Crunchyroll Is Locking Its Online Store Behind Its Most Expensive Subscriptions
Joshua is considered an expert in soulslikes, horror, JRPGs and everything Final Fantasy, having written extensive coverage for massively popular online titles like Final Fantasy 14.
Crunchyroll is arguably the biggest anime streaming service out there right now, and that's down to Sony's efforts to eradicate any possible competition. It's bought up anime services over the years, with many anime fans fearing a de facto monopoly, and you only really have Netflix as a big competitor right now.
Of course, little competition opens up the door for Sony to start being less consumer-friendly (like it's currently doing with the PlayStation), and today's recent announcement regarding Crunchyroll's online store (thanks IGN) is a prime example of just that.
Crunchyroll To Lock Online Store Behind More Expensive Subscriptions
As it stands right now, Crunchyroll's online store is freely available to everyone, regardless of whether you're subscribed to the service or not. It was a cool place to get cheap anime figures, clothing, trading cards, and more. Unfortunately, Crunchyroll has now announced that the online store will be closed to the public, starting in August.
After that date, Crunchyroll's online store will only be available to subscribers that have either a Mega or Ultimate subscription, meaning that you'll need to shell out at least $13.99 to access it. Yes, Sony really is making anime lovers pay for the privilege to pay them again for some cheap anime merch, and also has the gall to describe it as a "brand-new shopping experience."
Obviously, current Crunchyroll members aren't very pleased, and Sony has already been branded a "scumbag company" on the Crunchyroll subreddit. Many also fear that this is a subtle way to try and remove manga and Blu-ray releases from the Crunchyroll store, and that it will slowly transition to a place for statues and collectibles.
It's not a great move for a company that's already in hot water on its gaming side of the business, with many still furious about its decision to halt the manufacturing of physical discs in 2028. It could reverse course if enough Crunchyroll members start canceling subscriptions over it, but Sony has proven to be particularly stubborn these days when it thinks it can get away with something.
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