CD ROM Back issues

[JTurner]

Reading the earlier thread, I now realise why 2000AD staff have been unenthusiastic at the last years conventions about digitising back issues (I mentioned the idea twice). Obviously they knew from the start that they'd make much more money trough re-prints.

However I'd rather have a CD version (easier for reference and storage) as well as printed copies. A CD/ DVD ROM would also be more attractive to non 2K fans looking to start reading. They might feel overwhelmed by the weight of back stories and want something that they could buy relatively cheaply and sift through only for what they need. I'd personally like something like this just to catch up with stories like Strontium dog and some of the older Dredd characters that recently re appeared in Helter Skelter- which I have never originally read.
Also a CD would be easier for the more publicly recognised Rebellion to market than printed material.

Failing a complete digital collection, how about just a 2K encyclopedia - demo versions could even be packaged with games, or downloaded from Rebellion's site.

The easier the introduction to 2K, the better - a frind of mine recently saw me reading Judge Dredd and asked me what super powers he had!

[DavidXBrunt]

There are plans afoot for reprints, but not on C.D.-Rom. Check out the 'Uber-Technology reprints' thread. (Number 706?) for details. It's too long a quote to type out twice.

[Rex Gambill]

I agree with Jacob. Perhaps Rebellion could give away a DVD-ROM "introduction to 2000AD heroes" that would serve as a primer on the comic and a marketing tool for folks to take out an on-going subscription to DVD-ROMs of back issues(preferably with zoomable scans). These DVDs could be given out in bookstores, newsagents and comic shops. It might also entice new readers of the weekly 2000AD and monthly Meg. Of course, this costs a great deal of money, but it would be a new way to capitalize on 25 years of content that no one can see except in bits and pieces in the back of the Meg or buying Titan books.
Another outlet for the DVD-ROMs would be to place them in the packaging for all Rebellion games.
This form of marketing has been phenomenal for a little company on my side of the pond known as AOL.

[JTurner]

For a games company, digital media is the obvious choice. Wake's announcement that progs will be re-issued in hardcopy only struck me as a rather arrogant decision on 2K's part, as only existing fans and nostalgics would be willing to shell out for this many comics. At a rough guess the price for the entire back catalogue would easily pass ?600 - quite a lot for stories that by today's standards are showing their age and could well be unnatractive to newcomers for anything but novelty value.

How many others out there agree with me that if Rebellion is going to put out any new 2K based material in the next two years it should (like the publicity surrounding the Dredd game) be primarily for the purpose of bringing in new readership? This in turn will benefit the rest of us by ensuring that 2K has the money to carry on improving.

[DavidXBrunt]

Well, according to the interview in this months 'Comics International' (?1.25 from a good comic shop near you!) they are aiming for new readers but they are also aiming at fetching back lapsed readers on the theory that they are an easier target as they already know what the product is.

As for the cost of the complete back catalogue you're no where near at ?600.
?25 for 10 issues.
?250 for 100 issues.
?2500 for a 1000 issues
plus ?750 for the remaining 300 issues makes it
?3250 for the complete back issues.

[JTurner]

?25 for 10!!

No offence, but that is a fucking ripoff.
1. Lapsed readers probably know all about the back issues
2. New readers will not fork out this for the equivalent of a history book
3. Even loyal readers like me, having only been collecting since 1996 would be unwilling to spend that much.

Or would they?

[nathan]

"2. New readers will not fork out this for the equivalent of a history book"

I don't think it's aimed at new readers at all. Is it?

"Even loyal readers like me, having only been collecting since 1996 would be unwilling to spend that much."

I agree it's a lot of money, but as a born-again loyal reader (c.300 - 600,  big gap, 1200 onwards) I'd certainly consider buying one or two binders worth. Especially if the banned Cursed Earth episodes are reinstated.

N

[Mk13]

Chances are there will be certain economies of scale involved in these reprints - i.e. for readers who want to buy large numbers of issues, we will put systems in place to allow them to save money on the full cover price.

[stodge]

i am another of these lapsed readers that you all keep talking about (prog 307 - middle of the Judda story in dredd) and i only left because i got sick of the wacky painted art (another issue which i see is also a popular topic of conversation). i have only just returned to the mag, in fact i'm still waiting for my subscription to kick in as i can't find it in the shops anywhere, and i am eager to catch up with all that is happening.  however, this could add up to an incredibly large amount of money but more importantly a large amount of shelf space which i doubt i will be able to convince my beloved is for a good cause as she thinks i'm just trying to recapture my youth reading comics (heathen!!).  i would definitely go for the CD/DVD option and i'm sure i could live with reading off the screen as opposed to the page for the peace & quiet i will receive.  plus it's easier to hide the purchase of a few DVD against a huge stack of progs/bound reprints........

[The Amstor Computer]

?25 for 10 is only a "fucking rip-off" if we're talking about issues from around Prog 200-300 onward. If Rebellion are asking for ?25 for bound reprints of ten progs from the first couple of hundred issues, then you're getting a bargain - if you tried to track down & pick up progs 1-10 right now, you'd likely end up spending AT LEAST somewhere in the region of ?200. By comparison, ?25 for reprints of these issues is pretty damn good.

However... if the plan is to extend this beyond the early years & keep on charging the same price, it'll fall flat. ?10 for ten would be more likely to work, but is that going to be profitable?

Personally, I'd be more than willing to shell out ?500 for bound reprints of progs 1-200 on good-quality paper. It's difficult enough getting hold of all of these issues now, let alone in good condition.

[paulvonscott]

I think the quality issue is really the big one here.  If they are really good quality prints on good quality paper in an excellent presentation then maybe.  The answer to that one is waiting in the shops.  

If the price could be got down to the price of a prog as it is now then you couldn't argue with it.

Anyway I can't wait to see what they look like!

[paulvonscott]

Just another idea.

I would have preferred buying the reprints of whole issues of 2000AD on CD BUT...

I would be keen on buying COMPLETE (all the strips, stories from annuals and specials and poster/cover artwork) collections of strips such as Ace Garp, Robohunter etc. in bound volumes.  Even if I already had those stories in CD form.

If there was 320 page volumes of Robo-Hunter I'd definitely buy them.  Same goes for Ace Garp, Strontium Dog and a whole lot of others.  Somthing I'd much rather read in collected form than old backprogs.  In ten volume chunks you aren't going to even get complete stories a lot of the time (maybe near the start).

Howevr if I was buying collected paper volumes of 2000AD in print that would really kill of any interest in buying collected stories from Titan Books.

Oh well, just some more thoughts on the subject.