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ComiXology Retires App, Debuts New Read-Only Version After Amazon Purchase
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So I'll have to buy my comics via safari? Annoying but, meh. It's not a deal breaker, I already have to do that for books.
This is the second time I've seen a digital-comics distributor needlessly upset its customers. First it happened with Panelfly, and now Comixology.
It's why my company distributes our comics without DRM. We want to make sure our customers can continue to read and enjoy our comics without being subject to the whims of distributors and their ever-changing policies.
It's why my company distributes our comics without DRM. We want to make sure our customers can continue to read and enjoy our comics without being subject to the whims of distributors and their ever-changing policies.
I don't always login... but when I do, it is to post 
My three cents here.
A while back (before the amazon purchase) Comixology had already updated their Web site to require credit card info even for free books.
So... if you wanted a free book, you either had to enter credit card info (even when you owed nothing) OR you could purchase the free books on their iOS app.
That means, with in-app purchase gone, there is now no way to get their free books unless you enter credit card info. Unless they change something.
Meanwhile... I get the whole "don't give the evil Apple empire money" side of things... but, that's why you would choose to never add in-app purchase in the first place. It's not a good reason to have it for a year or two and then yank it out from under your paying customers.
Lots of people use iTunes gift cards... and if you bought some and entered those thinking you would be able to buy comics with them... you just got a rude surprise.
It's obviously their choice... with Amazon backing them now... but I politely told them that I can't get free books from their Web site without a credit card and I don't have a credit card to put into their service for the books I would have otherwise happily bought with iTunes credit.
I'll continue to enjoy the comics I already have bought... but as of now with their current setup, I see no way I will be buying future comics or even reading the free ones.
I suspect they will lose a lot of business over this, since I know they were high on the list of iOS apps for gross revenue.
70% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
My three cents here.
A while back (before the amazon purchase) Comixology had already updated their Web site to require credit card info even for free books.
So... if you wanted a free book, you either had to enter credit card info (even when you owed nothing) OR you could purchase the free books on their iOS app.
That means, with in-app purchase gone, there is now no way to get their free books unless you enter credit card info. Unless they change something.
Meanwhile... I get the whole "don't give the evil Apple empire money" side of things... but, that's why you would choose to never add in-app purchase in the first place. It's not a good reason to have it for a year or two and then yank it out from under your paying customers.
Lots of people use iTunes gift cards... and if you bought some and entered those thinking you would be able to buy comics with them... you just got a rude surprise.
It's obviously their choice... with Amazon backing them now... but I politely told them that I can't get free books from their Web site without a credit card and I don't have a credit card to put into their service for the books I would have otherwise happily bought with iTunes credit.
I'll continue to enjoy the comics I already have bought... but as of now with their current setup, I see no way I will be buying future comics or even reading the free ones.
I suspect they will lose a lot of business over this, since I know they were high on the list of iOS apps for gross revenue.
70% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
I think there are two issues at play: Greed and politics.
First of all Amazon buy the company and think "hey, we're Amazon, we're a big player, why the hell are we giving 30% to Apple" and also I think they are trying to make a stance/protest against the apple charges.
Neither of these things will be of benefit to Comixology or Amazon because if you want to sell products such as comics, you are dependant on repeat purchases and in order to get repeat purchases, you must keep your customer happy (which they are clearly not doing). They have sold it to the comic creators as a "hey, you'll earn buttloads more cash as we are giving you a bigger cut" but unfortunately, a bigger cut of less sales is still probably the same, or less.
Secondly, to try and protest the Apple 30% fees is silly, unless they can come to some backroom agreement it won't do anything (as Apple would not be caught publicly lowering it's rates for an app, as all devs would then start complaining for lower fees).
From the iOS store reviews, twitter comments and blog posts, I think Comixology will either reverse the decision or slowly fade away into nothing.
Or Android will become the de-facto comics reading platform, and hopefully it will be another stab in the heart for the Apple 30% tax on in-app purchases they have nothing to do with (as will the eventual EU investigation into such a clearly anti-competitive move).
Well look, for die hards like us it's not really a problem. But with my neutral hat on, here are some thoughts:
1. Comixology must have built the 30% into their business model at first, and using iOS has enabled them to become huge. The danger now is that the impulse buys and new users who want to try comics will not be joining the site because they saw it in the App store.
2. My initial thought was that Amazon might have bought Comixology purely to remove one of Apple's larger sources of in-app income. But that seems petty.
3. My latest thought is that while in the short term Comixology may suffer from losing the storefront on Apple devices, they will soon gain a much larger storefront on amazon.com - "Comics by Amazon" as a tab, which will give them an even larger reach than they had via iOS.
4. The way this has been handled and implemented has been poor - as many have pointed out, there are lots of reasons for using iOS payments like gift cards and not wishing to put your details on another website, and some notice of the impending change (beyond introducing new UK and EU stores last week, now clearly preparation for those about to lose local pricing in the app) would have been the right way to treat your customers. Maybe Amazon just wanted to give Apple a good slap?
1. Comixology must have built the 30% into their business model at first, and using iOS has enabled them to become huge. The danger now is that the impulse buys and new users who want to try comics will not be joining the site because they saw it in the App store.
2. My initial thought was that Amazon might have bought Comixology purely to remove one of Apple's larger sources of in-app income. But that seems petty.
3. My latest thought is that while in the short term Comixology may suffer from losing the storefront on Apple devices, they will soon gain a much larger storefront on amazon.com - "Comics by Amazon" as a tab, which will give them an even larger reach than they had via iOS.
4. The way this has been handled and implemented has been poor - as many have pointed out, there are lots of reasons for using iOS payments like gift cards and not wishing to put your details on another website, and some notice of the impending change (beyond introducing new UK and EU stores last week, now clearly preparation for those about to lose local pricing in the app) would have been the right way to treat your customers. Maybe Amazon just wanted to give Apple a good slap?
ComiXology Retires App, Debuts New Read-Only Version After Amazon Purchase
Ridiculous. That has nothing to do with this and also I'll bet you're wrong. I'm mad at amazon, but I'd not be ok with Apple raising iPhones by $100
Ridiculous. That has nothing to do with this and also I'll bet you're wrong. I'm mad at amazon, but I'd not be ok with Apple raising iPhones by $100
You can buy DRM free comics and read them in any reader such as Comic Zeal. We already have standards. I blogged about it.
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Google is charging same 30%. This is not affecting users, price on web site is the same.
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Android have same 30% cut and same problems with Comixology app. Anyway, Comixology is not the only way to read comics.
This.
I just deleted my comixology app and will now use other apps to buy digital comics.
and some others "bypass" it as well.
and apple can easily afford to change its ratio but that dosent seem likley.
interesting thing will be is will the product reflect this cost reduction
Um, they actually RAISED prices in some instances. At least that's been my observation in the UK. So, no...consumers are not benefiting from this. We're being punished with a ball gag and gimp suit. I can see the probe off in the distance, but my eyes are watering, so it's hard to make out. I think it says 'free market' along the shaft.
ComiXology Retires App, Debuts New Read-Only Version After Amazon Purchase
Exactly. We now have to pay a premium as well as an extra 7 steps, just to enjoy digital comics. All cos of amazon. comixology were fine with the old way. Reckon they'll see a drop in sales.
Exactly. We now have to pay a premium as well as an extra 7 steps, just to enjoy digital comics. All cos of amazon. comixology were fine with the old way. Reckon they'll see a drop in sales.
So for now my work around will be or buy the comics on my android phone via the app through paypal and then to download it to my iPad.
Ah the consumers will be fine. I would not like to be a comic publisher or store owner right now.
Google charge 30% if you want to use their payment mechanism, Google Wallet... but you don't have to on Android. If you can find a cheaper payment provider you're free to do so, unlike on iOS. Which is why the Comixology Android app still offers in-app purchases, just using Paypal or their own CC processor, rather than Google Wallet.
The raised prices in the UK are nothing to do with this - it's European wide changes to how VAT law works. Apple are going to have to do the same shortly...
Yes, thanks for clarifying. While the price increases are not directly related to the buy-out, there certainly hasn't been a corresponding decrease in price by 30% now that they've moved away from in-app purchases. I suppose that was more my point. But yes...the VAT issue is why we're going to see an increase in the cost of apps/songs in the near future. I wish Apple's comic offering was a little more robust through iBooks, because they offer some better deals than Comixology did. But the beauty of Comixology was the simplicity of a dedicated app for that purpose, not to mention the handy cell-by-cell reading method.