Marvel price increases

tsokolate · Post by **tsokolate** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:35 pm

Newsarama did an article with a Top Cow guy and he said the reason that we're seeing the price jump is most likely due to competition for the talent. These comic companies compete for the talent and end up giving high salaries to them. To pay for the talent they then put the cost to the consumer and what you see is a price increase.

*SQUEE* · Post by ***SQUEE*** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:37 am

I never even look at the prices of the comics I get, (all tho I spend less then $50 a month) perhaps I should...

Escaflown4 · Post by **Escaflown4** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:44 pm

This makes me glad to know I did the right thing by pulling out of modern books. The way they keep jacking these prices up, I'm beginning to wonder how long the market can last. Not only that, they chose the worst time possible for a price hike with today's economic crisis. I'll wager this will drastically impact new comic sales.

Zaphod · Post by **Zaphod** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:51 pm

pretty much trying to capitalize on most fanboys compulsion for new books.

With prices this way though, the over-all creativity of the format is gone. No company is going to be willing to take chances on new ideas when the cost is so high.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 3:04 am

*SQUEE* · Post by ***SQUEE*** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:06 am

Escaflown4 wrote:This makes me glad to know I did the right thing by pulling out of modern books. The way they keep jacking these prices up, I'm beginning to wonder how long the market can last. Not only that, they chose the worst time possible for a price hike with today's economic crisis. I'll wager this will drastically impact new comic sales.

I agree. Really does not seem like the time to raise prices.

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:07 am

*SQUEE* wrote:
Escaflown4 wrote:This makes me glad to know I did the right thing by pulling out of modern books. The way they keep jacking these prices up, I'm beginning to wonder how long the market can last. Not only that, they chose the worst time possible for a price hike with today's economic crisis. I'll wager this will drastically impact new comic sales.
I agree. Really does not seem like the time to raise prices.

Same here.
With a lot of people cutting their expenses right now it seems to me that raising the prices on comics seems is a very stupid thing to do.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 12:17 pm

lots of retailers are doing that its the way stuff works it seems dumb but very few will drop their books

Doorman · Post by **Doorman** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:44 pm

The best thing to do is drop the book that's going up to $3.99 and pick up a new book at $2.99.

This will show Marvel that the "market price" should be $2.99.

Economics is coooooooool!

Todd Luck · Post by **Todd Luck** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:04 pm

So how reliable is Marvel at putting out trades of everything?

I'm under the impression (please correct me if I'm wrong) they've adopted the Japanese way of doing in the last few years (at least going as far back as Civil War, probably before). In other words, EVERY monthly story they put out quickly gets put in a collection as soon as there's enough issues, regardless of the series' popularity. I haven't been able to find anything in the last few years that hasn't made it to trade. Even Ant-Man and the non-crossover issues of Heroes for Hire have collections and no one's exactly busying down any doors for them.

Drift · Post by **Drift** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:20 pm

No new comics for me. Back issues of tat from 50p bins, Essentials and Showcases all the way.

IMJ · Post by **IMJ** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 2:45 pm

I think this might even be Joe Quesada's way of pushing digital comics even closer to a reality. Seriously, the guy is so stuck on his opinions that I could see him putting the company in financial suicide just to force a change to what he wants.

This price hike is not like when comics went from a buck to a buck and a quarter - this is a big change. 4 bucks for each new comic book is outlandish and is now in the realm where kids and new readers simply won't come on board because of the price.

Lightning Strike · Post by **Lightning Strike** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:39 pm

IMJ wrote:I think this might even be Joe Quesada's way of pushing digital comics even closer to a reality. Seriously, the guy is so stuck on his opinions that I could see him putting the company in financial suicide just to force a change to what he wants.

This price hike is not like when comics went from a buck to a buck and a quarter - this is a big change. 4 bucks for each new comic book is outlandish and is now in the realm where kids and new readers simply won't come on board because of the price.

No kidding. Can you imagine being a kid today? Let's see...pay $4 for a new comic? OR $15 or 20 on a video game? They're going to take the video game.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 5:55 pm

yep and thats why i liked the 1 doller issues for promos that they all have done and fcbd it helps spread the good word

Todd Luck · Post by **Todd Luck** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 8:35 pm

Lightning Strike wrote:
IMJ wrote:I think this might even be Joe Quesada's way of pushing digital comics even closer to a reality. Seriously, the guy is so stuck on his opinions that I could see him putting the company in financial suicide just to force a change to what he wants.

This price hike is not like when comics went from a buck to a buck and a quarter - this is a big change. 4 bucks for each new comic book is outlandish and is now in the realm where kids and new readers simply won't come on board because of the price.
No kidding. Can you imagine being a kid today? Let's see...pay $4 for a new comic? OR $15 or 20 on a video game? They're going to take the video game.

Well most new games on the shelf cost in the $40-60 range. If you're only paying $15-20 bucks for a game, its either an older, used game or something you downloaded. If you want to throw used products in there, every single comic shop in 50 miles of me has a large amount of comics for a buck a pop in their discount bins.

Still if you're just going on purely new purchases you can only get 12 new comics for $48 (at $4 each) isn't as good a deal as buying a decent videogame at $50.

But if you're talking about kids, the comics specifically targeted at them are usually the last to go up, anyway.

Lightning Strike · Post by **Lightning Strike** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 8:45 pm

Todd Luck wrote:
Lightning Strike wrote:
IMJ wrote:I think this might even be Joe Quesada's way of pushing digital comics even closer to a reality. Seriously, the guy is so stuck on his opinions that I could see him putting the company in financial suicide just to force a change to what he wants.

This price hike is not like when comics went from a buck to a buck and a quarter - this is a big change. 4 bucks for each new comic book is outlandish and is now in the realm where kids and new readers simply won't come on board because of the price.
No kidding. Can you imagine being a kid today? Let's see...pay $4 for a new comic? OR $15 or 20 on a video game? They're going to take the video game.
Well most new games on the shelf cost in the $40-60 range. If you're only paying $15-20 bucks for a game, its either an older, used game or something you downloaded.

The X-Box and PS games are, but the Nintendo DS games are only $15-20. I know because I just bought some for my son for Christmas.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:19 pm

ds and many of the wii gamnes are cheep the vast majority of what is sold

the ds looks to sell more games then every thing else put together

Todd Luck · Post by **Todd Luck** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:23 am

Lightning Strike wrote:
Todd Luck wrote:
Lightning Strike wrote:
IMJ wrote:I think this might even be Joe Quesada's way of pushing digital comics even closer to a reality. Seriously, the guy is so stuck on his opinions that I could see him putting the company in financial suicide just to force a change to what he wants.

This price hike is not like when comics went from a buck to a buck and a quarter - this is a big change. 4 bucks for each new comic book is outlandish and is now in the realm where kids and new readers simply won't come on board because of the price.
No kidding. Can you imagine being a kid today? Let's see...pay $4 for a new comic? OR $15 or 20 on a video game? They're going to take the video game.
Well most new games on the shelf cost in the $40-60 range. If you're only paying $15-20 bucks for a game, its either an older, used game or something you downloaded.
The X-Box and PS games are, but the Nintendo DS games are only $15-20. I know because I just bought some for my son for Christmas.

Wow I haven't seen any new game that cheap for DS that isn't on markdown (you know a game they've had on the shelf for a long while they want to get rid of) or a budget title (a little game they put out for 20 bucks). Average DS game is about $30 at Walmart. Still a better deal than comics, even at $3 a pop. LOL

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:12 pm

theres over 1000 ds games for 20 bones so theres somehting for everyone

Cyberstrike · Post by **Cyberstrike** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:28 am

Another thing about the comic book vs. video game debate is that some games take a long time to complete and are worth the 40-100+ hours it takes a gamer to finish it, I can usally knock out a 32 page comic book in about 10-20 minutes, and that is it, and if I have no desire to re-read it, then it has no value for me.

Todd Luck · Post by **Todd Luck** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:05 pm

Cyberstrike wrote:Another thing about the comic book vs. video game debate is that some games take a long time to complete and are worth the 40-100+ hours it takes a gamer to finish it, I can usally knock out a 32 page comic book in about 10-20 minutes, and that is it, and if I have no desire to re-read it, then it has no value for me.

Wow point me at those 100 hour games!

I think more often than not single player games fall in the 5-20 hour range with the ones with a lot of depth clocking in at around 30-40 hours. Or at least that's been my experience. Still a better deal than comics but people have making this arguement forever. I remember the many "Omigod comics won't be able to sale at $2.50, it's all over" and "video games are a much better entertainment value" threads on Usenet back in the 90s.

Though honestly if you're paying full price for any non-interactive media that's new (a movie, book, comic, etc) and the only value you get is watching or reading it one time you're not getting a very good value, period.

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 2:32 pm

Todd Luck wrote:Wow point me at those 100 hour games!

I think you have to like JRPGs for that, although there are a couple of mainstream games that you could stretch. The most I played a game was one of the Gran Turismos and that was around 75-80 hours. More recently I spent about 40-50 hours on Fallout 3 and that game was huuuuge. I have a guy I work with who has put in over 500 hours on Rock Band, though.

It's getting to where the typical AAA game goes for about a 8-12 hour story with some multiplayer tossed in. Still more bang for your buck than the average comic, IMO.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:47 pm

True there Depluto

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:14 pm

Todd Luck wrote:Wow point me at those 100 hour games!

A first-time player can drop 70-80 hours on Final Fantasy 8, easy.

-slym

Doorman · Post by **Doorman** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:38 pm

Interestingly enough, percentage-wise the jump from $2.99 to $3.99 (33.4448% increase) is nearly the same as when Marvel comics jumped from $1.50 to $1.95 (30% increase).