The first era of fansubs seem to end as a few anime publishers have changed their strategy to release instant anime subs. “Dattebayo Stops Fansubbing Naruto”, “Crunchyroll Launches Major New Digital Distribution Partnership” are just two of the headlines that are travelling through the webspace. Crunchyroll is one of the largest anime social networks with video content. They released a press release announcing that they would start offering the latest subtitled Naruto episode one hour after broadcast in Japan. This service is of course not free. Only paying subscribers will be able to enjoy the instant subs by VIZ Media. Viz also made a press release on November 17 stating that the episodes will be shown for FREE one week later on Naruto.com, Hulu, and Joost, with a new English-subtitled episode offered every Thursday.
So this time the competitor comes from outside and wears a well known but long forgotten face: anime publishers. It must have been quite difficult for Crunchyroll to convince Japanese companies to enter the American market this drastically. Releasing scripts and footage for Pre-release work will open new holes for theft and even industry espionage. But money is the universal language and just as Obama’s promised to improve US’ broadband internet – new TVs with internet support will appear and create a new demand for real time content. But that’s not all. The market for portable video devices shows impressive signs of growth, thanks to companies like Apple and mobile-phone-hybrids. Streaming sites like Crunchyroll and Hulu who show whole movie episodes will surely gain more market as those little devices makes it possible to watch tv anywhere at anytime. It’s only a question of time when streaming website owners finally understand and start to match their content to the hardware requirements of video phones. One way or another DVD sales of anime shows will continue in the next years, but there is little doubt where the anime market is moving: the online market. The stone is rolling and maybe soon the term “free” might become another synonym for less available. Will this eventually lead to a new monopoly? Or will this stuck where it began, because one just cannot change consumers who have been downloading anime for years without paying anything. Time will show if VIZ’s step to online distribution is a good investment.
silv
January 26th, 2009 at 12:12 PM
surely this is a good thing?!
if only this happened with manga……..
January 27th, 2009 at 2:58 PM
tch, big company like viz are always trying to find a way to rob peoples money, especially when they can see a “Market” in distributing there media trough the internet, its the same as digital music and other digital media. And that’s why fans Hate these companies and will always release much BETTER quality videos and subs.
…and im sry but i cant wait a week to watch a low quality video with bad subtitles :(
Ah, and dont think anime sales will go anywhere!
True fans are the ones that keep that market afloat and there will always be true fans to buy DVD digital media and/or merchandise. :p
January 27th, 2009 at 9:15 PM
And there is still one problem, censorship.
You can only get a non-censored anime through fan-sub, and no it is not even H.
January 28th, 2009 at 5:24 AM
Indeed, but the response of the production companies is quite neat. They expanded their market to fansub watchers with broadband internet. Those viewers are more likely to have higher demands on anime. It’ll be a matter of time when censorship becomes a problem. on the other hand the american hentai market is quite small and i dont believe they will provide instant subs for hentai. so if you dont want to watchbad dubbed hentai with us voice actors you just stick to good old fansubs.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Vewwy nice observatory paper there, silv. You’ve raised a very pertinent question. Where is the anime market heading?