Newtype USA to Cease Publication

[Roy Mustang]

Reported at ANN.

Representatives of A.D. Vision (ADV) have contacted retail partners to inform them that the February issue of Newtype USA is to be the last. At this time it is unclear if this refers to the official February issue, which is set to go on sale later this month, or the March issue, which would go on sale in February.

According to reports from those contacted by ADV, the company is planning to replace Newtype USA with another magazine. No information about the new magazine is currently known.

Newtype USA's circulation is estimated to be similar to competing publication Anime Insider's, somewhere between 50,000 and 75,000 copies per month. No North American anime magazine publishes audited circulation numbers.

After briefly being attached to Digital Manga, Newtype USA was launched by ADV with issue 0 at Anime Expo 2002. The first regular issue was the November 2002 issue. Including issue 0 and the February 2008 issue (January shipping), 65 issues will have been printed, 66 if the final issue is the March issue (shipping in February).

Newtype USA was licensed by ADV from Kadokawa Shoten, the publisher of the original Newtype Magazine in Japan. Newtype Japan has been in publication since 1985, with the March 1985 issue being the first. Newtype is named after the fictional Newtype evolutionary-humans from Gundam.

In addition to Newtype USA, there is also a Korean Newtype, published by Daiwon C&A Holdings since 1998.

A representative of Newtype USA was unavailable to comment in time for this article.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[KhakiBlueSocks]

What?! Please tell me you're joking! what the heck is ADV thinking?! NewType USA is THE best!

[Roy Mustang]

Nope, not joking at all.

I wonder if they don't want to pay for the licensing fees for the NewType name, and they want make a magazine more like Anime Insider.

I wish that I could have got the Newtype issue 0, but I did get the first issue. I think I will pick up the last one just for kicks.

So, now Otaku USA is the only magazine that is close to NewType USA. I guess we will have to wait and see if the so called new magazine will be good or not.


[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[EricTheFred]

Disturbingly loud sound you hear coming from the direction of Texas is my teeth grinding.

[Rev. Doc]

Aside from ADV, Geneon was the next big advertiser in NewType. It's folding more than likely had a lot to do with ADV closing shop on this and organizing a smaller, and more than likely, cheaper publication.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Aside from ADV, Geneon was the next big advertiser in NewType. It's folding more than likely had a lot to do with ADV closing shop on this and organizing a smaller, and more than likely, cheaper publication.

The one question on my mind is will this new magazine have the sane free DVD that NewType did. If not than you'll hear teeth grinding in Louisiana too...

[Ashley]

To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. I still can't believe the price they were charging per issue--granted, goodies came with it, but still, I thought it was way too high considering the abundance of other anime magazines out there.

[Roy Mustang]

Now for the follow up.

Reported on ANN.

A.D. Vision to replace Newtype USA with PiQ in March

A.D. Vision's Newtype USA magazine has been sending the following email message to subscribers who inquire about the status of their subscriptions, in the aftermath of the magazine's reported ending:

Thank you for your email to Newtype USA!

We will be launching a new magazine that will be on sale in mid-March. Titled PiQ, the magazine will cover anime, manga, video games and other aspects of pop culture of keen interests to you. All existing subscribers will have their remaining issues fulfilled at a two-to-one ratio, meaning you will get double the number of magazines delivered straight to your doorstep! We hope you stick with us and give the new magazine a shot. We're sure you'll love it!

If you're not interested in receiving double the value for your remaining subscription, you can opt out at anytime.

Newtype USA Editor-in-Chief Gary Steinman has confirmed the contents of the email message, but has declined to comment further.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]
Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[Stephen]

Hopefully by pop culture they don't mean music. Hooray kids! You get some Green Day music to watch with Naruto!

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Hopefully by pop culture they don't mean music. Hooray kids! You get some Green Day music to watch with Naruto!

Or, "Who's Crazier: Brittany Spears or Sakura?"

One wonders what the letters PiQ stand for? I can kinda guess the IQ, but what's with the "P"?

[minakichan]

Or, "Who's Crazier: Brittany Spears or Sakura?"

You mean, the kind of crap Beckett and Anime Insider publish?

Hope that "pop culture" means J-Pop (or Rock, w/e) and dorama. The only Thing out there with any coverage on that at all is Shojo Beat, and come on, it's SHOJO BEAT.

Hope the full color awesome artbookness doesn't go away. If PiQ is just Newtype half-sized and half-priced (hence the 2:1 ratio), and comes out bimonthly, then dude, I am so going to buy so many more PiQs than I did Newtypes. More than a 2:1 ratio, that's for sure. I can AFFORD anime magazines, whaaat? In other words, brilliant marketing move, ADV.

[Doubleshadow]

Or, "Who's Crazier: Brittany Spears or Sakura?"

Don't tell me that was in a legitimate publication.

I never bought NewType, specifically because of the price. Anime Insider for me.

[RidleyofZebes]

Or, "Who's Crazier: Brittany Spears or Sakura?"

One wonders what the letters PiQ stand for? I can kinda guess the IQ, but what's with the "P"?

Pokemon?

[Roy Mustang]

Aside from ADV, Geneon was the next big advertiser in NewType. It's folding more than likely had a lot to do with ADV closing shop on this and organizing a smaller, and more than likely, cheaper publication.

This is is one of the factors for them stopping Newtype, but there are a few more factors on the reason why ADV stop printing Newtype.

One thing, I do agree with Ashley about price they were charging per issue and it was $80 -$90 for a 12 month subscription. I'm not sure if people remember that in 2004, they tired to stop having the dvd put in each issue. The test run was the newsstand issues wouldn't be place in the paper bag and not come with a dvd. Only the subscription issues would be place in the bag and a dvd put in it. It failed after people started to not buy the newsstand issues and ADV went back to putting all of the newsstand issues in the paper bag and had a dvd in it, but they rise the price for the newsstand issue.

From what I heard, the staff that work on Newtype USA will work on PiQ.

But there is something else to this and I think why ADV just felt that it was time to get away from Newtype USA. I got this email from anime news group today that talk more about PiQ and read the last part of it.

AD Vision has revealed that Newtype USA Magazine, which will cease publication with its February issue, will be replaced by a new magazine titled "PiQ," which will cover, "anime, manga, videogames, comics, movies, TV, digital media, high-tech gadgets, and more." According to ADV, the discontinuation of Newtype USA Magazine, "is not a reflection on the quality of the magazine or its success in the marketplace.

The decision to sunset Newtype was made at the executive level due to a difference in strategic corporate needs between the licensor [Kadokawa
Shoten] and Newtype USA's parent company [ADV]."

So, it sounds like ADV didn't want to pay for the licensing fees for the NewType name or Kadokawa Shoten wanted a bigger piece of the pie in the sells.

One thing for sure, after reading more into this. This decision by ADV wasn't a overnight thing, but it has been talk about by the big wigs at ADV for sometime to cease publication.

Now if the PiQ having a dvd or not. We will have to wait and see. But I have a feeling that their will not put any anime dvd in the new mag, since ADV tried to do away with them a few years back.

I think they will not to cut the cost down and maybe go after Anime Insider more then Otaku USA. I have a feeling that if the dvd being inserted in Otaku USA makes them lose money, they will may try to do the samething that ADV tired in 2004.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang [/font][/color]

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Wow, and I just renewed my subscription for another year. Well, I guess I've got a free year of PiQ coming.

Hope that "pop culture" means J-Pop (or Rock, w/e) and dorama. The only Thing out there with any coverage on that at all is Shojo Beat, and come on, it's SHOJO BEAT.

Hey, Otaku USA does a lot of that sort of stuff.

Now if the PiQ having a dvd or not. We will have to wait and see. But I have a feeling that their will not put any anime dvd in the new mag, since ADV tried to do away with them a few years back.

I think they will not to cut the cost down and maybe go after Anime Insider more then Otaku USA. I have a feeling that if the dvd being inserted in Otaku USA makes them lose money, they will may try to do the samething that ADV tired in 2004.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang [/font][/color]

I hope not. I won't lie, the DVD has been one of my main reasons for getting Newtype and Otaku USA, and I know a lot of other people think the same thing.

[mitsuki lover]

I only bought two Anime related magazines in my life and they were both Anime Insider.So I'm not worried about this.I think that if you want just the basics something like Anime Insider is better any way.
I think overall Newtype USA just priced themselves out of publication.

[Roy Mustang]

I think overall Newtype USA just priced themselves out of publication.

I do think the price was high, but ADV did have success in the marketplace with Newtype USA. The only thing that may have been hurting them was putting the dvd in, that was one of the major reasons, why it was price as high that it was and Geneon USA going under, since I believe they may have a good % of money going into advertise in NewType.

But really, it sounds like the decision was, because ADV wanted to part ways from the licensor Kadokawa Shoten more then anything.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[ADXC]

Otaku USA is/was not as pricey as Newtype from what Ive seen. Why is this?

[Roy Mustang]

Otaku USA is/was not as pricey as Newtype from what Ive seen. Why is this?

Because its bi monthy.

[color="Red"]
[font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[ADXC]

Well, yes its bi-monthly, but this should only really affect subscriptions. Otaku does have a dvd, manga and a poster insert same as Newtype does, so I don't know what it costs less. Maybe since its new on the market that it will get bigger and cost more later on, but Im not sure.

[mechana2015]

Well, yes its bi-monthly, but this should only really affect subscriptions. Otaku does have a dvd, manga and a poster insert same as Newtype does, so I don't know what it costs less. Maybe since its new on the market that it will get bigger and cost more later on, but Im not sure.

Actually bi-monthly makes a huge difference since you have more time to put less product out therefore:

You need less people to work on the magazine.
You need less equipment since less people work there.
You have more time to secure work.
Less overtime payed.
Less raw materials since there are less magazines (this is ink, paper, CD burning costs etc.)

In theory if newtype was bi-monthly, it should cost ~ half what it does now, to produce over a whole year for the company, if they printed the same amount of magazines on the same stock. My suspicion is that it would actually be more like 2/3 the current cost though due to other issues.

[Roy Mustang]

Well, yes its bi-monthly, but this should only really affect subscriptions. Otaku does have a dvd, manga and a poster insert same as Newtype does, so I don't know what it costs less. Maybe since its new on the market that it will get bigger and cost more later on, but Im not sure.

Okay, so I didn't give the best answer at the time.

But its one of the factors on what Newtype USA cost more then Otaku USA.

But here is some other reasons, which one ties into one coming out monthly and the other bi monthly.

The kind of paper that both of them are printed on cost more then say the paper that Anime Insider uses. But one cost more, because they print every month and the other one is every other month.

ADV had to pay the licensor Kadokawa Shoten to use the Newtype name. Where Otaku USA title is own by company that puts it out.

I don't know how much they had to pay for the Newtype name, but it sounds like a good price and licensor Kadokawa Shoten may have wanted more cut of the money also.

[color="Red"]
[font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[Kenshin17]

This is kinda disappointing. It was the official arts sections I liked. Depending on what series was featured usually determined whether I bought it or not.

Oh well, I haven't bought this one regularly since I stopped working at the store I get it from and hence started having to pay 13+ instead of just under 10....

[Netbug009]

Personally, this is good news. I used to read NewType, but I stopped cause they've been getting more and more junk about sexual fanservise. Since when does adding those black box censors make something TV-14 DVD? Have we gone that far downhill?

[Roy Mustang]

Got an e-mail from Atlanta anime group today about PIQ news. I went and check ANN and they reported the samething.

PIQ, ADV's replacement magazine for Newtype USA. The re-branded
magazine will launch on Mar. 18 with around 130 8x10 inch, perfect-bound pages for US$6.99. Newtype USA issues had around 160 9x11 inch, staple-bound pages for US$12.98.

The media kit lists the following breakdown of the editorial content:
20% Anime
20% Gaming
20% U.S. Comics/Japanese Manga
20% Genre Movies/TV/Home Video
10% Toys/Collectibles
5% Gadgets/Hi-Tech Gear
5% Lifestyle (fashion, accessories, events)

ADV is planning to circulate 100,000 copies of the launch issue and
aims to have 150,000 by the end of the 2008, with a 70% male
demographic. The company is offering the 15,000 Newtype USA subscribers
two PiQ issues for each remaining issue on their Newtype USA
subscriptions.

So, no more dvd's in it and the new magazine is going after Anime Insider and let Otaku USA fight it out for their self.


[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[minakichan]

Yeah, I don't like the decrease in anime/manga coverage; what ELSE would I buy it for?! That's disappointing. I hope it at least still has pin-ups though. The size and price decrease are fine, but I really hope PiQ doesn't turn into the Gigantic Wad of Lame and Bad Writing that is Anime Insider.

[Roy Mustang]

[quote="minakichan"]Yeah, I don't like the decrease in anime/manga coverage]

They plan on keeping the Newtype USA staff for this mag. But I found out that the most of Newtype’s senior staff came from the gaming mags at Ziff-Davis and Gary Steinman was the number-two editor on Official US PlayStation Magazine.

So, it sounds like they been wanting to do go head to head wtih Wizard’s Anime Insider magazine.

Here is the link to the mockup of the first issue's cover and more details about it.

http://comics212.net/2008/01/18/first-look-advs-new-piq-magazine-mediavendor-kit/

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]
Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]

[minakichan]

........Heroes, Lost, Red Hulk, Battlestar Galactica?

........RIIIIIIIIIIGHT. No thank you. Some people are going to jump on that, but not me. There really isn't much "Newtype USA" left in this mag, aside from the blurb near the bottom. If I wanted my American TV-American comics fix, I would care.

"Hey, there’s always Otaku USA for you Otaku out there!"
Considering that I won't touch Otaku USA with a 10-foot pole, no thank you. I guess the only possibility left is to bring back tons and tons of Newtype Japan when I go to Taiwan. That suckssssssss.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

I'm obviously going to need to see the actual finished product before forming a real opinion, but I'm liking PiQ less and less the more I learn about it. It's just looking too broad and unfocused for my taste.

"Hey, there’s always Otaku USA for you Otaku out there!"
Considering that I won't touch Otaku USA with a 10-foot pole, no thank you. I guess the only possibility left is to bring back tons and tons of Newtype Japan when I go to Taiwan. That suckssssssss.

Really? Why the hate? Personally, I think Otaku USA pretty soundly beat Newtype at anime coverage.

[Roy Mustang]

The only thing that I don't like about Otaku USA is it covers too much of the anime that is release here, and not much about shows being made in Japan or much news about those shows in Japan.

Then again, I stop getting Newtype USA, because it cover more about the hit anime in the states and didn't cover any of the older anime. I just got really really tired of seeing Gundam Seed on the cover over and over again.

Really, I can't find one anime magazine that I felt that was that good really.

I got a few Anime Insider it and didn't really like it that much and really the only one that I had to rush out and get was the one that did the story about the ADV female voice actors. The only reason why I got that issue was just so that I could have it sign by them.

[color="Red"][font="Book Antiqua"]Col. Roy Mustang[/font][/color]