Blockbuster: PS3 Sales Booming

[zombieflanders]

Blockbuster says it's now selling between 2,000 and 3,000 Play Station 3 consoles with Blu-ray players inside every week.

That's according to the Dow Jones news service.

Blockbuster recently added a PS3 display with a 42-inch Sony Bravia HDTV at 3,000 stores and the company expects to have the exhibit in all stores by the end of September.

Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes says the PS3 sales will soon fuel an increase in both game and Blu-ray high-def disc rentals at his stores.

The video rental giant, which recently made a failed effort to buy Circuit City, says it could even sell the Bravia HDTV if it tried. (The company is testing TV sales in roughly 600 stores.)

"It's hard to resist the lure of the dramatic picture," Keyes said today, according to Dow Jones. "We've actually had customers try to buy the television."

http://www.tvpredictions.com/blockbuster080708.htm

[ack_bak]

Sweet. But just wait until Toshiba places those SRT SAL players (just wait, they are coming soon) next to that PS3 display...

Or that download kiosk that Mike Morel predicted that will offer 1080p downloads of over 10,000 titles in 10 seconds for free...

I think 2008 will be the year the PS3 really started to make traction and Blu-Ray starts to become more apparent to the masses. I think late 2009 will be when cheaper BD players really start to take off..

[Kable]

Wow, that's nearly one PS3 per store a week. How do they control the stampede from this boom?

[kak]

For Blockbuster, that isn't bad. Who goes to Blockbuster to buy a console?

[ack_bak]

Originally Posted by kak

For Blockbuster, that isn't bad. Who goes to Blockbuster to buy a console?

No doubt. I mean I cannot ever recall seeing DVD players for sale at Blockbuster.. That means each store is averaging about 4 per month and it is not even Q4 when the busiest shopping time of the season hits (meaning sales could easily double or triple).

More importantly, people that normally rent DVD's are seeing Blu-Ray on the in-store demos and are actually buying consoles at Blockbuster as a result.

[zombieflanders]

Originally Posted by Kable

Wow, that's nearly one PS3 per store a week. How do they control the stampede from this boom?

From a store known for renting movies?



This Blockbuster, not Best Buy. The fact that they're selling any is huge.

[spacejamz]

Originally Posted by zombieflanders

From a store known for renting movies?



This Blockbuster, not Best Buy. The fact that they're selling any is huge.

Unless you are bitter HD DVD fan boy who cannot see how this would be positive news for blu ray.

[Nighthawk]

Does anybody know which Bravia model is hooked up to these PS3s?
I doubt it's an XBR, but is it the S series or V series, or another one? Also, I'm assuming the TV is more like 40" since Sony offers many models in that size.

[Kable]

Originally Posted by zombieflanders

From a store known for renting movies?



This Blockbuster, not Best Buy. The fact that they're selling any is huge.

Blockbuster sells Wii's and 360 as well, but your right, the fact they can sell these bundles in any kind of volume is noteworthy.

Originally Posted by spacejamz

Unless you are bitter HD DVD fan boy who cannot see how this would be positive news for blu ray.

The wars over man, HD DVD lost. Get over it - I did.

[mikemorel]

Blockbuster Q2 loss widens
UPDATE: Higher merchandise costs drag 14% increase in same-store sales

Blockbuster Video’s second-quarter net loss widened 33% on a year-earlier gain from its sale of Game Station. The loss was wider than analysts expected, because the company’s merchandise costs rose on added sales of videogames and Blu-ray Disc players.

Nobody's making money selling blu-ray.

[zombieflanders]

Originally Posted by mikemorel

Blockbuster Q2 loss widens
UPDATE: Higher merchandise costs drag 14% increase in same-store sales

Obviously the CEO doesn't care that it was $10m out of $1.3b. Your EPIC FAIL streak continues!

Nobody's making money selling blu-ray.

Yeah, LGF's statements from June and Warner and Fox's statements talking about making money off of Blu-ray yesterday were because it was opposite day. Man, your lies are so easy to disprove at this point I don't even have to try.

[bomba]

Originally Posted by Kable

Wow, that's nearly one PS3 per store a week. How do they control the stampede from this boom?

Well thats already upto 5% of the (PS3) console market and they just started

[jcc]

I think the current bundle they sell is the 40GB unit plus and HDMI cable, a movie and a gift card worth up to $160 in game or movie rentals. For that they charge an extra $100 ($500 total). Not a bad deal but not a no-brainer either. It's good if you want the gift card and don't know what monoprice is.

[GizmoDVD]

According to Wikipedia:
Blockbuster states that it currently has 5,192 stores across the United States.

So...every other Blockbuster location is selling a PS3 a week. Since only a handful of Blockbuster stores(test stores) sell stand alone players this can only mean PS3. And as all we know that PS3s are also gaming consoles, so assuming they will be used as a Blu-ray player is just ol' fashion spin.

[hstewarth]

I love the Blockbuster Blu-ray rentals - very nice to try some out that you might normally will purchase. I got in with 21.99 deal and only thing that is bad about the deal is I tend to watch too many movies.

Very good to try out new releases that you never seen. Better than purchasing a movie that you don't like. I have purchase a couple of movies that I actually liked. Did that with Fool's Gold today.