Filed under: Audio, Games, Video, News
Blockbuster: clinging to a dying business model
Because digital media downloads are skyrocketing, old-skool Blockbuster is merging with music store "Sounds," at least in New Zealand to provide more media than just videos. Is this just the next logical step, or is it because the Internet has opened up a big can of digital whoop-ass on Blockbuster? Blockbuster has been struggling for a while since the likes of Netflix (to which I subscribe) have come to the playground. Blockbuster, Hollywood, and other video stores are clinging to a dying business model in my not-so-humble opinion. Who wants to go get their entertainment anymore? What fun is that? At least Blockbuster realizes that online is the way to go in some way, which is why they have their own Netflix-like online store and why they are merging with Sounds (in New Zealand) to boost sales. How far is far enough to snag the massive amount of business to be had in the online media market? We are only scratching the surface, boys (and girls). Blockbuster plans on launching kiosks to sell DVDs, CDs, ringtones, and games next month in New Zealand. Will this help? If no one is visiting your stores, why would you put in more hardware to sell things to people who will rent online anyway? I predict that unless Blockbuster stops holding on to old ideas and embraces the digital revolution (the Internet, not kiosks in store), it will be a downhill slide to obscurity for them.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
phizm said 8:26PM on 9-05-2006
Sounds is a seriously lame music store, merging with blockbuster might actually make them worth visiting (..nah). They've only a small selection of music, bloated with the standard record-company-hyped top 40 albums, they're the same cookie cutter store that you'll find in any Westfield the world over.
To be honest I think that the business model of Sounds is more decrepit than blockbuster, perhaps they're clinging onto each other while they succumb to darkness of the new millennium.
Personally I like going to blockbuster it's still so much cheaper than Netflix, and you can't get dvd's on a whim, and the bloody contracts... urgh.
Reply
Chris said 8:30PM on 9-05-2006
With the stock price sitting around $4 per share, there isn't much downhill to work with.
Reply
morgan said 1:00AM on 9-06-2006
i just got back from living in new zealand for a year, and i didnt see any sounds music stores. i dont think this will help blockbuster at all. one thing that i was blown away by was the real groovy stores, which were basically music/movies/book/gaming/art/culture related. they were amazing stores filled with amazing stuff, beats borders hands down....
Reply
Danny said 10:30AM on 9-06-2006
Why don't blockbuster stores deliver? It confounds me.
Reply
Pete said 9:21PM on 9-06-2006
My two lira worth...
I subscribe to Blockbuster on-line and like them a lot. They just started a new feature with their on-line rental, at least in my area: return your video's to Blockbuster store instead of mailing them yourself, get a free rental from the store. This in addition to the coupons for free rentals I already receive. For me, that's like getting 14 free movies a month for $18. Not a bad deal!
Reply
Michael said 4:24PM on 8-11-2007
Just when I think they've hit bottom, they start digging.
Reply