Ghost in the Shell 2 Innocence comes to Blu-ray

[Cplhicks]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

The difference in price is $10

So I think we've established it has nothing to do with the lower runs, and everything to do with cost of living and an exchange rate that has over halved in the last 20 years

I don't really want to argue you with you Wicky. You are right, but I believe I am as well. Those sets you are mentioning also have limited print runs and do not sell to anyone but extreme collectors. All of the "collectors market" stuff is very expensive. People here don't buy TV series and such. They only buy the occasional blockbuster titles. And there are plenty of cheap titles here. You can buy a number of major studio stuff for $5-10 on DVD once it's been out for a while. There's a whole line of DVDs from Studios that have those prices right on the case. The box sets, the anime classics, etc, are always higher because they appeal to collectors, and therefore have a smaller market. I live in Japan right now, and not only buy discs here myself, but know many others who do as well.

To dispel one major myth-- the cost of living is higher on certain things here, and obviously if you want to buy a house or something that is skyhigh. However, in other areas, it can actually be CHEAPER than the US. Food is an example where I find I often spend less than I would at an equivalent US place. Transportation can also be cheaper, since bikes and trains are more useful than cars to most people.

BTW, I am not disagreeing with your comments on exchange rate, etc., I am simply saying there are other factors at work as well. And the Bandai anime blu-rays having such a high cost is due to their limited sales/vs cost of mastering in comparison to big blockbusters.