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Warner Announces Blu-ray Gift Sets
Warner Brothers plans to release a slew of DVD gift sets, gunning for your entertainment dollar. We get word of this announcement from the kitsch caves of Yahoo:
Elaborate DVD and Blu-ray Disc editions of “Batman Begins,” “Casablanca” and “The Flintstones” top this year’s slate of pricey gift sets from Warner Home Video, a category that experienced 26% growth in the past year, according to the studio.
A total of 25 gift sets, priced from $40-$200, will be released in the final four months of this year, leading up to the holiday shopping season and targeting gift buyers. Warner began releasing DVD gift sets — stuffed with cards, booklets and other memorabilia and often housed in unusual packaging — in the fourth quarter of 2005, with the original “King Kong” movie packaged in a collectible tin.
I consider most of these sets to be a waste of space and money. I have moved much, and learned that clutter is the enemy. Extra theme cases are awesome when you first get them, but in time it all just seems to collect dust and ends up being useless shit that’s in the way.
Now I will be the first to admit that some of these Gift Sets feature some pretty amazing stuff, and if they release a favorite of yours – then I can see why you would get a set. For 99 % of films however, I just don’t see the appeal. I may be in the minority however because 26% is quite a growth margin for one year. We will see if the trend continues to move skyward, if so, expect to see even bigger, badder and more expensive sets.
I think this is a rip off for the fact that the upcoming I Am Legend and 300 box sets have more special features (I don’t mean like cards and stuff, REAL DVD special features). I Am Legend even includes filmmaker’s commentary and deleted scenes that even weren’t in the 2-disc edition released earlier this year.
Hey Doug
26% growth in Blu-Ray DVD sales can be significant, but it can also be BS… If Warner didn’t have many titles to sell last season and only increased sales by 26% by launching many more titles in that technology, that’s not something that’s a feat to really gloat about.
As an example, if they only had 10 titles and sold 1million copies, then launched another 40 titles (50 total) but increased sales by 26%, that means each title only sold a measly 25200 copies each (averaged out)… not exactly what would be considered a success… just a thought.
other than a slightly better picture, blu-ray is still a crock. it’s still too soon after the changeover from from VHS to regular DVD. it’s akin to Sony attempting to push mini-disc at 3 different times throughout the 90s right after most folks had just changed from cassette/vinyl to regular cd. with Philips’ DCC tape being the “loser” back then like HD DVD was last january. The majority of people buying Blu here in Australia are techies & those who “Want to be the first on the block”.
I’ll invest in BluRay when they stop selling dvd players. That will prob be in about 10 years, think how low the prices will be then for all the BluRay sets.
I’m TOTALLY with Sir Jig-A-Lot on this BS scam!