since I collect those. However, I must say that the loss of the DVD from the newstand is no biggie for me since I subscribe - but I think its a really bad choice for them. They really should look at the way British Magazines do it. Their coverdisks are rarely, if ever, stolen from Barnes and Nobles mag racks, yet I saw cellophane-less Newtypes all the time with no DVD. |
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FullmetalCJ
Industry Insider
 Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA |
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This is not the case.
Lots.  But I'd also point out that we are doing US-original covers -- witness April's Azumanga Daioh and June's Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex covers. Those of you that stick with us have plenty of non-Gundam covers to look forward to in the months to come -- Stellvia this month and another show-that-isn't-Gundam the next.
Also, we are constantly looking for feedback and we do read e-mail and value your comments. Anyone on this board can drop me a line directly at [email protected]. And if you haven't seen a recent issue, I encourage you to pick one up and let me know what you think. Obviously a lot of people love the DVD (and subscribers still get it!), but we are also trying to produce a magazine that we hope you'll enjoy reading -- with or without the disc. Thanks! -CJ Last edited by FullmetalCJ on Wed Aug 25, 2004 3:33 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Iria51
 Posts: 138 Location: San Antonio, Tx |
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I stopped picking up Newtype USA for two main reasons: It was getting hard for me to find enough time to read any of the issues that I picked up, and they no longer carried the bonus DVD's. The DVD's were usualy the first thing that I would watch after I would get an issue, and I also liked the fact that it had previews of non ADV titles included on the disc. I have been a Newtype Japan collector for years and was really excitied when Newtype USA was announced, especialy since Animerica's quality had dropped over the years. If DVD's are brought back I may start picking them up again. But not until then. Just my opinion.
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Haiseikoh 1973
 Posts: 1590 Location: Waiting for the Japanese 1000 Gunieas. |
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I think the Manga you choose looks out of place in the magazine. The last one's name escapes me at the moment (the one with Motoko Kusanagi on one of the covers), but the art looked medicore and the story looked like a rip-off of @Large. A complete waste of space. |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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The manga we chose that one time or the manga we choose period? Our current preview is Peace Maker Kurogane... before that it was Trigun Maximum. If those titles look out of place to you in an anime magazine, then I'm not sure what would look "in" place. The one you're referring to is Tokyo Tribes, which is unorthodox, but it was a chance for us to show something not entirely the same. It's also a colossal smash hit in Japan and his hotly anticipated here in the States; it's a big deal, and that's why we did it. I'll admit it was certainly out of the norm, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15306 |
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I had no problem with you showing Tokyo Tribes, but I was kinda disappointed reading it. It looked like an all-black Archie comic, more than an urban-themed manga. I'll stick with the Boondocks for that, I guess.
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dmanjdb
Posts: 113 |
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Well, I like Newtype's format. It's a high quality magazine even though I take their reviews with a grain of salt (Eva movie anyone?). I used to like Animerica but it felt empty. Protoculture maybe good but I still hate it for spoiling Giant Robo OAV.
The No DVD is something I hate but considering ADV fan approach it may comeback. So I'm keeping my fingeres crossed. Oh BTW NewTypeCJ
Why??? |
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FullmetalCJ
Industry Insider
Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA |
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Oh. I meant to edit out that last bit. The DVD was not made subscriber-only in order to lure people towards The Anime Network. But it is true that The Anime Network will premiere shows before they hit DVD.
-CJ Last edited by FullmetalCJ on Wed Aug 25, 2004 3:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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darkhunter
 Posts: 2992 Location: Los Angelas |
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Well tokyo tribe seem interesting. What I find dissappoing is @large which fail at it's attempt to use an urban theme. The character are stereotypical and the dialog are laughable. An example: Gangsta #1: "Gentleman, As I say to you before, I am Comrade, I am your friend yes? Gangsta #2: "Who is this Cat" Gangsta #3: "This is Yuri, but his friends call him Comrade. We're all friends here, and Comrade is my friend" |
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kusanagi-sama
 Posts: 1723 Location: Wichita Falls, TX |
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I think its a good idea that only subscribers should be the only ones getting a DVD as a bonus for subscribing.
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Intrepid
Posts: 2 |
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As a subscriber, you get nearly a $30 discount off cover, delivery inclusive. Further, I'm not sure why the DVD is considered a "bonus." Subscribers are getting the same product as they would before the change. Newtype's change does not suddenly benefit subscribers; nothings changed for them. It does, however, give less product to their "other" customers (store purchasers). Personally, I don't see creating separation amongst their readers as a good thing. Really, their change wasn't done to benefit subscribers or to benefit their readers (being subscribers and store purchasers both). The reduction in product for a part of their reader base isn't being done to create an upturn in writing or publishing quality. This was purely a business decision to raise profits and to cut costs. (It was a "corporate" move in my mind.) The DVD was the carrot, perhaps even a loss leader, and in this case, is being used to force change. Initially, the DVD was used to generate interest and buyers, establish a foothold in the magazine market and now that they have that hold, they could really care less about the store channel. (Small comic store owners were I am are pissed at the sales dropoff and feel used; one I know said to me that he would no longer be carrying the mag at all.) Now, they want store purchasers to switch to subscription and this is how they are pulling it off. It's the subscriber count that matters to Newtype (and any typical magazine out there)--subscriber numbers drive ad prices and sales, which is the most direct way the magazine benefits, since advertising is usually the main revenue supporting the entire publishing effort of the magazine. (profit 1) Reducing the DVD run reduces costs immediately. It's still a large DVD run for their subscriber base, so they get the full benefit of economies of scale, but they have less overall to purchase, so less cost to produce DVDs only for their subscribers. (cost reduction 1) The same could be said of the reduced number of mags they readily know this change will cause in the retail channel, which similarly reduces their printing costs, albeit minor since most mags deliberately overprint and flood that channel if they can. (cost reduction 2) Stores sales net roughly 50% the cover price of the mag. For ease of argument, say $5 for store purchases. But subscriptions, even accounting for postal fees (and after the change, the poly-wrapping and DVD) and discounted subscription rate, is $7.50 ($90 1 yr/12). Basically, for every reader who switches to store to subscription, Newtype gains $25 in profit. (profit 2) All in all, Newtype will gladly lose readers if it means even a slight increase in subscription numbers. Even with reduced ordering by Borders and B&N, they feel that they will have enough shelf presence that it won't hurt them at all, while their subscription numbers increase. The DVD change is simply their vehicle. If the above wasn't ranty enough, the below is: I own every issue of Newtype up to July 2004 in multiple copies since they came out. Crazy as it may sound, I typically bought 4 copies per month stores exclusively, mainly from comic book stores in a 3 county area. I bought a copy to collect (stays sealed), one to enjoy like any reader would, and 2 copies that I tended to give as for gifts to friends (great because they were sealed too and had a DVD) during the holidays, although the extra 2 also have ended up as replacement copies or those who had missed an issue, or for those that were getting into anime. A couple of friends of mine back in two major cities I've lived in noted they were upset because they didn't buy subscriptions because they didn't want the mag and DVD rolled and stuffed in their tiny apartment mail boxes. When I heard this, I could also imagine that some people might buy store copies because they didn't want a copy that the had gone through the postal system. Given the page count and page size, this might be a concern. One store owner mentioned that this also puts separation not only in the product received between subscribers and store readers, but also in those who might not be able to afford a full subscription. Not every reader can drop $90 or bought every issue. Some bought what they could, the DVD was a bonus. The owner's point was that the 12-15 yo readers aren't really in the income category to drop $90 at once and were likely the ones that were saving their work or allowance money and buying an issue here and there. No DVD, same price, they'll look elsewhere. I already mentioned one store owner has felt the dropoff in sales (and likely using Newtype as a vehicle for customers to come into the store and maybe purchase other non-manga/anime material too). But the thing that really pissed me off was that I feel I was caught unaware by this move. Whether by my own igorance or not, this change didn't seem announced by Newtype ahead of time. Most people became informed when they went to the store to pick up their August copy. It was then they learned they had to drop $90 at once, not just $10, to get back to getting copies with DVDs (and screwing all collectors who wanted a sealed set). And they would skip a DVD because new subscriptions started with September (now October); calling Newtype and contacting the ADV store, back issues are the non-DVD sort, non-subscribers couldn't get a copy with DVD even if they had wanted to. Whether creating separation amongst your readers, upping your bottom line at the sacrifice of some of your customers, or making some feel like they got caught with their pants down by the change, my view is that this change is not a bonus or anything approaching a customer friendly move. But hey, I'm a crazy that was dropping $40 a month that I'll happily spend elsewhere, so what do I know. |
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Toboe
 Posts: 138 Location: Rakuen |
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Great post, Intrepid, but this I need to correct. Subscriptions are only part of a magazine's circulation numbers; total circulation is what you quote to an company looking to advertise. They don't ask for a specific number of subscribers (in fact that information would never be released), they ask for circulation, which usually reflects the number of copies purchased by retailers, not the actual number of copies sold. Each subscriber counts as one; retailers will count as 10 or 30 or 100 or however many copies of the magazine they order. Removing the DVD is, as you say, entirely a cost-cutting measure and Newtype's circulation will suffer because of this. Their gamble is that they think they can make up the severe loss in retail sales by enticing people to subscribe in order to get the DVD. We'll see if they can bridge the gap. |
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Intrepid
Posts: 2 |
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Excellent point. I also originally thought circulation count was what most magazines would promote, as well as what they should be promoting, to drive their ad sales.
Part of my belief was due to how the numbers have been reported (and/or misinterpreted). ANN mentioned 30,000 of issue 1 were printed and sold out. 60,000 of issue 2 were printed. 100,000 of May 2003 were pre-ordered (not sure if that is subscribers or still print run). I could be wrong, but I also seem to recall a mention of when they broke the 100,000 subscriber mark but maybe I badly read into that last report. Makes me wonder how much ADV intends to use their non-mag vehicles to promote the magazine and help bridge the presumed gap. Or maybe they just reached their target number well ahead of time and are just screwing a portion of their readers. I'm still surprised how unannounced and unplanned this all seems: You'd think they'd have a transition period and at least pressed a few extra DVD copies to sell online at their or the ADV store for a few extra bucks above cover for those that cared to get sealed copies or really wanted the DVD. Even *gasp*, ask their customers what they'd prefer before making a move, e.g. subscription rates stay the same while ask whether the store copies should be the same cover price but no DVD versus raise price back to originally intended $12.95 cover price to keep the DVD. Oh well. What's done is done. I'll get to see what the other anime mags have to offer when I hit the stores this afternoon to find who carries what in my area. |
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deathbringer
Posts: 276 |
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They did do this, they had a poll, but despite the fact that most people said no to the removal of the DVD they took it out anyway. The $13 price wasn't even an option, pretty much the reaction of everyone to that was "Haha..no." no one's gonna pay $13 for a subpar magazine and a DVD with one episode on it. |
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Haiseikoh 1973
Posts: 1590 Location: Waiting for the Japanese 1000 Gunieas. |
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Add the fact that next to nobody knew about the poll, there was no warning in the mag itself, and that the DVD's were either one or two episode plus trailers, and you can see the problem. And i'm saying this again folks; write to Newtype or ADV Films and express your anger over this instead of bitching it on a message board. Don't act like a homicidal maniac, be curt and polite. Explain that you rather buy the Magazine WITH the DVD at stores rather than pay subscriptions. Also explain why you like to buy at stores than via mail. You like the cute chick/guy/transexual behind the counter, you get your stuff there, etc. Also, tell them where your $10 might go if Newtype does take away the DVD and stuffs it as a subscriber option. It's money that won't be going into THEIR pockets. The more letters they get, the better they see how this action is gonna be bad for them in the long run. If you want to take it further, thumb thru a Newtype and take down notes of the Anime stores that advertise in Newtype. Also the publishers of Anime. Send them letters about Newtypes choice, and how it might affect their sales. Since they pay for advertising, they might also consider your letters and maybe "talk" to Newtype over what their true numbers might be as well. The only way Newtype will reverse their choice is thru sheer number of complaints and questions from their advertisers. |
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