So why did Viz stop it's English production?

[Mudkipchan]

First of all, I read the FAQ. And I don't believe it has the answer to my question.

Why did Viz stop the English production? Was it getting expensive, not selling... or lost the rights? I don't know for sure, but I think myself and perhapes some other people coming across this thread, should know.

I am guessing that perhapes they didn't promote it enough, or didn't at all. I mean, I saw an advertision for the Electric Tale of Pikachu Manga's English transtion, but never saw an advertistion for Pokemon Speical. I have some old magazines called Beckett Pokemon which has a checklist for anything pokemon related. Including the ETOP manga, but not one mention of Pokemon Speical in it at all.

And so maybe Viz stopped it because they were loosing too much money, because they didn't promote it enough. Heck, the only place I've seen volume 1 was in Chaptures, a book store. No where else. Even some other book stores of the same name didn't carry it.

I am also guessing that when Pokemon Speical was being translated, perhapes Viz wasn't very known which could have also caused some problems. Now when you look at them, they're good promoters but no longer focus on translating, or even promoting their only volumes, at all. If Pokemon USA or other well known names, such as Tokyo Pop got the rights... I am pretty sure that Americans will be able to get their English wishes for the manga.

Another theory, pokemon could have not been that all popular back then. Sure we had the show and RBY, but was it really enough to help sales with PokemonSpeical? I don't know. Now that we have the third generation and DP, pokemon is twice as popular as it was before. Course those volumes not translated would only show 1st gen, 2nd gen and 3rd gen until, if ever, the DP volumes were taken into production. But you know, Pokemon is pokemon. We don't need to skip to our current times. Besides, doing that would only leave major plot holes out.

And thus I am done disscusing my side of this story. And I'll say it again, why did Viz stop it's English production?

 

[Grimsg]

Hey ya,

I like your reasoning, very analytical and very well thought out.

Why did Viz stop the English production? Was it getting expensive, not selling... or lost the rights? I don't know for sure, but I think myself and perhapes some other people coming across this thread, should know.

First off, you have to understand how the publishing industry works: Basically publishers are a bit like people who bet on horses. The whole publishing industry is a huge gamble, they bet on titles that they think will sell and than publish them and hope to make more money than how much they spent publishing the title into a book. If the book or title they bet on didn't hit it big, that's when they're in trouble and that's when they fold up and die. If they do hit it big, than they roll in cash.

If you notice, Viz publishes a lot of manga titles that are mainstream and popular in order to keep surviving.

I am guessing that perhapes they didn't promote it enough, or didn't at all. I mean, I saw an advertision for the Electric Tale of Pikachu Manga's English transtion, but never saw an advertistion for Pokemon Speical. I have some old magazines called Beckett Pokemon which has a checklist for anything pokemon related. Including the ETOP manga, but not one mention of Pokemon Speical in it at all.

Quite true, I didn't see many ads for the Pokemon Adventures Manga but quite a number of ads for Electric Tale. I think the marketing people thought that Pokemon Adventures wasn't very exciting compared to Electric Tale which was more light-hearted and fun, so they probably channeled more money into promoting Electric Tale more than Adventures.

And so maybe Viz stopped it because they were loosing too much money, because they didn't promote it enough. Heck, the only place I've seen volume 1 was in Chaptures, a book store. No where else. Even some other book stores of the same name didn't carry it.

Yes most likely. The Pokemon fad lasted for a few years and just died a horrible mysterious death in the US. Kids just weren't into Pokemon anymore, the whole thing was over marketed to death to the point people just thought it was ridiculous. I guess Viz felt that it wasn't much use pouring money into funding the Pokemon Adventures translation when sales were poor and the fad had died and maybe they were really in a crunch so they had to cancel the entire translation project in order to stay afloat.

I am also guessing that when Pokemon Speical was being translated, perhapes Viz wasn't very known which could have also caused some problems. Now when you look at them, they're good promoters but no longer focus on translating, or even promoting their only volumes, at all. If Pokemon USA or other well known names, such as Tokyo Pop got the rights... I am pretty sure that Americans will be able to get their English wishes for the manga.

If you wish to order the books, drop me a PM, we could work something out XD

Another theory, pokemon could have not been that all popular back then. Sure we had the show and RBY, but was it really enough to help sales with PokemonSpeical? I don't know. Now that we have the third generation and DP, pokemon is twice as popular as it was before. Course those volumes not translated would only show 1st gen, 2nd gen and 3rd gen until, if ever, the DP volumes were taken into production. But you know, Pokemon is pokemon. We don't need to skip to our current times. Besides, doing that would only leave major plot holes out.

I'm sure it still is popular, it's just gone into the 'indie' scene now and because Pokemon has had such bad rep and all that, some people will feel embarrassed to say they like Pokemon.

And thus I am done disscusing my side of this story. And I'll say it again, why did Viz stop it's English production?

Conclusion:

They were losing money on Pokemon. End of discussion.

Grimsg

 

[Pacman]

I'm guessing, they were losing money. So, they stopped.

 

[Mudkipchan]

If you wish to order the books, drop me a PM, we could work something out XD

Sad, I would if I was allowed to order stuff from other people. Not even allowed to order from places like amazon.com for example. Ah well.

Well I guess that answers everything. Very sad.

 

[Ed Phoenix]

Viz stopped producing them because it was losing money.

When I was ten year olds, (6 years ago) I didn't really have the great interest in reading as I do now. Otherwise, I would have bought them.

Regardless, it's still one of the best manga I have ever read. ;003; ;006; ;009;

If you wish to order the books, drop me a PM, we could work something out XD

I plan to purchase every volume available sometime before August. I'll PM you with the details.

 

[scizor08]

Maybe they're just taking a long break..

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Maybe if they didn't charge 15$ a volume, people would have bought it.

 

[Ed Phoenix]

Maybe if they didn't charge 15$ a volume, people would have bought it.

I still would have bought it.

Maybe they're just taking a long break..

And we're still waiting...

 

[Mudkipchan]

Maybe if they didn't charge 15$ a volume, people would have bought it.

Holy cow, I know you.

Anyway, I believe they charge that much for well, any, manga where I live. Or it could have been the stores you were going to. I still believe it was the promoting thing.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Well, that's the reason I didn't buy volume 3 when I saw it at the store years ago. All the manga around it was only 10$, and here you have one of the same length that was 1 1/2 times as much. I figured I could get it used for way less (there's a huge used book store around here). Of course, I didn't count on 3 being the rarest volume...

 

[Dogasu]

But $15 was the standard back then.

It wasn't until years later that Viz started releasing graphic novels at $8-$9 apiece.

 

[Rabid Jigglypuff]

Another theory, pokemon could have not been that all popular back then. Sure we had the show and RBY, but was it really enough to help sales with PokemonSpeical? I don't know. Now that we have the third generation and DP, pokemon is twice as popular as it was before. Course those volumes not translated would only show 1st gen, 2nd gen and 3rd gen until, if ever, the DP volumes were taken into production. But you know, Pokemon is pokemon. We don't need to skip to our current times. Besides, doing that would only leave major plot holes out.

QUOTE]

And thats where your wrong... IT WAS SUPER POPULAR BACK THEN... But yes, they didn't promote it enough so the manga died off.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

But $15 was the standard back then.

It wasn't until years later that Viz started releasing graphic novels at $8-$9 apiece.

Then how come the only other series I ever saw with that price was Ranma 1/2? And that only succeeded here because it went with the anime, which already had a fanbase.

 

[Mudkipchan]

Another theory, pokemon could have not been that all popular back then. Sure we had the show and RBY, but was it really enough to help sales with PokemonSpeical? I don't know. Now that we have the third generation and DP, pokemon is twice as popular as it was before. Course those volumes not translated would only show 1st gen, 2nd gen and 3rd gen until, if ever, the DP volumes were taken into production. But you know, Pokemon is pokemon. We don't need to skip to our current times. Besides, doing that would only leave major plot holes out.

QUOTE]

And thats where your wrong... IT WAS SUPER POPULAR BACK THEN... But yes, they didn't promote it enough so the manga died off.

That I know. But eventally the fandom HAD to die off sometime, then slowly regain it's popularity, that is what I am guessing. But the lack of promotion shall be the number one theory.

 

[Shift]

Is there any hope for the comic after the two rehash releases and the Mystery Dungeon comic?

 

[HyperCyber]

Simple, Grimsg's manga selling business made Viz lose lots of money, and they gave up on the manga knowing that they cannot compete with the awesome might of the fans.

 

[pokemaster 13]

and pokemon adventures was my first manga too.they should automatically get a kick in the rump for that.i own the best of red and really wants the the best of yellow too to findout what happens to the elite four(stopped at volume 14)

 

[sweethart_772002]

I don't fully understand WHY they stop the translation, but it probably had to do with loss of money, and decline of intrest back then.

But Pokemon is making a come back these days, after the Diamond and Pearl's release.
Little kids are collecting cards again, a BUNCH of people I'd LEAST expect from my school are playing the game!
The whole "retro" thing is in now (I guess <_<) and I'm guessing that's another reason why it's coming all back.

Anyway, I'm gussing if the Pokemon popularity keeps rising like this, they'll come out with the translations from the last volume they left off.

Hmm...I know a couple people working at VIZ...I could ask. :/
Anyway, I'm planning to work there part-timely, so I'll try to do something about it when the time come !!

 

[sdp]

Well Pokemon Adventures continued for a while, so it was somewhat successful. The way they were releasing them was weird though. They stopped when the Pokemon fad died, but pretty much everything stopped then.

Pokemon survived after the fad died and has continued to grow, of course it'll never be even a bit like it was during the days of the Pokemon Fad.

With Diamond and Pearl the popularity seems to have grown even more. Ruby and Sapphire worked hard on getting a fanbase again and with D/P it just keeps getting bigger.

Now PUSA made one bad decision they put all their efforts for the 10th anniversary and bring Pokemon in the spotlight again, however I don't think that went as well as planned, if all the merchandising they released last year would have been released this year it would have sold more IMO. So VIZ released the "best of" with pretty much no advertisement last year and it just seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle. Now probably thinks there is still not enough fanbase.

Everytime I go to the bookstore the Manga section keeps taking more shelfspace so obviously the market for Manga is growing, hopefully Viz decides to take action again. If not we can hope when their license expires PUSA gets the publishing rights.

 

[Gigaguy373]

you guys are lucky to have at least 1 volume in 1 book store! us aussies don't get them at all even in the extremely overpriced manga shops in sydney and melbourne don't have it (too childish they said) too bad it is really hard to download scanlations these days etc. i really want to read RS arc

p.s i know i kinda got off track there but if it's inside the rules can you pm me a good place to get scanlations etc. srry if it is outside the rules