Aniplex of America has a business model that emphasizes keeping prices high and print runs small. I would guess that if they ever decide to release Fate/Zero in a lower priced version, it won't be for several years.
Yep, Japanese company doing an American release using standard Japanese "target only the otaku" business model, just like Bandai Visual/Honneamise before them.
For such titles, I look for a DVD-only UK or Australian release.
(Madoka is 60% cheaper that way, R.O.D. TV listed at UKpounds 25 from the UK licensor and I just decided to order Durarara!! UK version at 50% cheaper than the US price, since stock on Beez (Bandai Europe) titles is probably dwindling rapidly with Bandai getting out of both USA and Europe...)
AFAIK for quite a sizable portion of Japanese anime companies the hardcore otaku are nearly their only target: they produce anime that they know will sell to that small subset of people, run it on late TV as advertisement for the upcoming Blu-Ray/DVD release and know that that small hardcore group is willing to pay something like $60+ per 2-3 episodes, while almost nobody else is, so they don't need to produce more Blu-Rays/DVDs than there are people in that small hardcore group.
I guess when they end up doing a US release they keep that same mindset and anybody not willing to pay Japanese prices in their opinion just isn't their target audience.
I guess it's the Japanese variant of playing it safe: they see something like a guaranteed 1000 * $60 as better than an unsure chance at 5000 * $20 ...
(something else on production runs: I think I read somewhere that for most
figures they need to sell 95% of the production run before they even hit the break even point; so I guess making big bucks off a series merchandise isn't always easy to do either...)
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