Sony Dissolves Funimation User Purchases, Increases Crunchyroll Price, Shuts Down App

"Sony's decision to shut down Funimation and migrate users to Crunchyroll erases purchased media and doubles the price of subscriptions."

It's a great time to be a fan of media, but not such a great time to be a consumer. The idea of "buying" media is now more uncertain than ever, with the rise of streaming services that offer shaky ownership at best. Content is constantly coming and going from these platforms, and streamers are even erasing content from their libraries without a second thought. But the most concerning development is the erasure of specific media that users have actually purchased.

Sony's decision to shut down Funimation and move its users to Crunchyroll is a prime example of this. Funimation users will lose access to all of the content they had purchased, as Crunchyroll does not currently support Funimation's digital copies. This means that users who were promised access to their digital copies forever are now facing the imminent loss of that access.

This situation is eerily similar to a previous incident involving Discovery content on PlayStation, and it seems to be the start of a worrying trend. Sony has not indicated any desire to replace the lost content, leaving users feeling like they have been cheated out of something they paid for.

To add insult to injury, Sony has also announced a dramatic increase in the price of Crunchyroll. The annual subscription fee will jump from $54.95 to $99.99, effectively doubling the cost. Even users who pay per month will see a significant increase in their fees. This move has left many consumers feeling frustrated and betrayed by the companies they once trusted.

In the face of these changes, it's clear that the landscape of media consumption is shifting, and not necessarily in favor of the consumer. The rise of streaming services has brought about a new level of uncertainty and instability, leaving consumers questioning the value of the media they purchase. As companies continue to make decisions that prioritize their own interests over those of their customers, it's becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to feel confident in their media purchases. The future of media ownership is more uncertain than ever, and consumers are left wondering if they will ever truly own the media they love.

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