I've done some thinking about this subject myself, but most of it is inflexible and dogmatic. Oh well, it's fun to rant online. Then someone can come along and get angry, because as XKCD put it, "Someone is WRONG on the INTERNET".
I think that with all the hard work put in, the US anime industry deserves to succeed. Unfortunately, as a mister William Munny put it, "deserve’s got nothing to do with it". The real key is to make sure you're selling to a customer base that is going to buy what you're selling.
My solution is for the Japanese producers to keep targetting the Japanese market- hey, it makes them money. So, lolimoe until the next big craze (I dunno, maybe it'll be maid robots or something. Lolimoe maid robots).
And for the North American licensors- license stuff that will sell in North America, even if that means going to the back catalogue of the Japanese producers and picking something ancient from 1991 or the mists of time. Ignore the downloads- just because "Magical Lyrical Angelic Kindergarten Panty FLASH! Extreme" episode 12 got 4,000,000 downloads off of NinjaBay's trackers last week does not mean that it will sell more than 2000 copies. License stuff that will sell to people willing to buy.
Here's a great article written by a member of Stardock Entertainment, a successful company in the videogame business that truly gets it. I hope that there are similar companies in the anime distribution chain who have a similar level of understanding.
I'm just a nobody when it comes to entertainment and money, but these guys do great business with their games- in fact, Sins of a Solar Empire is the best-selling game of 2008 so far. It's a good idea to listen to them, and see what they have to say:
http://forums.galciv2.com/?aid=303512
A choice quote:
And another:
Both are points I've brought up about the anime industry, but as this article suggests, apply as equally to the games industry. I can see parallels between the two industries, in terms of the demographics.
Focus on people who will buy, and make/import series that they will buy, rather than focusing on whatever was the last big torrented hit, and you'll make a living. Distro is harder, and someone with more expertise in that market will have to speak to that part.
At any rate, I buy anime, especially older stuff that I enjoy. My last purchase was the first two seasons of Slayers recently released on DVD, and I'm hoping to get the Captain Tylor boxset when I've wrapped up my current backlog.
I think that with all the hard work put in, the US anime industry deserves to succeed. Unfortunately, as a mister William Munny put it, "deserve’s got nothing to do with it". The real key is to make sure you're selling to a customer base that is going to buy what you're selling.
My solution is for the Japanese producers to keep targetting the Japanese market- hey, it makes them money. So, lolimoe until the next big craze (I dunno, maybe it'll be maid robots or something. Lolimoe maid robots).
And for the North American licensors- license stuff that will sell in North America, even if that means going to the back catalogue of the Japanese producers and picking something ancient from 1991 or the mists of time. Ignore the downloads- just because "Magical Lyrical Angelic Kindergarten Panty FLASH! Extreme" episode 12 got 4,000,000 downloads off of NinjaBay's trackers last week does not mean that it will sell more than 2000 copies. License stuff that will sell to people willing to buy.
Here's a great article written by a member of Stardock Entertainment, a successful company in the videogame business that truly gets it. I hope that there are similar companies in the anime distribution chain who have a similar level of understanding.
I'm just a nobody when it comes to entertainment and money, but these guys do great business with their games- in fact, Sins of a Solar Empire is the best-selling game of 2008 so far. It's a good idea to listen to them, and see what they have to say:
http://forums.galciv2.com/?aid=303512
A choice quote:
Quote:If the target demographic for your game is full of pirates who won't buy your game, then why support them? That's one of the things I have a hard time understanding. It's irrelevant how many people will play your game (if you're in the business of selling games that is). It's only relevant how many people are likely to buy your game.
And another:
Quote:...if you want to make profitable PC games, I'd recommend focusing more effort on satisfying the people willing to spend money on your product and less effort on making what others perceive as hot.
Both are points I've brought up about the anime industry, but as this article suggests, apply as equally to the games industry. I can see parallels between the two industries, in terms of the demographics.
Focus on people who will buy, and make/import series that they will buy, rather than focusing on whatever was the last big torrented hit, and you'll make a living. Distro is harder, and someone with more expertise in that market will have to speak to that part.
At any rate, I buy anime, especially older stuff that I enjoy. My last purchase was the first two seasons of Slayers recently released on DVD, and I'm hoping to get the Captain Tylor boxset when I've wrapped up my current backlog.