Monday, January 2, 2012

Bandai Entertainment to Stop Releasing New DVDs, BDs, Manga [via AnimeNewsNetwork]

N. American firm to still offer existing releases, shift focus to licensing in February [via AnimeNewsNetwork]
Bandai Entertainment, the subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) that handles anime and manga in North America, will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases next month. It will continue to distribute in its existing catalog lineup, but it will no longer produce and distribute new releases as of this February.
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Instead, Bandai Entertainment will focus on licensing rights to other companies, particularly in digital distribution, broadcast, and merchandising. The company will be restructured as a result, and most of its contractors and three of its five fulltime staff members will be laid off. ANN will publish an interview with Bandai Entertainment President and CEO Ken Iyadomi on Tuesday.
The following releases have been cancelled:
Anime DVD/Blu-ray Disc
 Gosick, Nichijō. Turn A Gundam
Manga
 Code Geass: Renya (Code Geass: Shikkoku no Renya)
 Gurren Lagann volume 7
 Kannagi volumes 4-6
 Lucky Star Boo Boo Kagaboo (spinoff by Eretto)
 Mobile Suit Gundam 00I
 Tales of the Abyss: Jade's Secret Memories volumes 1 and 2
Releases in Bandai Entertainment's current catalog will still be available after February, and Bandai Entertainment plans to produce new stock on these existing releases, if needed, until their respective licenses expire.
Bandai Entertainment closed its own online store in December, but other retailers can still order and carry Bandai Entertainment's current releases as before.

16 comments:

  1. WTF?!? This sucks... does this mean that they will no longer dub Gundam series in English and have dvd/blu-ray releases period or they will simply let other dvd/blu-ray companies release their titles?

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  2. BEI never really handled things here in the US the right way from the get go. They announced that Giant Gorg and SPT Layzner would be released here in 2000, then they backtrack and say that the masters were damaged (which is BS, because both titles received DVD releases back in Japan). I have surported BEI back in the days when Anime Village was around. I even had bought Gundam 0083 on VHS dubbed (and I don't like watching Gundam or most anime dubbbed.) Let hope the other US anime companies has the balls to pick up the licenses on such Gundam series as ZZ, Victory, Gundam X and Turn A.

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  3. What does this mean for Gundam Unicorn? I have the first 4 episodes on BD, does this mean I will not be able to get the last 2?

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  4. Bandai will finish up Gundam UC since it is not a new title.

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  5. Well this sucks....anybody know where you can buy Gundam Unicorn ep 4 now that Bandai's store is closed? I cant seem to find it anywhere.

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  6. never mind i guess you have to wait for restock

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  7. WTF!, are you kidding me!? Turn A Gundam got cancelled. THE HELL is that. I hope that some other company picks that up.

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  8. @ Tim & Will: Actually, anything past Ep. 4 will not be released (at least not by Bandai and not in America). The statement given above says it will continue to release stuff in its current catalog, not continue titles in its current catalog. If you look in the manga section, particularly the manga with volumes assigned (i.e. Gurren Lagann and Kannagi), you can see for yourself that whole titles are being cancelled and will only have what's been released so far.

    In short, say bye bye to Unicorn as far as Bandai of America is concerned. You'd only be able to pick up episodes 1 through 4 unless you import.

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  9. GODFUCKINGDAMMIT!!!! I want Turn A and Unicorn!! The worst part is that there won't be a SINGLE new Gundam series in North America after this collective assfuck! Goddamn them all!!

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  10. Gives thanks to all the f***tards who post video/manga torrent or post links to torrents on the sites. This is the result of that happening.

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  11. thank fucking god! it's about damn time. death to the middle man. this will hopefully mean future bandai jap releases will have english subs by default being as i am told blu-ray is region free and the shift to dling everything is so commonplace.

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  12. gundam unicorn will still be released in the us do to it being released by bandai visual not bandai entertainment

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  13. Unicorn and new Gundams will still get releases through other companies and the digital releases should still go ahead.

    But good luck on getting older Gundams in full boxsets at not assgouging prices like the Japanese put up with.

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  14. "Death to the middle man" has to be the most ignorant thing I've read anywhere in a long time. Sounds like a little kid who doesn't really understand the words he is saying, nor their implications. Yeah, I'm sure the Japanese are going to run right out and subtitle all their releases in English now. [/sarcasm] Hold your breath for that.



    Also, I'm really disappointed about Turn A.

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  15. this really sucks but hope is not lost, its true we will still have unicorn, and chances are funimation will probably pick up future gundam licenses since the control 90% of anime localization and distribution now,

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