@vip77:
The fact is, simply saying you've acquired a license on more episodes of a series you're still selling
This made me remember a thought I had a while back: If Funi announced Season 4, then they wouldn't have people like this "strongly encouraging" person (putting it very mildly) telling people to buy for their lives:
@GrizzlayLeslay:
If Funimation announces Season 4 First Voyage, here's what you do: YOU BUY IT.
I know what you're thinking, wait for Netflix, right? NO, YOU DO NOT WAIT FOR NETFLIX. Netflix will not keep One Piece going. Your hard-earned dollars put directly towards the DVD set will keep One Piece going.
I know what you're thinking, torrent networks should have the set in no time, right? NO, YOU DON'T TORRENT. If you can afford Internet you can set aside $1 or $2 every now and then. Make a nice little One Piece DVD jar. Put money in it. It will add up. Torrenting will cost OP a sale from you. And if you can't afford Internet, if you're really at a Starbucks somewhere mooching off their Internet, well sir. . .you can afford Starbucks, so you most certainly can afford putting money towards a DVD set.
I know what you're thinking, you think you can't afford it, right? That's why you want to torrent. Or wait for Netflix. To you I say NO. You can afford it. Maybe not all at once, but RIGHT NOW, go put $1 in a nice little jar. Mark it as being saved for OP Season 4. You are now 2% of the way towards affording it at MSRP. If RightStuf offers it on sale for $40 or lower, you're even closer.
No excuses. Funi's hurting because we didn't want to buy Season 3. We respond in kind by buying Season 4. In spades. In droves. Droves of spades.
I mean, how many people have we seen saying "Buy the DVDs if you want to live Season 4!"? A lot of people, and not just here on APForums. I'm sure incentives like the ones people pose do help sales a bit. Why would Funimation hurt that by taking away the mystery of whether or not One Piece will continue? And if that is the case, then an announcement for Season 4 won't come until a while after S3P5 has been on the shelves, to ensure its maximum sales.
It's actually a good business plan, if Funi is actually embracing it. Or, maybe I'm just rambling.