No love for Astro Boy

Interesting article on Kotaku regarding why there haven't been any Astro Boy games in the US.

Short version: He's not popular enough in the US.

Which brings me to the point. There are several manga properties that are known and famous. Heck, they probably even have some prestigious award attached to them. Astro Boy, Speed Racer, etc.

But the problem is - they don't sell. A publisher shouldn't expect them to sell, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't release them at all. I think it shows a lot of diversification to pick up classics like these, but I also think there's a lot of risks involved. If the sole reason is to make money, I would have to say the risk outweigh the rewards.

If the reason, however, is to distinguish themselves from other publishers, then it's a strategy and risk worth taking. However, the publisher needs to follow through by promoting and nominating that title for any awards it has the potential to win. If they don't, there's no way it will be able to distinguish itself since it will be lost with the multiple properties that are published.

~Meg

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