Perianth wrote...
Basically, you're providing a lot of one type of the content Fakku currently hosts in licensed form and removing all other types of content in exchange. You're positing that being able to support artists directly and have content that is licensed is a benefit that makes up for the loss, but that benefit frankly only matters if you have content people want to support. Since you're only giving one type of content, there are a lot of people for whom the benefits you cite have no appeal at all. If I'm someone who just started hitting up Fakku recently now that the genderbend tag was added to find good genderbend manga, for example, why would I care about supporting works with no genderbending in them when the genderbending works I came here to begin with are removed? Why would I see supporting producers of content I have no interest in any kind of benefit at all?
ChrisBRosado123 wrote...
I think you're undervaluing this point. This isn't just about one person and what that one person likes. This about an industry taking notice of an audience it hadn't taken seriously. It's also about showing them that investing in us is a worthwhile endeavor. Publishing your content in English right now is still an
afterthought to most artists. Pushing the industry to take us seriously will make it into a
given. And furthermore, what? They're magazines and magazines feature lots of different content. It's the same product in Japan. Take Shounen Jump for example, nobody buys that because they like every single thing Shueisha puts in it.
No, FAKKU can't hope to cater to everyone in this scenario. But they're taking a step forward.
I'm articulating the trade-off, the dillemma. You're precisely right that it doesn't matter what one person likes. To the same extent, it doesn't matter as much what 60% of the market likes to the other 40%. Say what you want about the variety in Shounen Jump, not everyone has something in Shounen Jump they like. To the same extent, it doesn't matter much to fans of yaoi if Japanese publishers who don't publish yaoi in English start taking the English market seriously. You can argue that it may make publishers that
do publish yaoi do the same, but the English market has already been proven in manga, anime, visual novels, video games and more. It's the reason DLSite has an echhi wing and JList has been in business for years. This
could be huge to them, but it's not yet beyond hypotheticals.
I'm not saying the move doesn't have
any value. I'm saying telling people, "It brings the market you care about that much closer!" is a hollow reassurance to people who's site of preference is going to stop carrying their content of preference. The notion of this leading to a future that's better for them may similarly not matter much to people when there have been incremental steps across a lot of markets ostensibly doing the same years. Meanwhile, their source for the market they care about is going to stop carrying it completely.
Perianth wrote...
Now I understand why you're doing this. Sticking with unlicensed content isn't the best business model, and you don't want to just be a fan community. You want to be a business.
ChrisBRosado123 wrote...
How do you know this is the best model? If you asked me I think the best model (most $$) is to find some way to continue operations while giving Japan the finger. In which case FAKKU has no obligation to compensate the original content creators. Also Jacob wouldn't have to pay a team of several translators and editors. Of course this is probably legal suicide but hey, Jacob could probably run away with the money if he wanted to.
I didn't say the route Fakku's going is the best business model. I said relying on unlicensed content
isn't the best business model, a point you seem to agree with given that you described it as "legal suicide." These two things aren't mutually exclusive.
Perianth wrote...
The fact of the matter remains, though, that for a lot of the content that is being removed, there remains no legitimate avenue for non-japanese speakers to enjoy them. You may feel it's not good business to offer then in unlicensed form, but right now, there are no businesses offering them licensed. That's why they scanlated. That's why they're posted up in unlicensed form.
ChrisBRosado123 wrote...
I don't know how you're coming to the conclusion that FAKKU is getting in the way here. FAKKU can't possibly kill scanlation if it wanted to. Wani issued DMCA Takedown requests which FAKKU itself complied with. The majority of scanlated hentai always was and will continue to be on EX and other sites. FAKKU is just choosing not to be a host for it anymore. If Jacob wants to produce licensed content and make that available then he must remove the unlicensed stuff. Personally I think it's a miracle that Wani went forward with their deal while FAKKU continued to host unlicensed works. In other words, if we want legitimate English hentai, this is something inevitable. Is now the best time? I don't think either of us knows enough to answer that question.
I never once said Fakku was getting in the way of people scanlating. I was looking at the cost benefit analysis for a user of Fakku as regards the use of Fakku given Fakku's coming change in content. If you come to Fakku regularly to read tentacle manga, you presumably chose to come to Fakku over the alternatives for a reason, so Fakku stopping carrying tentacle manga will negatively affect you.
I don't think Wani going along with it was a miracle. Maybe not with Fakku and Wani specifically, but something like this was going to happen eventually. Publishing is a rough business, and Wani was given an opportunity to make money instead of just trying to stem the loss. Even if Wani wasn't the one to take Fakku up on the offer, there was going to be at least one company that was going to see it as an opportunity and take a chance.
In case I wasn't clear, though, I understand why Fakku's doing what it's doing, and I think this will be good for the overall market. I would be surprised, though, if Fakku ever again has the diversity of content it had.