Digital Age

[- D -]

So I was having a chat with Robert Brown... as in the Bob Brown of Anime Corner Store . COM, and he was going on about the state of the industry, as i was showing an interest in the brick and mortar route, and he was letting on about the future of anime and manga.

Thing is, with so much digital downloading -- both legal and illegal -- it seems that eventually there may come a day in the not-too-distant-future, that all of our Otaku goodness will come from the net. As in, bye-bye DVDs and BDs, sayonara paperback manga, and Viz Big books... the future may well become an episode at a time, downloaded.

Now, I have seen no real hard-core evidence to support this, but it really does make me wonder what the industry of anime and manga would be like, if we no longer browsed the aisles of a store, and instead got it all digital.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Whyt Lindow]

Ah, I'd hate that. ?_?
I must admit that the most of my collection is digital but I like having a browse.
As for manga, I prefer to own a material copy of a book rather than a digital copy that can disappear in an instant.
Hopefully, it will be some years before anything like that is implemented, plus with censorship and data controlling on the net, now and still to come, I can't see the business being as big as it might could, when it eventually happens.

[Kazekage Kamelot]

2 thoughts..

1) itl never happen, japan and many other countries already have 90% of the anime world available on the net, but still prefer the paperbacks... america may get there but the rest of the world will deny it.

2) when it does get more digital anime fans will have to be rich, god knows itl cost a fortune to own anything off the net.

[Skadi]

Um... All I have to say is that as long as I buy It in hand from a store
I will be happy. Download all you want, the minority still buy it
and that makes me happy chappies! ^^

BTW that "Anime Corner Store" doesn't ship to Australia
and that really bugs me! >.<

[Kazekage Kamelot]

stores likes HTK and Japanese Gifts in america will ship world wide from their factories, sure they have local shops in some cities, but its always easier to just buy from their online catelog.

[Whyt Lindow]

I'd actually say it more a majority that buy the products.

Know any good sites for the UK that have good prices and have a nice range of everything?

[Kazekage Kamelot]

here ya go whyt, best anime stores in the UK

http://www.ryouko.demon.co.uk/ukshop.htm

and even better is the online shops!!!

http://www.anime-on-line.com/

http://www.kamikaz.co.uk/

and last but not least, the ultimate shopping guide for london !

http://www.animejin.org.uk/lnshop.htm

[Whyt Lindow]

I thank you Kaze, you have shown your worthiness to be my personal advisor. x)

I'll have to check them out and book mark them all.

The Sheffield space centre is the closest one to me, being only a bus away but I never thought it had that large of a range haha.
The first link dictates otherwise. x)

[Kazekage Kamelot]

lol not a problem I would have posted that in the UK section of the conventions but i figured it wasnt the same!

[Skadi]

UK anime sites eh? Mine are mostly American and Japanese (go to the source people
for the best stuff always!)

Might have to try it out. I'm fond of their knowhow in anime over there!