Apps for iPad

[killer]

According to comic continuum 18/5:
IDW Publishing and Hasbro have announced that Transformers Comics and G.I. Joe Comics applications are available now on the Apple iPad.

So how come nothing for PC?

[Omega Steve]

Dunno, but it's no bad thing if you are a comic retailer! If the books are available to read online it would decimate sales in all probability. Looking at it objectively - ie without my retailers hat on - its probably a good idea to offer comics in an electronic format as its cheaper, better for the environment, and claws back money that is lost through piracy.

[s2h6]

To be honest i've had this discussion a few times. I'm not so sure it would affect retailers as much as the other media has done. Part of having a comic is actually having it in your hands, there are a lot of people who see them as an investment. What i do think is it would open up new comics to people to try with the normal cost which it would entail. Personally i will always by the actual comic but with electronic copies i would probably try some new ones. I mean i would like to maybe read ironman but the cost is one of the biggest factors for me not buying them as well as transformers.

[Omegastoopreme]

I think the whole App thing is a bit of a fad to be honest, iPads & iPhones are very much the current in fashion accessory, and every industry under the sun is now trying to get in on the act.

Its not as if its a new service anyway, its just being extended to another medium. IDW already sell the comics on the PSN for a PSP. I've got a few and they are right up to date and generally only £.80 - £1.20 a comic. I think I did hear that they'd be winging their way to the DSi too.

Downside is you can only read them on the psp which is a pain. But like s2h6 said it has opened up a couple of doors to comics I'd never read before, especially as they often bung issue 1's up for free downlaod to wet the appetite.

I dont think that electronic downloads will ever truly replace the hard copy, mostly in my opinion for the keepsake value, also the downloads available can only be viewed on a handheld device which simply isnt to most people cups of tea. They generally auto or trigger scroll from one panel to another zooming and panning when needed. In my opinion its a gimmick, but you dont get the feeling of scale you'd have with a full 2 page panel.

I suppose the main concern is what the rise in their popularity will do to the real comic prices. The people that buy them as an investment it might find it actually working in their favour if the hard copies increase in rarity, but that would really only be to sell to collectors, as people who dont care whether its digital or paper will just go for the cheaper option. A similar paralel can be drawn to a lot of retro games from the 80's and 90's which were very rare and as such had a huge financial value on sites like ebay, but the rise in digital downloads for the PS3 and Wii has meant that their value has dropped somewhat. Secret of Mana is a good example. Mint copies are now worth literally a mint to collectors who want them for the sake of having them, whereas soiled and/or used versions are now much cheaper as it can be downloaded to a Wii for less than £10.

Only time will tell.

PS Dont worry Steve I'll keeping buying the hard copies lol.

[Omegastoopreme]

May 19, 2010 1:35:30 GMT killer said:

So how come nothing for PC?

Oh regarding PC's I'd say the main issue would be that on a PC the software would be far too easy to crack.

Its gotten really easy to simply download .cbr or .cbz files with the latest comics from the internet from an assortment of sources. In my opinion thats why they have only as of yet done the service for handhelds.

Although admittedly if you want to flash the firmware I do know there is a CBR reader for the PSP. Personally I dont think its worth the risk of bricking it. With a PC its easy enough to simply redo a system from scratch if a dodgy piece of software corrupts or jams the system.

The industry know that and I think are trying to pull away from PC's for that same reason.