2.7m Blu-ray disc sales drives 31% annual sales growth in home video sector
Surging sales of high-definition Blu-ray discs have seen the value of the UK home video market surge by 31 per cent year-on-year for the first quarter of 2010.
In the period Blu-ray sales hit 2.7m units, a 50 per cent annual increase. Total Blu-ray disc sales in the UK now stand at 15.6m. Blu-ray now accounts for around 20 per cent of any given title’s total sales.
Best-selling Blu-ray performers included The Hurt Locker (24 per cent of its sales were on Blu-ray), 2012 (20 per cent) and Up (17 per cent).
Strong performers in other sectors included Fox Entertainment’s DVD release Quantum of Solace and Michael Jackson documentary This Is It, which drove up sales of music DVDs by 42 per cent year-on-year. Kids movies were up 38 per cent, thanks in part to impressive sales of Disney’s Up.
“While it is fantastic to see such strong growth in market volumes in the run up to Easter, the performance of Blu-ray is especially impressive,” the British Video Association’s marketing manager Hannah Conduct stated.
“Growing sales show that the benefits of the format – higher picture quality, superior sound, and an ever-expanding range of titles – are better understood than ever before. The strong sales reflect consumer confidence in Blu-ray.”
Here’s the Q1 Blu-ray Top 10 in full:
1. The Hurt Locker (Elevation Sales)
2. Up (Walt Disney)
3. 2012 (Sony Pictures)
4. The Twilight Saga - New Moon (E1)
5. District 9 (Sony Pictures)
6. This Is It (Sony Pictures)
7. Toy Story (Walt Disney)
8. The Taking Of Pelham 123 (Sony Pictures)
9. Inglourious Basterds (Universal Pictures)
10. Toy Story 2 (Walt Disney)
Couscous on
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-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
edited April 2010
Oh that's right, Toy Story 1 and 2 are out on blu ray. Need to buy!
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75k. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Atlus USA had a modest goal of 35,000 for Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. The remastered PSP game sold 49,000 units in North America. Good, but not quite Demon’s Souls. Atlus planned to sell 75,000 copies of Demon’s Souls in North America. The critically acclaimed game surpassed three times that number with 280,000 units in sales by the end of their second fiscal quarter, February 28, 2010.
101 in 1 Party Megamix is the other pleasant surprise for Atlus USA. European publisher Nordcurrent gave Atlus the rights to publish the Wii mini-game compilation. Atlus USA expected to sell 100,000 copies while the game sold 189,000 units in the market.
Also reasonable numbers for SMT: Persona for PSP.
I'm a huge fan of reigning in budgets and making reasonable expectations about your product in the market. Atlus does it so well.
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
I thought Atlus published it in the USA?
Typically Atlus doesn't develop most of the games it publishes anyway though right?
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
Didn't it sell about 250k in Japan? Selling as well despite it being a fairly niche game published by a niche developer is very good.
Edit: No, it looks like it sold much more than in Japan.
Demon's Souls sold 39,966 copies in its first week in Japan,[42][43] and boosted PlayStation 3 sales in the region.[44] It has sold 134,585 copies in Japan as of December 2009.[45] In North America, Demon's Souls debuted at the eleventh place of the October 2009 charts according to NPD Group, with over 150,000 copies sold,[46] selling up to 250,000 by the first quarter of 2010.[47]
Couscous on
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-Loki-Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining.Registered Userregular
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
I thought Atlus published it in the USA?
Typically Atlus doesn't develop most of the games it publishes anyway though right?
By then, it was done and released in Japan. All they needed to do was localize it. Just like Namco is now localizing it for Europe. Which is odd, because this comes after Sony admitted they shouldn't have let third parties publish it outside of Japan.
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
Didn't it sell about 250k in Japan? Selling as well despite it being a fairly niche game published by a niche developer is very good.
Edit: No, it looks like it sold much more than in Japan.
Demon's Souls sold 39,966 copies in its first week in Japan,[42][43] and boosted PlayStation 3 sales in the region.[44] It has sold 134,585 copies in Japan as of December 2009.[45] In North America, Demon's Souls debuted at the eleventh place of the October 2009 charts according to NPD Group, with over 150,000 copies sold,[46] selling up to 250,000 by the first quarter of 2010.[47]
What I meant was, Atlus probably only set that expectation to cover any of their costs. They didn't do a whole lot in the first place.
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
Hell, Atlus didn't even have to do much localising, SCEI had already translated it completely into english for the Asian release. That probably actually contributed quite a bit to its US success, since the import friendly release helped create positive buzz when it otherwise had zero marketing. I think all Atlus really did was change a few item names and leave pretty much everything else as it was, though I haven't actually played the US version so I can't say for sure.
Oh and I'm pretty sure Sony actually co-developed the game too.
Edit: MW3's probably not coming out this year, CoD Vietnam from Treyarch will. Then next year will be MW3 and the 3rd person Ghost spinoff from the former Visceral Studios guys.
Do we know this for sure? While it would make sense from a development (and not killing the golden goose) standpoint, I thought Activision already said they want multiple CoDs per year.
You mean CoD Vietnam (which is all but confirmed) or MW3 coming out this year? If it's the latter then it's not confirmed but I really don't think it has to be. Even Activision realise that one year is way too short to make a CoD sequel, though like usual it took a failure in CoD3 to convince them.
Yes, Brainiac 2 is the best version, followed by one of my favorite Legion members, Brainiac 5.
When I first signed up, I wanted to use B5 but it was taken...so Brainiac 8 was the next option I chose, and since then B8 is what I've used as my regular handle on XBL/Forums and such. I never had too much hate for her.
I'm pretty sure that's cause there's only like 8 people that bothered to read that rubbish comic. :P
Edit: MW3's probably not coming out this year, CoD Vietnam from Treyarch will. Then next year will be MW3 and the 3rd person Ghost spinoff from the former Visceral Studios guys.
Do we know this for sure? While it would make sense from a development (and not killing the golden goose) standpoint, I thought Activision already said they want multiple CoDs per year.
You mean CoD Vietnam (which is all but confirmed) or MW3 coming out this year? If it's the latter then it's not confirmed but I really don't think it has to be. Even Activision realise that one year is way too short to make a CoD sequel, though like usual it took a failure in CoD3 to convince them.
Yeah, but Activision may not have the rights to the Modern Warfare name. Wasn't that part of the lawsuit?
Yeah, that's assuming things don't go West/Zampella's way. Though I'm guessing if Activision starts thinking things won't go their way, they'll just settle and manage to keep the MW brand.
Gamers may soon be able to help reduce the United States' massive budget deficit.
In an effort to reduce the USA's $12.8 trillion federal budget deficit, President Barack Obama's fiscal commission co-chairman Erskine Bowles has asked Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about creating a debt-reducing videogame, USA Today reports.
According to the report, the game would "enable anyone with a computer to take a stab at balancing the budget." Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey said the game could even "go viral."
"What you could get is support among the populace for the exceptionally unpopular things you need to do to solve this problem," added Kerry, who help release his own budget-reducing game called Budget Shadows for PC in 1994 as chairman of the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform.
That sounds pretty similar to one of those science fiction gaming plots that some shows do. You know the one, a person is playing what they think is a game, but surprise! They're not playing a game, what they're playing is really happening.
I would love it if XXXRoxxordudeLOL345 was playing the Budget game, but got a game over after destroying the budget and putting the country in debt with Russia and China for a gojillion dollars...
...and then have black limos pull up to his house and haul him away kicking ad screaming.
The Wolfman on
"The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
On another topic (topic title got me thinking of this), anyone heard anything about the black wii bundle coming out for the U.S. and Canada? Our local EB doesn't seem to have anything on it.
The problem with that idea is that balancing the budget isn't that hard. Taking out all the pork and still getting assholes to vote for it is. All those stupid pet projects can go take a hike for the next year.
Besides I'm an advocate for taxing unhealthy stuff that we don't need. So tax on soda, more tax on fast food, tax on WiiHD...
AZChristopher on
0
HedgethornAssociate Professor of Historical Hobby HorsesIn the Lions' DenRegistered Userregular
edited April 2010
I expect it to be something like the Budget Hero game that NPR put out a couple years ago. It's probably more of an information tool than anything else; the more people that play it, the more people recognize that difficult decisions actually have to be made. Balancing the budget requires either significant tax increases or cuts to programs people really care about. Maybe playing this game will silence some of the "Cut food stamps and foreign aid! That's got to be worth several hundred billion, right?" crowd.
The problem with that idea is that balancing the budget isn't that hard. Taking out all the pork and still getting assholes to vote for it is. All those stupid pet projects can go take a hike for the next year.
Besides I'm an advocate for taxing unhealthy stuff that we don't need. So tax on soda, more tax on fast food, tax on WiiHD...
Yes taking out something that makes up less than 5% of the budget will suddenly make it balanced. Let me guess you also suggest cutting off foreign aid as a solution? Truthfull the only way to solve the problem is cutting our massive military spending, but that will never ever happen.
Preacher on
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
I really like the budget video game idea. Most folks, including my parents and family, don't understand the conflict and tradeoffs that go into the budget process. I live it every day, and the tradeoffs we make would stun folks in the fly over states.
The problem with that idea is that balancing the budget isn't that hard. Taking out all the pork and still getting assholes to vote for it is. All those stupid pet projects can go take a hike for the next year.
Besides I'm an advocate for taxing unhealthy stuff that we don't need. So tax on soda, more tax on fast food, tax on WiiHD...
Yes taking out something that makes up less than 5% of the budget will suddenly make it balanced. Let me guess you also suggest cutting off foreign aid as a solution? Truthfull the only way to solve the problem is cutting our massive military spending, but that will never ever happen.
Keeping it out of the political realm; the point is that a budget simulation is not hard at all. It is easy to cut programs or raise taxes in a video game. The reason they can't just do that in real life is that they need votes.
If the game was to be realistic it wouldn't be about budgeting; it would be about convincing politicians to vote yes and fast forwarding years of time to see the assumed affects. Which... yeah!?
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You bastards just made me hunt this gif down.
http://i26.tinypic.com/nnl6ap.gif
I WILL NOT BE DOING 3DS FOR NWC THREAD. SOMEONE ELSE WILL HAVE TO TAKE OVER.
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Scribblenauts: 1290-7509-5558
Atlus USA only expected to sell 75k. You see how reasonable that is? Isn't it strange that in a world of HD consoles and many companies needing to sell a million copies of something that a little guy like Atlus can have reasonable expectations for niche games and only expect to sell 75k of something? I know!
Also reasonable numbers for SMT: Persona for PSP.
I'm a huge fan of reigning in budgets and making reasonable expectations about your product in the market. Atlus does it so well.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Well, Atlus didn't develop it, From Software did. Sony Published it. Atlus just handled localizing and releasing it it for the US, so they really didn't need to sell quite as many copies.
I thought Atlus published it in the USA?
Typically Atlus doesn't develop most of the games it publishes anyway though right?
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Didn't it sell about 250k in Japan? Selling as well despite it being a fairly niche game published by a niche developer is very good.
Edit: No, it looks like it sold much more than in Japan.
By then, it was done and released in Japan. All they needed to do was localize it. Just like Namco is now localizing it for Europe. Which is odd, because this comes after Sony admitted they shouldn't have let third parties publish it outside of Japan.
What I meant was, Atlus probably only set that expectation to cover any of their costs. They didn't do a whole lot in the first place.
Hell, Atlus didn't even have to do much localising, SCEI had already translated it completely into english for the Asian release. That probably actually contributed quite a bit to its US success, since the import friendly release helped create positive buzz when it otherwise had zero marketing. I think all Atlus really did was change a few item names and leave pretty much everything else as it was, though I haven't actually played the US version so I can't say for sure.
Oh and I'm pretty sure Sony actually co-developed the game too.
You mean CoD Vietnam (which is all but confirmed) or MW3 coming out this year? If it's the latter then it's not confirmed but I really don't think it has to be. Even Activision realise that one year is way too short to make a CoD sequel, though like usual it took a failure in CoD3 to convince them.
I'm pretty sure that's cause there's only like 8 people that bothered to read that rubbish comic. :P
Yeah, but Activision may not have the rights to the Modern Warfare name. Wasn't that part of the lawsuit?
Dammit, i just did this for the first time and was about to post it.
Well played, you psychic freak. :P
Beat me on 360: Raybies666
I remember when I had time to be good at games.
This is not keen at all.
Indeed it isn't
http://pc.ign.com/articles/108/1083877p1.html
Um... okay?
5g
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(edited for truth)
(Note: due to the game's extreme difficulty, this achievement can never be unlocked.)
"Convinced intern to go down south."
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Do enough good to turn Fox News against you
Take 5 lobbiest bribes in one year.
I would love it if XXXRoxxordudeLOL345 was playing the Budget game, but got a game over after destroying the budget and putting the country in debt with Russia and China for a gojillion dollars...
...and then have black limos pull up to his house and haul him away kicking ad screaming.
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"Genius!"
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What episode is that? That's going to bother me all day..
XBL : lJesse Custerl | MWO: Jesse Custer | Best vid ever. | 2nd best vid ever.
Besides I'm an advocate for taxing unhealthy stuff that we don't need. So tax on soda, more tax on fast food, tax on WiiHD...
Yes taking out something that makes up less than 5% of the budget will suddenly make it balanced. Let me guess you also suggest cutting off foreign aid as a solution? Truthfull the only way to solve the problem is cutting our massive military spending, but that will never ever happen.
pleasepaypreacher.net
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Add me!
For your knowledge, check this link out: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/02/01/us/budget.html?hp
Keeping it out of the political realm; the point is that a budget simulation is not hard at all. It is easy to cut programs or raise taxes in a video game. The reason they can't just do that in real life is that they need votes.
If the game was to be realistic it wouldn't be about budgeting; it would be about convincing politicians to vote yes and fast forwarding years of time to see the assumed affects. Which... yeah!?
Yeah, just make sure you have natural (man-made) disasters turned off before you walk away from the computer for an hour.
So many Sim City 2000 memories...
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Updated MW2 credits:
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=242939&site=pcg
I don't know about California, but I found this. I don't know anything else about it.