U.S. Anime Sales Off 50%
In an open letter to the American anime community Arthur Smith, President of GBH, the parent company of key anime studio Gonzo, reported that sales of anime DVDs in the U.S. during 2007 have declined 50% since the peak year of 2005. In his letter Smith notes that his estimate is based on a study of VideoScan numbers as well as knowledge of what Gonzo titles have sold through Wal-Mart and consultations with other anime companies in Japan. Smith also cites the train wrecks that have littered the North American anime market landscape over the past few years including Tokyopop’s withdrawal from the market, the demise of Geneon as well as layoffs at ADV and FUNimation as further evidence that anime companies both in the U.S. and Japan are being stressed by market conditions that are having a global effect, especially since Smith argues that “the Japanese anime DVD market is doing even worse than in the US and Europe isn’t doing great either.”
What does Smith blame for the deteriorating condition of the global anime market — illegal downloads, which he targeted in his original interview on activeanime.com and which is obviously a major and growing problem. Smith is clearly hoping that if anime fans realize the extent of the damage that the escalation of illegal downloads is doing to the industry they will act in ways that will aid rather than damage the industry that produces the entertainment they love.
