I totally missed this story until Dirk mentioned it on Journalista, but the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic is to start going down the digital download route kicking off from Wednesday December 19th, with new progs of 2000 AD being available in digital form a week after print publication. From the official site: “In just seven days’ time, you will be able to download the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic direct to your computer just one week after the printed version has hit UK stores, and being a download it’ll be quicker, more topical, more adaptable (you’ll even be able to view it on your Apple iPod) and, best of all, considerably cheaper.” I notice there aren’t any prices mentioned in the article, just the comment about being “considerably cheaper”, so I am wondering what Rebellion will charge for content?
(Clint Langley’s cover for 2000 AD prog 2008, (c) Rebellion; remember, comics piracy is a crime, creep – five years in the cubes!)
That statement would seem to me to infer it will be less than the cost of the print version, so I’m wondering if it will be available for a nominal fee and if so is this designed to hopefully lure in new readers to the print magazine by giving them an accessible and affordable taster online (like bands giving away a few tracks from an upcoming album on their site), perhaps readers outside the UK who haven’t had easy access to 2000 AD before? Or is it an attempt to offer a legitimate alternative to Ipod users and others in the face of rampant bit torrent scanned pirate copies of comics? Or a bit of both, perhaps? I’m also wondering what the terms will be on issues – once you pay and download it do you get to keep it or is there a time limit on it? Will you be able to transfer it to different devices or will it have ‘crippleware’ limiting how useful it is? Will archive issues be added to the service at a later date? And will old Stoney Face’s formidable chin fit onto the screen of an Ipod Nano?
Thu, Dec 13, 2007
Comics and cartoons