Amazon buys Comixology
04-10-14 | 03:39 PM
#1
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Godfather
Amazon buys Comixology
http://kotaku.com/amazon-buys-comixology-1561920933
http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/10/a...ys-comixology/
Crazy. Amazon's been expanding their Comic section quite a bit the last year, so this makes some sort of sense. I wonder if everything will eventually just be combined under Kindle.
Amazon just snagged the biggest comics resource on the web. Today the online retailer announced that it's purchased Comixology, the digital storefront for all things comic and graphic novel. No terms were disclosed, but now they're totally superfriends.P
"Comixology's mission is to spread the love of comics and graphic novels in all forms," Comixology boss David Steinberger said in a press release. "There is no better home for Comixology than Amazon to see this vision through. Working together, we look to accelerate a new age for comic books and graphic novels."P
Though it's not quite clear what this will mean for the future of the digital comic store, Steinberger added on the Comixology website that they plan to "retain [their] identity as an Amazon subsidiary."P
"We have long had the goal of making every person on the planet a comics fan. With Amazon's help, this crazy goal is more possible than ever before," he wrote. "We are confident that – with Amazon by our side, who shares our desire for innovation and a relentless focus on customers – we've only just begun," P
No other specifics are available just yet. The deal will close in the second quarter of 2014.
"Comixology's mission is to spread the love of comics and graphic novels in all forms," Comixology boss David Steinberger said in a press release. "There is no better home for Comixology than Amazon to see this vision through. Working together, we look to accelerate a new age for comic books and graphic novels."P
Though it's not quite clear what this will mean for the future of the digital comic store, Steinberger added on the Comixology website that they plan to "retain [their] identity as an Amazon subsidiary."P
"We have long had the goal of making every person on the planet a comics fan. With Amazon's help, this crazy goal is more possible than ever before," he wrote. "We are confident that – with Amazon by our side, who shares our desire for innovation and a relentless focus on customers – we've only just begun," P
No other specifics are available just yet. The deal will close in the second quarter of 2014.
here's nothing quite like taking a massive, heavy library of beloved books and shrinking it into an e-reader. Amazon, having already accomplished that with its tremendously popular digital book service, is now targeting the comic book market. The company is purchasing Comixology, a digital comic book service with hundreds of millions of users and apps for all of your devices.
Comixogy CEO David Steinberger is quite fond of the agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed (we're assuming it's at least $3.50 -- comics these days are awfully expensive). "There is no better home for comixology than Amazon to see this vision through," Steinberger says in the announcement. "Working together, we look to accelerate a new age for comic books and graphic novels." It's just a wild guess, but we're expecting the first such "acceleration" will involve integrating Amazon payments and the Comixology userbase over to Amazon. It's not yet clear if Comixology brand will stand on its own (Amazon already sells single issues and graphic novels on Kindle), but we're asking the company for more, but don't expect to hear much -- the deal hasn't closed just yet, but it's expect to in the next few months.
Comixogy CEO David Steinberger is quite fond of the agreement, the terms of which were not disclosed (we're assuming it's at least $3.50 -- comics these days are awfully expensive). "There is no better home for comixology than Amazon to see this vision through," Steinberger says in the announcement. "Working together, we look to accelerate a new age for comic books and graphic novels." It's just a wild guess, but we're expecting the first such "acceleration" will involve integrating Amazon payments and the Comixology userbase over to Amazon. It's not yet clear if Comixology brand will stand on its own (Amazon already sells single issues and graphic novels on Kindle), but we're asking the company for more, but don't expect to hear much -- the deal hasn't closed just yet, but it's expect to in the next few months.
04-10-14 | 03:49 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
04-10-14 | 05:06 PM
#4
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I assume they want more content for their digital ecosystem. Amazon will provide a safety net of some kind, one could never trust that Comixology would just go bankrupt if the big two pulled out of their contracts.
04-10-14 | 05:43 PM
#5
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
Wow. I've always been a big Amazon fan, and have recently gone close to "all in" for comics on Comixology despite being a bit paranoid about so much of my money being given to a fairly small company for "rented" books. So why am I even more worried now?
04-10-14 | 06:13 PM
#6
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I don't know. I have always been worried about it, but feel much less so now.
04-10-14 | 07:07 PM
#8
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I'm a bit nervous if only because Amazon hasn't really initiated sales; they basically just pricematch others. So they would pricematch their Kindle volumes when something went on sale on Comixology, but will we still get the regular Comixology 99c sales? (not sure how much of that is absorbed by the publisher and how much is absorbed by comixology).
On the bright side, I'd love for my kindle purchases to be converted to comixology issues.
I don't think they'll ever "fix" the new release overpricing, if only because it would undercut brick and motor, who are already hours behind on most major releases since they don't open at midnight like Comixology does.
On the bright side, I'd love for my kindle purchases to be converted to comixology issues.
I don't think they'll ever "fix" the new release overpricing, if only because it would undercut brick and motor, who are already hours behind on most major releases since they don't open at midnight like Comixology does.
04-10-14 | 07:24 PM
#9
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
Yeah, the pricing is what I'm worried about. If they do away with the frequent 99 cent sales I'll go back to bargain bin and trade waiting.
I do rest easier believing that I'll probably always retain access to content I've "purchased"; and hopefully they merge our comic libraries.
I do rest easier believing that I'll probably always retain access to content I've "purchased"; and hopefully they merge our comic libraries.
04-11-14 | 12:42 AM
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I'm a bit nervous if only because Amazon hasn't really initiated sales; they basically just pricematch others. So they would pricematch their Kindle volumes when something went on sale on Comixology, but will we still get the regular Comixology 99c sales? (not sure how much of that is absorbed by the publisher and how much is absorbed by comixology).
On the bright side, I'd love for my kindle purchases to be converted to comixology issues.
I don't think they'll ever "fix" the new release overpricing, if only because it would undercut brick and motor, who are already hours behind on most major releases since they don't open at midnight like Comixology does.
On the bright side, I'd love for my kindle purchases to be converted to comixology issues.
I don't think they'll ever "fix" the new release overpricing, if only because it would undercut brick and motor, who are already hours behind on most major releases since they don't open at midnight like Comixology does.
Once a market hits maturity, Amazon has shown much less inclination to aggressively price anything.
04-11-14 | 01:54 AM
#11
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
That's what I mean though. If they swallow up comixology that basically corners the market on digital comics from these companies.
04-13-14 | 09:47 AM
#13
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Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I've only acquired free issues from Comixology, in large part because I don't have a tablet, but also because of the same concerns others have about relying on a relatively small company to always provide access to my collection. This makes me feel more secure.
I don't know how Comixology's finances work, but based on my knowledge of retail I would assume the publisher takes most of the hit on a sale as a "promotional expense." Even if not, I'd guess that they'd want to keep things running as normal for at least a little while. Even if they corner the market on digital sales, I believe that Amazon's real goal is to convert people to digital as they've done with kindle books. If they see a gain in new customers after this deal (due to either publicity or customer confidence), they'll probably keep things humming as they are.
I don't know how Comixology's finances work, but based on my knowledge of retail I would assume the publisher takes most of the hit on a sale as a "promotional expense." Even if not, I'd guess that they'd want to keep things running as normal for at least a little while. Even if they corner the market on digital sales, I believe that Amazon's real goal is to convert people to digital as they've done with kindle books. If they see a gain in new customers after this deal (due to either publicity or customer confidence), they'll probably keep things humming as they are.
04-13-14 | 09:59 AM
#14
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I've only acquired free issues from Comixology, in large part because I don't have a tablet, but also because of the same concerns others have about relying on a relatively small company to always provide access to my collection. This makes me feel more secure.
I don't know how Comixology's finances work, but based on my knowledge of retail I would assume the publisher takes most of the hit on a sale as a "promotional expense." Even if not, I'd guess that they'd want to keep things running as normal for at least a little while. Even if they corner the market on digital sales, I believe that Amazon's real goal is to convert people to digital as they've done with kindle books. If they see a gain in new customers after this deal (due to either publicity or customer confidence), they'll probably keep things humming as they are.
I don't know how Comixology's finances work, but based on my knowledge of retail I would assume the publisher takes most of the hit on a sale as a "promotional expense." Even if not, I'd guess that they'd want to keep things running as normal for at least a little while. Even if they corner the market on digital sales, I believe that Amazon's real goal is to convert people to digital as they've done with kindle books. If they see a gain in new customers after this deal (due to either publicity or customer confidence), they'll probably keep things humming as they are.
04-13-14 | 11:00 AM
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Re: Amazon buys Comixology
04-13-14 | 11:23 AM
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Re: Amazon buys Comixology
It may even vary by publisher. Jim Zub (of Skullkickers fame) talked about his experiences a little while back, having promoted $0.99 sales of his own book on Comixology and other plaforms, and he makes it sound like the pieces of the pie stay constant and that it's just a smaller pie all around.
This chart with the Apple/Google cut seemed worth a headshake.
04-13-14 | 11:42 AM
#17
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
One thing I've started doing recently, to prevent my tablet from filling up, is buying my digital comics on the website instead of the app. From the above article, it appears that this method will also give more of my money to the creators (and Amazon/Comixology) instead of Apple getting a huge chunk.
Am I reading this right? And if we all did this it'd be better for the industry and encourage more sales, right? Maybe?
Am I reading this right? And if we all did this it'd be better for the industry and encourage more sales, right? Maybe?
04-13-14 | 12:06 PM
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Re: Amazon buys Comixology
I follow a bunch of indie comics folks on Twitter, and several of them have said that. I don't know how, if at all, the rest of the distribution changes with Apple/Google out of the equation, but they've said they get a little more with Comixology web sales.
04-14-14 | 10:57 AM
#19
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Amazon buys Comixology
But then you can't get an even better discount by buying itunes cards on sale... 
