GETS J-Import Ban!!!!

[Molokidan]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20040217a2.htm

Well, this certainly does suck. Let's hope it's not going to pass!

[Caustic Saint]

CDs by Japanese pop idols like Ayumi Hamasaki and Hikaru Utada are sold here for 2,500 yen to 3,000 yen

Can you say "FUCK THAT!"?

I knew you could.

[ramchop]

CDs by Japanese pop idols like Ayumi Hamasaki and Hikaru Utada are sold here for 2,500 yen to 3,000 yen

Can you say "FUCK THAT!"?

I knew you could.

How many FGs would actually buy an Ayumi Hamasaki or Hikaru Utada CD even at the cheaper price?

[Caustic Saint]

How many FGs would actually buy an Ayumi Hamasaki or Hikaru Utada CD even at the cheaper price?

Probably very few. I was commenting more on the price itself.

[GomiGirl]

I have been known to purchase a Ayumi CD in my time.. (I know - eek - but it was all those TuKa TV commercials that just stuck in my head.. I am such a keitai geek!!)

[Caustic Saint]

Does this pricing scheme hold true for DVDs in Japan as well? I know the Japanese versions cost more on yesasia.com, but I've never priced DVDs in the stores in Japan.

Examples:
Battle Royale
Japan version $51.75
Korean version $23.99

Battle Royale II
Japan version $46.99
Overseas version $12.49

(I used the BRs as an example since I was shoppping for the first one recently.)

[Kanchou]

I find it even more ironic that a DVD costs approximately $1 to make. That's a 5000% profit margin in Japan, considering that there are few (good) movies that don't have their costs paid for by theatre revenues.

Sometimes I wonder if Japanese business men even passed microeconomics in college... Price down=demand up, fools!

If the US and Japanese record companies would drop their CD prices a little, they'd lose a lot less to people who download music, and sell more over all. It's a much better idea than going on the McCarthy-esque witch hunt against 14 year-olds and college students who download stuff.

[Andocrates]

If the US and Japanese record companies would drop their CD prices a little, they'd lose a lot less to people who download music, and sell more over all. It's a much better idea than going on the McCarthy-esque witch hunt against 14 year-olds and college students who download stuff.

$20 is about right for a DVD, you get something you want for a reasonable price. The Japanese pricing system is flawed but they want to protect the status quo. On the other hand, I like Japanese T.V. The drone of NHK soothes the savage gajin monster.

[bejiita]

Does this pricing scheme hold true for DVDs in Japan as well? I know the Japanese versions cost more on yesasia.com, but I've never priced DVDs in the stores in Japan.

Yeah, US$50 for a DVD sounds about right. Special editions can double that price to US$100.

cdjapan.co.jp has prices that are pretty comparable to yesasia.com. Music DVDs that I've purchased range in price from US$30-$50 for Japanese versions.

As for the overseas manufactured DVDs, the music DVD's I've bought cost me from US$20-$25.

Of course, you can always get the 1000 yen porn DVDs from the special bins in Akiba. Not that I've ever bought any of these of course.

[GomiGirl]

I find it even more ironic that a DVD costs approximately $1 to make. That's a 5000% profit margin in Japan, considering that there are few (good) movies that don't have their costs paid for by theatre revenues..

Err not quite... the second DVD costs $1 to make. The first one costs a few million depending on what is on the DVD.

Sometimes I wonder if Japanese business men even passed microeconomics in college... Price down=demand up, fools!..

Ah yes the old elastic vs inelastic demand of microeconomic theory (one of my majors in the dim dark days of university)..

what consitutes an elastic product?? food - yes.. cars - yes.. Cigarettes/alcohol/porn - no and Japan has the wierd effect where some goods sell better when their prices are inflated. eg Louis Vuitton handbags.

But yes DVD demand would be elastic (IMHO)

[Kanchou]

Err not quite... the second DVD costs $1 to make. The first one costs a few million depending on what is on the DVD.

Well, yeah, but I specified that any possible production costs for developing a master DVD (costs for the film, and then costs for developing the DVD) would be negligable due to the money made in theatres.


It's entirely different when you're buying an OVA or something, where only video sales pay for the costs of production (as opposed to a TV show where costs are covered by advertising and merchandising...).


But since I'm apparentely a pre-business economics major... I'm going to pretend like I know nothing from now on