Disney, Fox and Sony continue to announce dates for Blu-ray titles
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Feb 8th 2007 7:46PM
posted Feb 8th 2007 7:46PM
The studios in the Blu-ray camp aren't letting up just because Universal refuses to let everyone know when they can expect more movies on HD DVD, well other than it will be during 2007. Disney, Fox and Sony have all announced release dates for Blu-ray titles previously announced at CES including; Turistas (April 17), Chicken Little (March 20), Finding Neverland (March 20), King Arthur (April 3), G.I. Jane (April 3), and The Pursuit of Happyness (March 27). High-Def Digest has already updated their release page which is shows that Blu-ray has more titles with dates for February than HD DVD has for all of 2007.Read: Fox to Skewer 'Turistas' on Blu-ray This April
Read: Disney Officially Announces Winter Wave of Blu-ray Catalog
Read: 'Pursuit of Happyness' To Make Blu-ray Debut in March
Does anyone else think that by the end of March Universal will be producing BD? Can they really afford not to when they are the only company making HD-DVD's exclusivley?(sorry the weinsteins, but Hannibal Rising was a partnership with MGM so I doubt that it will stay HD-DVD only).
This is awsome news, again, for BD!!!!!!
The day Universal goes Blu-Ray I'm buying a PS3 and ebaying my Xbox HD-DVD drive.
"Disney, Fox and Sony continue to announce dates for Blu-ray titles"
"Universal, Warner Bros. and Paramount continue to announce HD DVD titles"
"The sky is blue"
"We need oxygen to live"
Etc., etc... give me a break...
"Universal, Warner Bros. and Paramount continue to announce HD DVD titles"
But two of them are also releasing BD and they weren't supposed to!
While Disney, Fox, Sony, MGM, and Lionsgate contiune to only support BD, even with HD-DVD's "strangle-hold" on the market last year. Oh well though hey. I'm sure they will start paying Toshiba royalties to produce HD-DVD's soon ;)
[HD-DVD Owner]Those titles SUCK!!! Give me The Jerk or The Nutty Professor instead! I like Quality![/HD-DVD Owner]
You know what? No one has won until the other one gives up, which I don't see happening anytime soon.
Don't forget that Universal and Sony who is blu-ray's biggest backer are competitors in the movie industry. Universal has no stake in blu-ray winning. So why would they want to support a competitors format when they can support a non-competitors format?
It's pretty simple really. Neither format is selling enough movies right now to make switching for financial reasons an issue. Not even close. So why would Universal switch now or anytime soon? They can always wait and see who wins. If blu-ray wins then they can switch then. Just my opinion, but what do I know anyway?
Regarding MIkesOnline's comment:
Yes, but all of the other movie studios releasing movies in Blu-Ray format are also competitors to Universal. The longer Universal avoids Blu-Ray, the more Universal stands to lose market to those who are selling through the winning format. Just because HD DVD is still ahead in the YEAR figure, the sheer momentum already points to Blu-Ray being the clear winner. The only way to prevent Blu-Ray from pulling ahead at this point is to include an HD DVD player FREE with an XBOX 360 or Wii AND to drastically damage the credibility of the Blu-Ray format.
The HD DVD camp was banking on the fact that not every PS3 owner will be a Blu-Ray user, but the fact of the matter is... most who have shelled out the money for an expensive PS3 is going to try to justify the investment by utilizing the Blu-Ray feature. Those who don't likely aren't interested in hi-def movies to begin with. In other words, the odds are very unlikely that a PS3 owner is going to purchase an HD DVD player (unless they had already entered the hi-def movie market prior to the PS3 purchase and already started an HD DVD collection.)
In any case, a huge majority of PS3 owners are purchasing Blu-Ray movies. The PS3 has sold more units during its release so far than the PS2 ever sold during the same period in its release. Put another way, the PS3 is becoming a more successful machine than the PS2. So, Blu-Ray adoption is only going to continue to accelerate rapidly. Thus, the sale of Blu-Ray titles is going to accelerate rapidly. As a result, the longer Universal waits to enter the Blu-Ray market, the more potential sales they stand to lose while all of their competitors (those releasing titles in Blu-Ray format) reap the benefits of.
Universal is certainly going to sell HD DVDs, because there are already HD DVD owners in the market, and are more every day. That's not the issue. Universal is going after profits, yes. However, they are going after profits that are not accelerating quite as fast as the alternative. Universal does have an advantage in that all of the HD DVD owners who are chomping at the bit to get movies are given a smaller library to choose from so, as a result, Universal stands a better chance to sell more titles. However, in the long run, this is a losing strategy. In my opinion, this is the phase where Universal should milk everything they can out of HD DVD before it becomes a moot point, while they should also simultaneously actively pursue the Blu-Ray market before their competition gets too much of a head start.
"In any case, a huge majority of PS3 owners are purchasing Blu-Ray movies."
Do you know why? It is because there are hardly any new (or good) games out since launch for the PS3. If there are consistent PS3 games out (not counting the crappy Sony Online service) on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, PS3 owners won't be looking for a second outlet for their unused system. PS3 owners feel the need to put their gaming machine to good use otherwise they would feel ripped off for a $600 gaming console. On the otherhand, Xbox 360 owners aren't running out to buy HD DVD movies because of the lack of 360 games because there is no lack of good 360 games drought for long periods of time.
Great, but come on Disney. Let's see some of your real catalog. You know...the titles that made you all those billions of dollars? One word: animation.
In regards to James comment:
My point exactly. I had no intention on dragging the PS3 fan-boy versus XBOX 360 fan-boy versus Wii fan-boy debate into this entirely separate issue. But as you clarified with a specific reason you believe in, no matter what the reason is that PS3 owners are buying Blu-Ray titles... the fact of the matter is that they are. There are more buyers out there for game machines such as the PS3 than DVD-player replacements. In other words, whatever the reasoning is behind Blu-Ray adoption by PS3 owners, it still stands that this is happening and it is giving Blu-Ray the clear winning edge over HD DVD.
I am sure that, once HD DVD becomes a clear minority in terms of titles and adoption rates, it will eventually wither away. It's not likely going to happen in a year or two, but certainly by five years down the road or so. By then, I am sure Microsoft will release an external Blu-Ray player for the XBOX 360, pleasing fans.
PS3 versus the XBOX 360 versus the Wii is an entirely different thread. But when it comes to Blu-Ray versus HD DVD, Blu-Ray has the clear advantage in many respects. The only advantages HD DVD had were being released earlier, being cheaper, and having some more advanced features. However, the fact that Betamax was a better quality over VHS didn't help it at all. More and more VHS players found their way into people's homes, which resulted in a growing library of VHS tapes, which continued the snowball effect. Betamax is still widely used in the video industry, but not in people's homes. Blu-Ray players, disguised as gaming machines, are flooding into people's homes, so this is the death knell for HD DVD.
James, not to be rude or anything but to attribute the increase of Blu ray sales to there not being any games out i think is bull and just hopeful thinking on the HDDVD camps side.
I dont know about most people, but my Move purchasing and my game purchasing are entirely separate from each other and i dont buy one over the other. If i want a movie, blueray,dvd or otherwise, i'm going to buy it irregardless of other purchases...same hting with games.
I dont know how you can say increased sales of blu ray discs is anything BUT a good thing. the fact that blu ray disc sales have already outpaced the overall sales of HDDVD is good for bluray and bad for HDDVD, if anything the makers of HDDVD would be thankful for those numbers.
I mean hey, cant play video games 24/7, sometimes its fun to sit back and watch a movie ya know.
Looks like momentum has swung back to HD DVD's favor the last week or 2. Surprising especially with the lack of new releases..... HD DVD for the win!
Agreed. Here is a link that shows the swing back to HD DVD. It should be noted that an HD DVD "Sampler Disc" is DESTROYING most Blu-Ray releases. Check it out at: http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/ This just further reinforces the fact that this war is FAR from over. HD DVD won the first battle last year, Blu-Ray won the next battle early this year (thanks to the PS3 boost that is now slowing down), HD DVD appears to be winning the battle now... it will be years until this is over (if ever). Again, let's see if movie studios swing over to HD DVD this year, let's see what lower priced HD DVD players do this year, and let's see if Universal swings over to Blu-Ray. In the end, this is all speculation.
Studios and actors are going to go where the money is. Why make a expensive movie for Universal if you're not going to make your money back. After market is huge for Films and how they get produced and greenlit. Do yo think actors and their agents aren't going to ask how much the movie is going to make at box office and after market (DVD/HDDVD,Blu-ray.Itunes. TV premieres and VOD). You'll see the effect in a year to year and a half. Barring a catastrophic technical failure on Blu-rays part, BR momentum is just going to get stronger. As for the XBOX360. Once it gets an HDMI connection maybe Sony will build a Blu-Ray drive unit for it.
Good, because hd dvd SUCKS!
Dave you are such a tiresome moronic Sony blowhard, if your head wasn't so far up the Fanboy ass I would assume you work for Sony. Based on your posts it is safe to assume you aren't intelligent enough for that.
The only loser in this "war" is us, neither format is inferior for movies. We are all going to be screwed though if the megalith Sony wins this one, a monoply across several entertainment industries. Not good!
PEOPLE WAKE UP!!! SONY choose the studios over us the consumer. Wait until bluray disc studios start implementing the extra layer of DRM called BD+... if Bluray win this, $ony will control the movies, disc format, hardware ect.ect. and we wont have A CHOICE!! just look at UMD and Betamax!! please check this out.
http://www.gizmocafe.com/blogs/gizmo_cafe_blog/archive/2007/02/08/106130.aspx
umopapisdn
"In any case, a huge majority of PS3 owners are purchasing Blu-Ray movies. "
How do you even know this? Only about 15% of Americans own a hdtv and even less for other countries.
Universal will loose virtually nothing by waiting to see who wins. There are not enough sales for either format right now to make even a small dent in any studio's bottom line.
The only way sales are going to go up for either format is when the cost of players and movies go down enough to make them competitive with dvd's. Even then, people will not buy either format until they have an hdtv, even if they own a PS3 or Xbox 360. Plus, it will be a really long time before hdtv's becomes the standard.
My point is there is not enough at stake yet. Universal can easily hold out for a long time to come. I think anybody can see that.
umopapisdn said "...the PS3 is becoming a more successful machine than the PS2."
Did you really just type that? How in the world could you say that?
Wow, just wow.
I agree with the poster who said "the war's not over until one side gives up".
In regards to WallyB's comment:
I was referring to year-to-year comparisons at launch time. The PS2 launched in the US in Oct 2000 at a price of $300. The PS2 launched in the US in Nov 2006 at a price of $600 (ignoring the cheaper model, for now.) During the first couple of months, with year-to-year comparisons, the PS2 sold more in its initial release than the PS3 sold in its initial release. However, the production problems with the PS3 during release were more serious than the production problems of the PS2 during release, so this is likely the culprit (as well as the higher price.) However, once Sony resolved the PS3 production problems and started pumping more and more into stores, the PS3 sales improved. As a result, during the same period of time in terms of months, the PS3 has sold more units than the PS2 did during the same time-frame.
Certainly this isn't only due to Sony. The gaming industry as a whole is improving. However, being a device that is twice the price as the predecessor AND being a device that now has some very healthy competition from some very serious machines (XBOX 360 and Wii), the fact that it has managed to outpace the sales of the original PS2 (during the same time-frame) is incredible. Of course, if you compare differing time-frames such as the sales of the PS3 NOW versus the sales of the PS2 NOW, certainly the PS2 is winning. This is more of a sign of the price factor and hi-def adoption factor. Of course, the sales of the PS3 could droop and the tide could turn again. However, so far, Sony is on target to at least match the sales of the PS2 during its first year. The next true test will be the next holiday season. The PS2 did very very successfully during its SECOND holiday season (probably due to the larger game base.) Perhaps the PS3 will follow suit. Keep in mind that at the release of the PS2, people were complaining about production problems, were buying PS2s to resell them on eBay for about twice the price, and were complaining about the measly 20-30 titles around launch time. There was also considerable attention to the higher price ($300) of the PS2 at the time. These are all the same complaints about the PS3 this time around. So, in a sense, history is repeating itself. If this trend continues, the PS3 may very well fall into line with the PS2's history.
In regards to MikesOnline's comment:
A poll showed that 90% of PS3 owners have watched a Blu-ray movie, 80% have bought a Blu-ray movie, and 72% plan on renting a Blu-Ray movie. Now certainly, the PS3 owners (that filled out the survey card) could have lied, or perhaps been planning on renting a Blu-Ray but never got around to it, but this is still very telling.
Secondly, once the PS3 was released, Blu-Ray sales started to sky-rocket. Certainly one could also say that more Blu-Ray players entered the market around the same time as well. However, the PS3 was, at the time, the cheapest Blu-Ray player available. In other words, even those who only want to play Blu-Ray movies and have no intention on playing games would have a valid reason to buy the PS3.
You state that "only 15% of Americans own an HDTV". I don't know how you can correlate whether or not an American home has HDTV or whether or not a PS3 owner is going to purchase or rent Blu-Ray titles. Again, the argument could be made that nobody is going to buy a PS3 or an XBOX 360 because only 15% of Americans own an HDTV. Americans (as do many others) invest. PS3 owners, if they do not already have HDTV, are likely now more motivated to enter that market. Once entered, do you think they are going to buy an HD DVD player when their PS3 already plays hi-def movies? Even if we assume that you're referring to "American households" as opposed to "Americans"... this figure would result in 15% of 90 million, or about 13 or 14 million. That is still a lot of homes of high-spending families that are looking to enter the next age of technology. So, this results in 13 or 14 million potential Blu-Ray adopters. Considering Sony is likely to sell another 10 million or so PS3s by the end of 2007, and considering that the 15% HDTV margin of American households is likely to increase this year, these statistics are not hindrances or ceilings but are merely statistics proving the current trends. 2007 is going to be one of the largest accelerating years in terms of hi-def adoption.
@umopapisdn:
You say that "the PS2 sold more in its initial release than the PS3 sold in its initial release." and also that "the sales of the PS3 NOW versus the sales of the PS2 NOW, certainly the PS2 is winning". The PS2 in 2000-01 sold more than the PS3 will sell in 2006-07 AND that the PS2 is currently outselling the PS3 in 2006-07. Yet you claim that "the PS3 is becoming a more successful machine than the PS2."
I can't reconcile those statements. Also, why is it that I don't recall seeing a PS2 in a store for a year, but I've seen PS3's everytime I step foot into a Target? I know, that's anecdotal but that's been my experience.
This conversation started as just another BRD vs HDDVD yak-fest, but I couldn't just ignore your points.
In regards to WallyB's comment:
I apologize that I wasn't very clear in what I was trying to convey. When I said "initial release" I meant, basically, "during the first month". In other words, the PS3 sales were crappy during its first month, which meant if you only compare the first month of release between both systems, it would appear that the PS3 was doing worse than the PS2 during launch. However, the PS3 made up for this in its second month.
Putting it another way, the PS3 reached its 2 million units goal faster than the PS2 reached its 2 million units goal. That, to me, says that the PS3 is doing better than the PS2 did during the same time frame. Of course, the game is not over. Perhaps the PS3 will not meet the 5 million units goal or the 10 million units goal faster than the PS2 did. We can only wait and see. But, at the moment, the signs are pointing to a more successful PS3.
NOTE: This is not to suggest that the PS3 is doing better than the XBOX 360, or better than the Wii. This is clearly not the case. But in terms of doing better than the PS2 back in 2000, the PS3 is marginally ahead of the game.
PS3 reached their 2 million units shipped goal faster than PS2 reached 2 million units sold. PS3 still has yet to sell 2 million.
In regards to WallyB's comments in terms of PS3s being found on store shelves:
Finding products on store shelves is a terrible predictor of sales. Consider the fact that I can walk into any store and find tons and tons of cotton swabs lining the shelves. Does this indicate that more people are buying XBOX 360s than are buying cotton swabs? Not in the least. It simply indicates that production/stock levels are matching or exceeding sales. That's all.
Sony happens to be doing a much better job at producing PS3s during the first year as they did during the production of the PS2 during its first year.
On a side note, there were many reports of dozens and dozens of PS3s on store shelves, with pictures floating all around the Internet by fan-boys. The problem, however, was that these were pictures of empty PS3 boxes, sitting out in the middle of the floor (or across a visible area around the store or behind the counter) for marketing and display reasons. The fact of the matter was, while the stores DID have supplies of PS3s, these supplies weren't quite in the arena of dozens and dozens, but more like a handful. Secondly, many of the PS3s that were sitting around waiting to be purchased were the cheaper 20gb model, which turns out to have a much smaller demand.
Aside from that, the Wii is certainly selling much better than the PS3. Price is likely going to be a huge factor (it's less than half the price.) Lack of hi-def TVs is probably another factor, although plenty of HDTV owners are buying the Wii. Let's face it, the Wii is very fun. I would be interested, though, in comparing the sales of the Wii versus the sales of the PS2, since this is probably a better comparison (since the Wii isn't hi-def and is a cheaper system.) Of course, this is even unfair considering the Wii has production issues and the PS2 is still considerably cheaper.
I should point out that I am not a fan-boy. I own the PS3, and I enjoy it very much. I also own an XBOX 360, and it certainly has the advantage of an extra year's worth of game titles. I don't own the Wii, but quite frankly the only thing that it stopping me is the fact that the XBOX 360 and PS3 stripped me of money. ;) My only other issue with the Wii is lack of space. I pretty much play the PS3 while laying in bed. To get the enjoyment out of the Wii, you pretty much have to be standing or at least sitting comfortably in a chair or couch, or perhaps the floor. Laying in bed isn't going to be the optimal position for playing the Wii. I would imagine this isn't going to affect the common person, though, which is why I don't see a reason to "bash" the Wii.
From a consumer standpoint, since I already own the PS3 I have no incentive whatsoever to purchase an HD DVD player. I also have no incentive to purchase the HD DVD add-on for the XBOX 360. So, what happens when I start really buying up a title of Hi-Def movies? They'll be on Blu-Ray, of course. That decision isn't based on comparing formats or systems. It's simply based on the fact that, with the PS3, I already have a hi-def player, so the economical choice is to stick with Blu-Ray.
This has got to have a considerable impact on the market over the next year or two, as the PS3 continues to sell. This year's holiday season is likely going to be another turning point.
Trying as best as I can to get back to the Blu-Ray versus HD DVD concept, I have nothing at stake when it comes to which format wins. Certainly you could say "he doesn't want HD DVD to win, because he already has a PS3." But, for just a little bit of money, I could have an HD DVD player in the XBox 360, so I'm not concerned. My feeling about Blu-Ray having a huge advantage comes from the cold hard facts of the strategies in place. Blu-Ray has out-paced HD DVD in terms of studio adoption and hardware adoption. The only advantage HD DVD has/had was "being first" and having the head start in titles. But, Blu-Ray now has an advantage in that a bunch of people who may have had no real intention of choosing between Blu-Ray and HD DVD are buying the PS3, for purposes of a gaming console. When/if that household eventually moves into the hi def movie market, Blu-Ray has the advantage.
In regards to tranzparentl's comment:
You're comparing "shipped" versus "sold" which isn't an accurate comparison. I'm comparing "shipped" versus "shipped" when comparing the PS2 to the PS3. And, generally after-the-fact statistics show a correlation between shipped and sold figures, for obvious reasons. If stores are not selling the product, they aren't going to be shipped more product. So, as sales decrease, shipments decrease. Since it's so early in the game, fan-boys love talking about shipped figures and say "but they didn't sell that many." The fact of the matter is, Sony already passed the 2 million shipped figure for the PS3, and continues to ship more and more every day. There have not been any figured released recently about how many, to this date, have been shipped, nor have there been any figures about how many have actually sold.
So, you are speculating when you say they have not sold 2 million. While it's very possible they haven't sold 2 million, it's also possible they have. An educated guess would be that they have, or are very close, considering the fact that more and more are shipped every day. If not, certainly next month will see this goal met easily with the broader release.
None of this changes the fact that the PS3 met the 2 million shipped target sooner than the PS2 met the 2 million shipped target. Furthermore, another thing to consider, is that SHIPPED means money for Sony (of course, they're losing money with each unit sold, but the case was the same with the PS2, though not quite as large of a margin.) This is because the retail channels BUY the units from Sony to put onto their store shelves, then attempt to SELL these to consumers. If Sony ships 2 million but only 1 million are ever sold, its the retail channels that lose out, not necessarily Sony. This is why Sony is usually only interested in the SHIPPED figures, and announce these.
Of course, this is not to say they aren't concerned about SALES figures (in the retail channel) because, as I said before, there is a correlation between shipped figures and sales figures. If sales figures slump, shipped figures will quickly follow suit.
Honestly, this needs to move away from the PS3 versus PS2 versus XBOX 360 versus Wii debate, because it's irrelevant. The PS3 and XBOX 360 and Wii are all here to stay. The Wii will likely be the winner in terms of units sold overall, and the XBOX 360 will likely continue to dominate the PS3 during 2007. At the end of 2007, the PS3 has a chance at matching or overtaking the XBOX 360, but Microsoft also has a year to flex their muscles. In the end, the competition is good for the market and good for consumers, so we should all welcome it.
My original point was, getting back to the Blu-Ray and HD DVD discussion, is that EVEN IF the PS3 ends up being the weakest of the three consoles in terms of shipped or sold or whatever metric you want to compare, it is still entering the market. There are still more PS3s being bought every day, no matter how this might compare to the numbers of the competition. For every PS3 entering a household that has not yet decided between Blu-Ray or HD DVD, it turns the tide in Blu-Ray's favor.
The gaming industry is much more popular at this time than the hi-def movie industry. There is where Blu-Ray's advantage is. A bunch of gamers are inadvertently making the decision to go with Blu-Ray without making the decision consciously. If that household never enters the hi def movie market, neither Blu-Ray NOR HD DVD benefits from that household. However, if that household DOES decide to enter the hi def movie market, the statistical odds are better than that household (owning a PS3) will enter the Blu-Ray market than the HD DVD market.
An XBOX 360 household will likely favor HD DVD in the same way. However, for a PS3 household to enter the Blu-Ray market... all they need to do is purchase a Blu-Ray movie. For an XBOX 360 household to enter the HD DVD market, they will first need to purchase the HD DVD add-on and THEN will need to purchase an HD DVD movie. The statistical odds are simply in favor of Blu-Ray in this case.
Again, when making a prediction of the future, it's best to use statistical probability using trends and past statistics as a guideline, NOT as a direct indicator. Comparing HD DVD sales last October versus Blu-Ray sales last October isn't going to get you anywhere in terms of predicting the future. Comparing the number of cotton swabs still on store shelves isn't going to get you anywhere in terms of determining how well cotton swab sales are doing. Comparing the number of units sold of the original Mona Lisa to the number of units sold of a replica Velvet Elvis painting isn't going to get you anywhere in terms of determining the quality or demand of a product. You can't compare apples to oranges to do anything other than to prove that apples and oranges are different fruit. You have to find similar predictors and use those, and prove their viability by comparing these same predictors to similar situations in the past. I should know, after all, as I am a Statistical Analyst by profession.
Again, HD DVD still has a chance. But, they need something drastic. They can't just keep peddling along in the fashion that they have been, relying on Universal to save them. It just isn't a possibility. They need something drastic such as the introduction of HD DVD playback in devices such as TiVos or other PVRs or cable box systems. The problem with this, though, is that these are competing markets (hard-drive storage and Internet streaming versus disc storage and retail purchases.) HD DVD really needs something clever to change the tide and, so far, nothing clever has been announced. Given this, Blu-Ray has the clear advantage. The war hasn't been won yet, but if it keeps following the path it is currently following, Blu-Ray will be the long-term winner.
to umopapisdn - DUH! Thats my whole point is that Sony was comparing 2 million shipped PS3s to PS2s and Xbox 360s SOLD. THOSE NUMBERS ARE WORTHLESS!! PS3 has yet to sell 2 million.
Holy crap! A well thought out and intelligently written comment. I think you found the wrong forum -umopapisdn-. I'm so used to reading crap like "Dave @ Feb 9th 2007 10:00AM Good, because hd dvd SUCKS!" I thought I accidently clicked on the wrong website.
Regarding MikesOnline's comment:
I hear you. They say that opinions are like a**holes. Everyone's got 'em, and most of them stink. It's OK that we disagree. I was just trying to clarify my point when you were taking it out of context.
Regarding tranzparentl's comment:
I apologize, but I do not know what statement or article you are referring to when you say "Sony was comparing 2 million shipped PS3s to PS2s and Xbox 360s sold." I am unaware of such a comparison statement from Sony. What I DO know is that the Sony PS3 has now shipped more than 2 million units, period. I also know that it took longer for the PS2 to ship as many PS2s. Try using Google's archive search to find out, it's very useful for historical news research.
http://news.google.com/archivesearch
I am not repeating or claiming to repeat something Sony said, other than the fact that they have reported that the Sony PS3 has passed the 2 million units shipped point, which it doesn't sound that you are disputing.
umopapisdn
Let's see why do I begin. You mention a poll was taken. Well polls don't talk to everybody; they talk to a small portion of people and use that to estimate. So don't take any stock in that.
Also, I would expect some blu-ray sales to come from people buying PS3's, but to say they sky-rocket is exaggerating to say the least especially when you compare them to dvd sales. Also, I believe HD dvd's still have the over all leads. The sales figures I saw that stated blu-ray was winning was only recent sales not over all sales.
I totally agree that most Americans are going to eventually purchase an hdtv. However I don't think it is going to be anytime soon.
Let's face the facts; sales of high-def movies in both formats combined are no where near enough to put even a small dent in the bottom line of the movie studio yet. It will probable be a really long time before it does. That is why Universal has no reason to support blu-ray right now.
Honestly, I don't even see why you would even argue that, but I'm sure you will. Everybody knows high-def movie sales are very low right now. Player's cost too much and the movies are too expensive for the general public.
In regards to MIkesOnline's comment:
There you go, comparing Blu-Ray to normal SD DVD. My post wasn't mean to suggest that hi-def movies are overtaking current def DVDs. Not in the least. HD still has a long way to go before it can be considered the norm. Likely another three to five years AT LEAST. I am only comparing HD DVD and Blu-Ray.
When I say "sky-rocket" I'm only comparing apples to apples here. Blu-Ray has been in the market since around June of 2006. I honestly don't recall the exact time when HD DVD was first introduced into the market, but it had a considerable head start. Since the beginning, HD DVD had been doing considerably better than Blu-Ray. Obviously, in the beginning, it was due to the head start. Later, even when Blu-Ray entered the market, they weren't anywhere near on a path to "catch up" to HD DVD.
The moment the PS3 hit the market, however, the Blu-Ray sales spiked. This is what I'm referring to "skyrocketed". Certainly, when compared to DVD sales, it's a mere blip. When compared to previous Blu-Ray sales, however, it's a huge leap. So much so that, within weeks, Blu-Ray will likely match (for the year) HD DVD. They had considerable catching up to do and managed to gain the momentum needed to catch up. And with this moment, are more than likely going to PASS HD DVD.
All signs point to the introduction of the PS3. Again, I'm not saying that it's only because of hardware sales of the PS3, per se. However, by including the Blu-Ray functionality in the PS3, more and more studios were comforted to know that Blu-Ray wasn't going away anytime soon. As a result, more and more studios jumped on the bandwagon, even those who were previously HD DVD enthusiasts.
Want to compare year-to-year? Wait until about May or June of this year, and then compare the year-to-year figures between Blu-Ray and HD DVD, and you'll see what I'm referring to. Furthermore, with the expanded release of the PS3 in March, this momentum is only going to jump by a bit more, though I don't suspect it will be as drastic of a jump, since it will be opening in a market that has had more of a chance to already choose one format versus the other.
Again, I'm not discussing hi def versus non hi def. If we were to assume, for a moment, that the hi def environment we are in today continues an upward climb to eventually overtake DVD standards... then when that day comes, at this pace, Blu-Ray is going to be the replacement. Anything can happen in the next 3 to 5 years to change the tide once again. Even technological changes that have nothing to do with traditional media players like DVD players and Blu-Ray/HD DVD.
For instance, Amazon is linking their Unbox Video concept with TiVo. In time, buying, renting, and watching movies will be as simple as selecting the movie. Waiting until that movie has been downloaded to a device in your home, and then waiting it. Hi-def and all. Major advancements in this type of technology could sway the DVD-to-Hi-Def movement to, perhaps, result in NO WINNERS between Blu-Ray and HD DVD. Sony is also planning downloadable movies for the PS3, and Microsoft is already well on their way with the XBOX 360.
There is a lot happening in this environment that can make many things a game changer. But making the assumption that hi def discs are still going to be a viable market, and that the formats introduced today will be the formats of 3 to 5 years from now, then I'm banking on Blu-Ray being the clear winner unless HD DVD does something drastic and innovative soon.
In regards to Jypson's comment:
Thanks, because comments like the one you pointed out SUCK! (just kidding)
In regards to MikesOnline's comment of "That is why Universal has no reason to support blu-ray right now."
According to your reasoning, there is no reason for Universal to support HD DVD right now. There is no reason for Disney to support Blu-Ray right now. There is no reason for Fox to support Blu-Ray right now. Etc, etc, etc...
Just because the hi def movie market is new, and pales in comparison to the standard DVD market does not correlate to whether or not a studio would have "no reason" to enter the market. The market is new, yes, but most of the major studios have all entered it. The difference is, Universal is the only of the other major studios that is ignoring Blu-Ray.
Now, certainly there is some strategic logic Universal may be applying to this situation. They might feel that if they stay in the HD DVD market long enough, they can milk it for all its worth until HD DVD sales slump enough that they must abandon ship. Likewise, they may also feel that Blu-Ray owners who want to buy Universal movies on Blu-Ray will just buy the Universal movie on DVD. Whether they buy it on one format or another should not bother Universal much. Perhaps, by entering the Blu-Ray market later, they can sucker Blu-Ray owners into buying their movies on DVD first, then re-purchase them to get the hi-def experience when/if they enter the Blu-Ray market at a later date.
However, if this is their reasoning, then it's a losing strategy in my opinion. Most who own a Blu-Ray player are going to slow down, if not stop altogether, their DVD purchasing habits. That means for every new movie Universal releases on both HD DVD and standard DVD, there are Blu-Ray owners who are going to purchase NEITHER. Certainly, it's not going to dent their overall DVD sales by much, but they are essentially ignoring a potential market that all of their competitors have already entered.
Of course, they will continue to reap the benefits from HD DVD owners, but they risk alienating themselves from the other half of the hi def market. I am not suggesting Universal needs to dump HD DVD for Blu-Ray. In reality, they would be better off at this point supporting both, and releasing titles in both formats.
If they were smart, in addition to releasing some titles in both formats, they would release some titles in one format and other titles in the other format, and by analyzing DVD sales, attempt to balance the two. This way, they would be able to perform an A/B test to determine, from the standpoint of their own movie lineup, which format is benefiting them the most. Just because people are buying movies in hi def doesn't mean they will buy ALL movies in hi def. A hi def household is likely going to put more focus on movies with impressive special effects when re-purchasing old titles in hi def. Movies that are heavy on dialog, or especially movies that have an indie feel to them, likely aren't good candidates for hi def.
umopapisdn
Say what you want. Write a book if you want too. Oh no wait you already did. I just don't see Universal changing sides anytime soon. Argue all you want, I'll believe it when I see it. I'm out. Goodnight now.
I thinks it's funny how every HD-DVD vs Blu-ray thread gets turned into a debate about HD-DVD vs PS3. It's even funnier how people try and deny that the Ps3 is selling well.
My point was that if the lauch in Europe goes even half decent, there will be close to 3.5 million blu-ray players by the end of March. Not including any stand-alones that will sell up till then as well. Put gaming aside for a second. THat is a lot of blu-ray players. Assuming that they have been another 60,000 HD-DVD players sold buy then your looking at 350,000 HD-DVD players(including 360 drives). If Paramount and WB, who were dead set againts BD, have started producing BD there must be some money in it. Overall, I think if Universal isn't producing BD by the end of March it's simply because Toshiba and Universal are trying to milk as much money out of people as they can before switching over. Regardless of what eproductwars.com says!
Actually, the war is already over. It's only a matter of time before Universal switches to Blu-ray and cements HD-DVDs grave next to Betamax and Minidisc. PS3 selling bad? It's not selling bad, it's simply not selling as everyone would expect from the world leader of game consoles. PS3 has sold more consoles in the equivalent time-frame than Xbox 360, but the best part is that they haven't even launched in Europe. Once they launch, they'll be way ahead of Xbox 360. I mean, Xbox 360 took till June or July to SHIP about 6 million Xboxes. PS3 is selling better than Xbox 360, despite the fact that it has few games for it right now, and that it has a high price-tag. In March, sales of PS3 will accelerate since games will come out on a regular basis from then on, and Europe will have its launch. After that, Blu-ray will keep selling exponentially.
And by the way, don't fool yourself. "Digital Video Essentials" only helped HD-DVD to make a single blip in the map... but that disc doesn't count as movie sales, game sales, software sales, storage sales, or anything regarding the hollywood industry. It didn't spark sales of HD-DVD players nor movies. It is just a gimmick for HD=DVD fanboys to point at as if it was an important factor in this format war.
HD-DVD's only alternative is to have cheaper players, but unfortunately for them, only Toshiba makes them and they're already making a loss on the cheapest one, so that-s unlikely. Blu-ray is going to be dropping its price really fast thanks to PS3-s production. Another alternative would be for all Xbox 360 owners to go into a berserker HD-DVD buying rage, but you know how likely is that. Another alternative would be launching HD=DVD exclusive games, but are these platforms even capable of gaming? Is it worth it to even make one?
Awesome news, I love watching Blu-Ray movies. Great picture and sound, like at the movies!
http://insider.ign.com/teasers/762/762197.html
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/09/ce-oh-no-he-didnt-part-xxiv-jack-tretton-wants-to-give-you/#comments
Whoops... High-Def Digest lists 32 HD-DVD titles with dates for "all of 2007". Blu-Ray only has 25 titles for February.
You guys know how to add, right?
HD-DVD titles already released:
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/releasedates_historical.html
Future HD-DVD titles:
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/releasedates.html
Blu-Ray titles for February:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/releasedates.html
I only count titles with dates, which makes is 20 for HD DVD, because they just added 2 more. So Blu-ray still has more.
Ben's good at Spin spin and more spin. Half of his "articles" haven't even been news; they've been the same rehashed rumors. I thought this was engadgethd.com, not bdfanboy.com.
I can play your game too though. You're also only counting US releases. Plenty of US-only BD releases are available on HD-DVD overseasons. And since HDDVD doesn't have region coding, they'll all play fine here. Most (all?) movies have already been reported as being in english and play great in the US:
http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/hd-dvd-c-25_34.html
This IS an international website, right? Why haven't I seen an article about this availability anywhere? Come on, let's not be a biased site, ok?
HD-DVD still has more titles available, thanks for playing.
Ben - The line in the article is this "Blu-ray has more titles with dates for February than HD DVD has for all of 2007."
All of 2007 would also include the HD-DVD titles released in January and the first week of February. You have to look at the ENTIRE HD-DVD release list for 2007 if you're going to use a line like that.
The HD-DVD list for 2007 stands at 32 titles. The Blu-Ray list for February stands at 25.
Now if you want to change the article to say something along the lines of "Blu-Ray has more dated titles coming in the month of Februrary than HD-DVD does for THE REST OF 2007." You would be correct. But you are not correct in saying "ALL OF 2007."
See the difference?
Ben, I understand that the primary focus of the site is the US. But to completely ignore the fact that plenty of HD-DVDs (many of which are BD-exclusive in the US) are available for import is pretty weak. Just because we live in the US doesn't mean we can't shop in other countries. It's a global market nowadays.
I'm not even saying that those numbers need to be included in your BD promotion bits. But why not write a blurb so that HD fans (not HD-DVD or BD fans) know what's out there?
"Ben, I understand that the primary focus of the site is the US. But to completely ignore the fact that plenty of HD-DVDs (many of which are BD-exclusive in the US) are available for import is pretty weak"
Brother Grimm from import site; $42.99
Brothers Grimm on BD on amazon.com; $23.95
The reason that it's not posted as news is probably because buying import HD-DVD's is a rip off. Give me a break. Either your own shares in Toshiba or you are so pissed of you might be wrong about buying an HD-DVD player that you would suggest to pepole that they spend anywhere from 50-100% more just to support HD-DVD. That my friend is the definition of weak!
Bill -- I can import a LOT of movies and pay less than a $1000 BD player (not to mention that I would need a new receiver or HDMI-switch since I Only have two inputs on my current receiver).
Besides, it's about CHOICE. This "blog" has posted tons of articles about things that aren't affordable, such as 108" LCD TVs for $80,000. Nobody's going to buy them, but they still report on it. What's wrong with at least making a mention that the disks are out there? I'd give Ben MAJOR props if he wrote a short article talking about the fact that BD-exclusive in the states doesn't mean BD-exclusive worldwide and that owners COULD spend an extra $10-$20/disk (due to the weak dollar) on the same movies on HD-DVD (many of which actually have better PQ - such as Rambo - because Studio Canal did their own encoding).
Yes, lots of people would agree with you that paying an extra $10-$20/movie for one format is stupid. However, others would disagree with you. It's about letting everyone know all of the options and letting them make their OWN decisions based on that information, not about being a fanboy (unless this site is BDFanboy.com....).
@ThereIsNoSpoon
http://www.vgcharts.org/aconscomps.php
This is a site that tracks SOLD units. Go here and put in any two consoles. As far as the article reffering to Japan. Notice there wasn't any mention that the PS3 has sold 2x as many systems as the X360. They also didn't mention that the Wii sold 4x as good as the Game Cube, taking lots of sales from the Ps3. The Ps3 is streamlined already witch means that production has ramped up, that's why your seeing them on shelves. But hey who knows right?
I used to enjoy reading this Blog, but this whole format war has made it nearly unreadable. I suppose I wouldn't mind so much if the editorial perspective was, "This whole thing completely sucks, and both sides should compromise.", considering the actual film quality of both formats is essentially identical. But to have taken such a stark and strong position for one side kind of reduces the credibility of the whole site. Thanks for the memories. I'm taking the site off my RSS feed.
I totally agree.
The key is the players; they're the major expense.
The secondary key is movie price.
The production price differential is negligible for the discs. It's all about what the studios charge for the movies in terms of pure profit.
The players are what's deciding the war right now. There's a larger installed base due to the PS3. The name recognition of HD-dvd and the cheaper players can bring HDDVD back, but they're going to have to get players under 200 for the general US public.
Right now, logically I'd have to give it to BD. I can't count out HDDVD yet though because they CAN win a format war if they're willing to go to the mattresses on disc prices and player prices. One viable move would be to subsidize putting an HDDVD player in the 360. They're also going to have to drop the discs to 20/each. That would put them back in it, but as it is, it looks like HDDVD is going the slow road to the high place.
This is from a guy who HATES being locked into a format. I bought a samsung MP3 player instead of an ipod and a canon camera instead of sony (sd memory). But, the leader is clearly leading.
Fair enough Fezmid. If you are willing to spend quite a bit extra on movies for the next who know's how long. Then I'm sorry. Especially with the "stomping" that HD-DVD was giving BD last year. Remember when they lost two exclusive studios, and gained none. It could be a while though.
If you think telling people movies will be quite a bit more, after they buy their cheap player will be good publicity for HD-DVD. Then mabye Ben should do a write up, if he wants. Especially considering the fact that you can buy a blu-ray player on amazon.com for $499 right now. That $100 difference won't take long to make up at $10-20 a disk.
When the majority of people haven't bought a next gen player yet, telling them that software cost more. While having the player's so close to the same price. Would be the final nail in HD-DVD's coffin. But I'm just guessing.
While I was fraging villians on Far Cry, I though of one more peice of news that will make some people cringe when it comes later on. Last year Lite-On and Plextor were going to help push HD-DVD further a head before blu-ray caught on. Their drives never surfaced. However when BD swung into motion they started producing BD-R drives for the PC. The next logical step for these companies is to start making BD stand-alones. This means sub $250 asian blu-ray players before the end of 07. Probably cheaper than any HD-DVD player. This is possible due to the fact that by July there will be in excess of 4 million BD players(PS3+stand-alones). Good-night gentelmen.