Barnes & Noble Yanks DC Comics From Stores

[LongAndShort]

Hmmm, I'm wondering when people will learn that cutting off your nose to spite someone else's face is not great business practice.

 

[Fanfic_warper]

I'm actually with B&N on this one. DC wants to be exclusive in a format, fine, just don't expect favors from those you offend by doing so....

Except it's not about doing any favours. Also, I love what this says: We're not getting a cut from your digital sales, so now we won't get a cut from ANY of your sales. Screw you, nose, I'm out to spite my face

Again, see my personal bias on this issue.

 

[intheweeds]

Aw! I was hoping it was because DC's new line is full of disgusting sexist bullshit!

But I guess I'm done with DC anyway regardless of where I can and cannot purchase their bullshit comics.

 

[DarkRyter]

Business! Dealings! Repercussions!

This story has it all.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

Well, with this and the Borders closings, I guess I'm getting that new Kindle Fire for Christmas...

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

I know nothing about comics and I'm biased, so with that out of the way, good riddance. Lose the sales, B&N! That's what you get when you're idea of a coupon is 10% off MSRP.

So rather than get *some* of the profits from selling these exclusive DC comics, they'd rather get *none* of the profits.... Am I the only one having trouble getting this logic? I realize there's certainly information involved in this decision I'm not privy to, but it just seems to fly in the face of common sense.

I don't think there is any logic. I can't imagine anyone gives much of a damn about B&N.com when online shopping because of the elephant in the digital room (i.e. Amazon.com), and I don't think anyone would really care about B&N's precious
"promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime" if they could still obtain an actual copy in stores. Seriously, if they didn't throw a hissy and kept the merchandise in stores it does fulfill their promise because they said books, not "ebooks for a Nook." If one can buy the product online in physical format[footnote]"However, just because the comics are being taken out of the physical stores doesn't mean people can't buy them from Barnes & Noble, as they'll still be sold through the retailer's website."[/footnote], but not the digital format, and cannot acquire either in physical stores.... why does it matter... I... I just don't... *mind explosion*

Again, not a comic person, but I always guessed that part of the appeal was owning a physical copy; I'm similar with books and CDs.

How in the hell did Borders go under before this dumb company? Sheesh!

 

[The Random One]

Isn't this the exact same thing that happened between Ubisoft and Gamestop, only handled with bucketfuls more of grace?

 

[vxicepickxv]

While the decision is questionable, the reasoning behind it makes a lot of sense. At least to me.

I'm not affected either way.

It doesn't bother me either, but that's because DC decided that my comics weren't good enough for a reboot. They managed to cancel my pull. If they had remade the comics I was reading, I would still be a DC customer.

 

[subtlefuge]

I think Barnes and Noble should rethink pissing on DC over a short-term exclusivity deal. That's just me though.

In 3 months, are they going to come out and say that they're sorry for throwing a fit, and want the comics back. I'm sure that would work, but you just can't get those customers back.

 

[luvd1]

Hmmm. In this day and age, this is a very dumb business move. Being petty and childish is unprofessional and ultimately costly.

 

[Vault101]

It isn't really an issue is it? Every bookstore I've ever been to stocks their comics on poorly balanced spinning racks that wreck them up the ass. No care taken at all and they look like they've been read through 40 times.

Cheap digital distrubution is more or less the future for comics.

Thought this was going to be another half joke about new superman saying god damn, or starfire being a raving slut in this iteration. I thought they were joking but then I read Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 loled good.

I guess...Im relitivly new to the comic thing, but for some reason a physical copy of a comic just seems more..."right", more so than a book, I think because its more than text, its also pretty pictures

 

[Sarsaparilla]

I guess...I'm relatively new to the comic thing, but for some reason a physical copy of a comic just seems more..."right", more so than a book, I think because its more than text, its also pretty pictures

The DC digital program isn't all that bad but I agree that it's much easier to admire the artwork in a physical copy rather than a digital one. The advantage I like best of the digital program is that it lets you pick up stories you're interested in following but don't want to devote shelf space for.

Getting to the topic of the article, however, I also feel like B&N is shooting themselves in the foot here. They set up these really nice comfy stores that encourage you to browse & pick up items you might not have known about so cutting down their selection means fewer sales and a bit of a bitter taste in customer's mouths since these items are not available because B&N refuses to stock them. I suppose I'll change my tune if DC caves and works out a deal that pleases the B&N overlords but since I don't really see that happening I just feel disappointed that my old favorite source of DC comic trades won't have them anymore. My local comic shop is awesome but just doesn't have the resources to stock a robust trade section like my nearest B&N did. Oh well. More money for Steam games I guess.

 

[Alandoril]

So they refuse to sell the books but then continue selling them on their website.

If you're going to make a stand based on principles then don't half-a**e it. Bloody companies.

 

[Something Amyss]

Again, see my personal bias on this issue.

See, I am biased on many issues. I still manage to make comments grounded in reality, rather than making things up about expected favours.

For example, I haven't given a damn about DC comics in years. I've always been a bigger Marvel fan, just like you, and I'm still looking at this pragmatically, as in....

Hmmm, I'm wondering when people will learn that cutting off your nose to spite someone else's face is not great business practice.

Exactly that. Again, B&N is not really doing anyone any favours by stocking these comics in the first place. It's a business arrangement. Now, they're bitter they're not (temporarily) getting a piece of the digital pie, so instead of enjoying the benefits of the rest of the pie, they're saying "no pie for me!"

This will send actual, paying, physical customers elsewhere over an imagined slight.

 

[PimpHandofGod]

To sell and promote the physical book in our store showrooms and not have the ebook available for sale would undermine our promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime.

So you plan to uphold that promise by not selling it period.

 

[GiantRaven]

It isn't really an issue is it? Every bookstore I've ever been to stocks their comics on poorly balanced spinning racks that wreck them up the ass. No care taken at all and they look like they've been read through 40 times.

It's a bigger issue than you'd think. B&N were really pushing their comic stocks, with whole shelves of new releases ready to buy.

 

[Terminal Blue]

A 'short term' exclusivity deal in the wake of a product launch is a big deal. There is no business in the world where this would not be an issue.

There is a proliferation of ebook readers at the moment. Heck, when I was writing my dissertation I had to keep 3 or 4 on standby in order to read all the ebooks I needed because they have no cross-capability. This is even more pronounced with things like kindle which have dedicated hardware ranges devoted to them, it's easy to put 100 pounds or so into a kindle reader. There is a lot riding on the success or failure of those formats.

Talk about customer choice all you want, but it's not good to force customers to use a new software application for every book they own. Most customers don't want to have 5 different ebook readers, they want one which stocks everything and Amazon (and probably B&N too) are determined that their format should be that one, with no regard for people who might already be using a different format. The result for those consumers is that they would either have to wait 4 months, get a new piece of software just to read those comics, or buy the comics twice. Neither is an optimal deal for the customer.

I have no sympathy for Amazon trying to strongarm consumers into using their product. I have no sympathy for DC accepting a big pile of money to go along with that. I'm actually glad B&N is taking a stance and hope that some people have the foresight to support them so that one day we can live in a world where we can read any book we want in whatever format we prefer, not stuck with one crappy piece of software and a bunch of ebooks we can't read because everyone else was muscled out of the business and there's no choice.

 

[idodo35]

so... they are going to throw away incom (that will surely come from selling DC novels) because DC went ahead and did something that helps them (DC) and the competition (amazon) while not hurting barnes and novels at all...
well thats just plain stupid...

 

[zombie711]

Does this mean they will have more marvel and image comics cuz Im down with that, if thats the case.

 

[The Great JT]

And once again, I have to ask why they don't have supermarkets stock some comics.