so, I guess the sky isn't falling for DC comics?

[db105]

The only question I have left now for Marvel and DC is ownership: why can't we download the .cbr/.cbz files?

Fear of piracy, I guess, which sounds absurd but I think that's the reason. If they give you the cbr they think you will pass it along to your friends, while they want to sell to you and to your friends. Of course, people inclined to pirate can do so nevertheless. I guess they think that there are people who would not download a pirate copy but who would not mind sharing with friends.

[ElGuitaristMagnifico]

Fear of piracy, I guess, which sounds absurd but I think that's the reason. If they give you the cbr they think you will pass it along to your friends, while they want to sell to you and to your friends. Of course, people inclined to pirate can do so nevertheless. I guess they think that there are people who would not download a pirate copy but who would not mind sharing with friends.

Yeah... the comic book piracy community is pretty established.
It really just becomes like the movie industry - I'd gladly pay, if it was a decent price. And you can tell that people will gladly pay for a reasonable rate thanks to the success of streaming services.

I would gladly pay for digital comics... but the price is a rip off considering I don't actually own anything when I pay.
That's why Marvel Unlimited is a fantastic service. DC should really do the same.

[upgrayedd]

As to what is meant by "meat and potatoes," Didio and Lee did an interview yesterday that kind of touched on it, although not very much. Didio talked about how the DCU would be "coming back together" in the near future, and he mentioned Darkseid War, Robin War, Lois and Clark, Telos, and Titans Hunt. Mostly a marketing push, of course, but perhaps it gives some idea of what they are going to push. Not surprisingly, those are teams, events, and crossovers.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/09/...-dc-essential/

Hmmmm "coming back together?" Telos (with stories of Pre-Flashpoint characters), Pre-Flushpoint Superman in Lois and Clark, return of the Teen Titans (kinda) in Titans Hunt, do you think they might be wanting older fans coming back together too?

[Frontier]

I've always personally just really enjoyed the excursion to the comic book store every Wednesday, and buying and then reading floppies. It's not that I'm against digital, and I've read several books digitally before, but I prefer to read them as floppies.

I've also always just assumed that my comic book store would stock up on all the titles I want or am looking forward to, and I haven't really had a bad experience in that regard. My shops have always seemed fairly open to new stuff and diverse titles. The only problem I've ever come upon is finding specific Transformer books .

I would totally be down for a DC Unlimited though .

[GlennSimpson]

Thanks for the info. That's intersting.

The only question I have left now for Marvel and DC is ownership: why can't we download the .cbr/.cbz files?

I imagine its because they fear you will share them with all your friends.

[GlennSimpson]

Fear of piracy, I guess, which sounds absurd but I think that's the reason. If they give you the cbr they think you will pass it along to your friends, while they want to sell to you and to your friends. Of course, people inclined to pirate can do so nevertheless. I guess they think that there are people who would not download a pirate copy but who would not mind sharing with friends.

Yeah... the comic book piracy community is pretty established.

I think it gets into a matter of not making it any easier, though. Right now, if I want to download comics, I pretty much have to get involved with torrent sites and install torrent-related software on my computer. Which I'm capable of doing, because I'm technically minded. But that's more than a lot of people are comfortable doing/know how to do. However, flat-out downloading a file, copying it to a thumb drive, and giving it to your buddies is pretty well understood. Heck, many of the people I know how download stuff then load it up on external storage and give it away to other people. It's a matter of accepting risk.

[upgrayedd]

I imagine its because they fear you will share them with all your friends.

eh, that risk has always been possible since the invention of the Xerox copy machine. Sounds like making a copy of a digital comic is more effort than it's worth.

[Cipher]

I don't think they're worried about you sharing them with friends. You can already do that simply boy handing out your Comixology login (which I've done).

I do they think they're worried about making it more effortless for people to upload copies to distribution sites, though, which is kind of fair.

[Dzetoun]

Hmmmm "coming back together?" Telos (with stories of Pre-Flashpoint characters), Pre-Flushpoint Superman in Lois and Clark, return of the Teen Titans (kinda) in Titans Hunt, do you think they might be wanting older fans coming back together too?

I doubt that's what Didio meant, specifically. I suspect he just meant things settling down after Convergence.

[GlennSimpson]

eh, that risk has always been possible since the invention of the Xerox copy machine. Sounds like making a copy of a digital comic is more effort than it's worth.

Those Xerox copies aren't really at full quality, whereas a digital copy has no loss of quality.

If they let you download physical copies, it would be extremely easy to copy them. If you wanted to share with friends, you would just attached the downloaded file to the email. Or copied it to a flash drive.

[db105]

I think it gets into a matter of not making it any easier, though. Right now, if I want to download comics, I pretty much have to get involved with torrent sites and install torrent-related software on my computer. Which I'm capable of doing, because I'm technically minded. But that's more than a lot of people are comfortable doing/know how to do. However, flat-out downloading a file, copying it to a thumb drive, and giving it to your buddies is pretty well understood. Heck, many of the people I know how download stuff then load it up on external storage and give it away to other people. It's a matter of accepting risk.

My problem with that is that you are actually punishing your customers, the people who pay for your work, by giving them a worse product than the one the people who pirate get. Besides, while it's true that many people may lack the technical ability to download a pirate file, I'd bet the average comic fan doesn't.

[upgrayedd]

I doubt that's what Didio meant, specifically. I suspect he just meant things settling down after Convergence.

hey, they uncanceled (is that a word?) Omega Men to make people happy and not for financial reasons. I think anything is possible

[ElGuitaristMagnifico]

My problem with that is that you are actually punishing your customers, the people who pay for your work, by giving them a worse product than the one the people who pirate get. Besides, while it's true that many people may lack the technical ability to download a pirate file, I'd bet the average comic fan doesn't.

It's the same thing 10 years ago, when Warner Bros Music made it so that you could not download your songs from the CD you just bought into your computer. Digital rights management only punishes the loyal customer.

And it's the trend with everything.
Not enough people attending movies? Raise the ticket price, and create "prime seating" for an even higher ticket price (at least that's something that Cineplex is experimenting with here in Canada).

A small number of people are pirating our product? Let's raise the price, and make it a lesser product. No way that will drive more people to piracy.

I can't find it, but I remember an article circulating explaining how piracy was actually helping the movie industry.

[GlennSimpson]

My problem with that is that you are actually punishing your customers, the people who pay for your work, by giving them a worse product than the one the people who pirate get. Besides, while it's true that many people may lack the technical ability to download a pirate file, I'd bet the average comic fan doesn't.

It's a risk each publisher of content has to weigh.

If/when digital usage grows, perhaps the attitude will change.

[leonlord]

DC has been #2 since the late 60's. It was a poorly run company long before WB even got near it. Marvel capitalized during the time when the hardest core comic fans (White males 25-54) were developing their tastes and therefore they won't lose their lead any time soon. That's part of the reason I think DC needs to continue focusing on diversity, because that is the next wave of comic fans

Diversity, as in romance comics, Johnny DC, Scooby Doo, horror anthologies, hero anthologies, biographical who's who, videogame tie ins, television cross promotion (weekly Flash comics, silverage Superman in weeklies)...or affirmative action? You know, there are no alternative lifestyle one legged progeria black-chinese Lebanese nationals addicted to opiates in comic books....