Recently, XBIZ World magazine asked several industry players, "Is the industry experiencing a downturn or is it mostly perception?"
Here’s what they had to say:
Provided there isn’t a huge economic downturn that I’m unaware of, I’d venture to say that it is mostly a perception that industry-wide revenue is down. While revenue is down in certain areas, it is up in others. Brick-and-mortars are probably feeling the biggest hit, and studios reluctant to change with the times seem to be folding or joining forces with other, stronger studios and distro companies. Meanwhile, other studios and companies seem to be benefiting from newer concepts like online rental and VOD. This is the future, and our modes of delivery are undergoing changes far more dramatic than the film-to-VHS-to-DVD shift.
— Justin Brand, Content Manager, SugarDVD.comI think it’s perception – industry- wide there is more competition, more content delivery methods and more means of revenue. The industry has been and will continue to grow. Always adapting to change and innovation is most important, however supporting the growth of free content distribution (torrent sites, tube sites, etc.) is probably not the best direction. While it can be great for branding and reaching a wide market, with the fast-growing amount of free content available it comes to a point where we’ve got to stop and think about the old saying, "Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?"
— Monica, Affiliate Manager, HotMovies.com