Thread: o.o It really happened

Originally Posted by PPN

Pokémon USA Moves Licensing In-House In 2006
4Kids Entertainment Inc., which licenses entertainment names and personalities aimed at children, on Friday said it would not renew its license to the Japanese cartoon character Pokemon once it expires at the end of this year. 4Kids Entertainment Inc.

Pokemon USA Inc., a subsidiary of Japan's Pokemon Co., will oversee all Pokemon licensing outside of Asia starting next year, 4Kids said in a statement. The decision to move the licensing activity in-house was a brand management decision, it added.

Full Press Release:
4Kids Entertainment To Transition Its Representation Of Pokémon

NEW YORK (December 23, 2005) - 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) and Pokémon USA, Inc., announced today that they have agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement set to expire on December 31, 2005. Beginning in 2006, Pokémon USA, Inc.’s in-house licensing group will handle all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.Pokemon USA

“We felt it was in the best interest of the Pokémon property for Pokémon USA, Inc., to assume all aspects of licensing,” said Akira Chiba, President of Pokémon USA, Inc. “This was a brand management decision. We would like to thank 4Kids for all of its great work over the last eight years in helping to establish Pokémon as one of the leading children’s brands in the world.”

“4Kids has had a successful eight-year exclusive relationship with the Pokémon property that will be expiring at year end,” said Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. “Over the next month, 4Kids will assist Pokémon USA, Inc., in its transition to in-house representation. We wish Pokémon USA much success going forward.”



Under the terms of the expiring Pokémon USA, Inc. - 4Kids representation agreement, 4Kids will continue to receive commissions for the next several years on payments made under existing Pokémon license agreements whose term expires after December 31, 2005. It is expected that commissions earned by 4Kids from the Pokémon property will decline over the course of the next several years. 4Kids will also continue next year to produce the current eighth season of Pokémon television episodes.

4Kids said it will still receive commissions over the next several years from existing Pokemon license deals that will expire after Dec. 31, 2005, but said commissions from Pokemon are expected to decline over the next several years.

Pokemon, first launched in Japan in 1996 on Nintendo's Game Boy video game console, was introduced in North America in 1998. The character has generated over $25 billion in worldwide retail sales, fueled by playing cards, a television show and other merchandise. 4Kids held the Pokemon license for eight years.

o.o.... It was considered, and mentioned previously in the first BulbaCast but.... damned if I ever gave full serious thought to it actually happening..

Everybody. It's Christmas time. Post your wishlists. Now.

Oh, that's okay. They moved the TCG stuff from Nintendo to PUSA too. So now, one company will handle everything.

Excuse me for my ignorance, but this means 4Kids will no longer dub the anime?

Pretty damn sure

Well then, lets just hope whoever is in charge of the anime will do a better job than 4Kids.

IT'S A FESTIVUS MIRACLE!

(seriously, today is Festivus...)

Once again, people prove that they know nothing about the dub.

I guess we'll have to wait and see whether this is a good thing.

This is HORRIBLE news. Does that mean all the voice actors will change?

No more Veronica Taylor as Ash and May? No more Eric Stuart as Brock and James? No more Rachael Lilis as Misty and Jessie?

How will we be able to stand new voice actors for our favorite characters? I cannot fanthom how different everyone will sound when they're recasted. This is horrible.

Taylor, Stuart and Lilis will probably all be given a nice big paycheck to move across.

Who knows about the recurring characters voiced by others though.

If they can keep the main people (Veronica Taylor for Ash, May, Delia) and (Rachael Lilis for Misty, Jessie) and Eric Stuart (for Brock and James) then I will be happy.

God, I would not be able to tolerate hearing all these characters sound different.

I don't mind the lesser characters having different voices (like the recurring rivals, Drew, Sakura, Richie) but the main characters better have the same voice actors.

I'm not that big a fan of the dub, but I would like to see the main actors stay. It just wouldn't be the same without them.

But maybe characters of the day can have more then two voices now =D

Heck, the dub isn't even a bad one. I know that Jessie the GS II, Heracross, Satoshi[the Serebii member, not the main hero of the series] and many others are wrong about saying it's bad.

But yep, does this mean I'll won't get to hear Racheal Lillis as Misty ever again? As well as Jessie? Darn it, I thought she was great as them. Hopefully, many of the voice cast will come back.

Actually, for once, my concerns coincide with Scott's.

What's going to be the deal with the VAs? They may not be perfect, but I'd hate if they changed the VAs now... after all, it's not the actors that bug everyone, it's whoever makes the dumb edits like the onigiri thing.

Edit: Nevermind. I need to post faster. >>'

Here's hoping Nintendo throws infinite money at this dilemma as it's absolutely crucial to acquire the main VA's as they already do a plethora of other voices, such as secondary characters and Pokemon.

"Here you go darling. Go and buy yourself some more money."