First 500K PS3s get Blu-ray Talladega Nights

by Christopher Grant { Oct 19th 2006 at 9:20PM }

The PlayStation 3's system font isn't the only thing it's borrowing from Spider-Man. Just like the first one million PSPs came bundled with Sony Pictures' Spider-Man 2, the first half million PlayStation 3 systems will come with Will Ferrell's NASCAR opus, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in the much-vaunted Blu-ray format. While Will Ferrell's pocked visage isn't the first thing we'd like to experience in stunning 1080p (we're thinking giant apes on skyscrapers is a little more befitting) we are impressed that the Sony Pictures title will be bundled a month before it reaches the unwashed masses at retail on December 12th. Gotta love that corporate synergy!

With just 400K launch units in North America -- all bound to sell out mere seconds after their pristine boxes enter the grime of the retail environment -- you can consider this a freebie for the early adopters camping out for their console. And hopefully they have either a PS2 component cable or an HDMI cable to watch it with 'cause -- just like the Japanese console -- "video output in HD requires cables and an HD-compatible display, both sold separately."

Tags: Blu-ray, Bundle, Movies, Talladega Nights, TalladegaNights, Will Ferrell, WillFerrell

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Petrie @ Oct 19th 2006 9:26PM

I'd rather they packaged another Spider-Man flick. That Talladega movie was horrible.

LaughingTarget @ Oct 19th 2006 9:26PM

I kinda want the PS3 at launch now, I loved that movie, and getting it a month early...I dunno, going to be tough ignoring the PS3 for a year.

scrapp @ Oct 19th 2006 9:26PM

zzzzzzz....Talladega.....zzzz boring

Dr Love @ Oct 19th 2006 9:27PM

...Too bad Talladega Nights sucks hairy, sagging balls.
Or hairy balls at least.

The1 @ Oct 19th 2006 9:32PM

I actually, thought I was going to get Spiderman. I do not want T.N., yuk.

john @ Oct 19th 2006 9:35PM

Hey, I love the site and visit daily.

I've got a contest running over at my blog and you could win a FREE game. Come and check it out! Thanks

nootau @ Oct 19th 2006 9:35PM

Didnt a Sony offical just come out saying that the PS3 wasnt about movies? I am confused!

Tyler @ Oct 19th 2006 9:39PM

Yeah, even though I did like this movie, I'm going to have to say that King Kong is a much much more worthy movie to be bundled with (for the Xbox 360 HD-DVD). Even if you don't like KK, it's still considered as a mainstream blockbuster to show off HD-DVD's PQ superiority, at least in the opinion of almost all people who have seen both formats, while Talladega will only offer some shallow laughs at sub-par PQ.

360us Maximus @ Oct 19th 2006 9:42PM

Wouldn't giving away HDMI or Component cables be a better freebee?

Optimus Prime @ Oct 19th 2006 9:45PM

You guys and the component cable thing again.

What would you rather have, a component cable or and HDMI port out of the box? You can always upgrade your cable, but, try installing a digital capable video card on your 360.

Oh, and TN is a dual layer BD50 movie; the entire thing is in 1080p including extras.

Petrie @ Oct 19th 2006 9:47PM

LaughingTarget, I can't tell if that is sarcasm or not. I love Will Ferrell and all but it just wasn't one of his better movies for me. High hopes for Stranger Than Fiction though.

Dr Love @ Oct 19th 2006 9:52PM

"Oh, and TN is a dual layer BD50 movie; the entire thing is in 1080p including extras."

...Struggling to figure out why exactly I would care whether third-rate comedy is in 1080p or when I'm watching it.
Or NOT watching it rather, considering I don't make it a habit to waste my time watching really, really crappy movies.

Matt @ Oct 19th 2006 9:53PM

#9:

/Agree.

HotShotX @ Oct 19th 2006 9:54PM

You know that budget that was supposed to go towards the low-cost fix of implementing Force Feedback into the PS3 controller?

Well, now we know where it went.

~HotShotX

Judd @ Oct 19th 2006 9:54PM

Look I'm not interested in the PS3 but from a corporate standpoint you gotta admit it's a smart move. My roomate has a 360 but has never downloaded a demo, trailor, or arcade game. The "mainstream" aren't gonna know everything that comes with their system. Trust me, when I worked at Gamestop people bought 360's without knowing about Hi-Def or Live. So if Sony is putting a Blu-Ray player in their PS3, which is the main reason their system is costing $600, you better believe they want to get the Blu-Ray message out. Now those who are buying the PS3 simply because it's called the PS3 (come on you're not buying it for Heavenly Sword?), are almost going to be forced to try out Talladega Nights. Who can resist something free? Casual gamers will see how good Talladega Nights looks and then be convinced how good Blu-Ray movies look. They might not have been convinced to buy a Blu-Ray film before, but now they know what it's like.

This might not seem that important, but it might just be a BIG deal in the Hi-Def movie wars.

Optimus Prime @ Oct 19th 2006 9:55PM

"...Struggling to figure out why exactly I would care whether third-rate comedy is in 1080p or when I'm watching it.
Or NOT watching it rather, considering I don't make it a habit to waste my time watching really, really crappy movies."

Why would you be watching crappy movies inthe first place. People who enjoyed the movie, can now enjoy it and the extra features at 1080p at home and for free if they buy the PS3.

If you dont like the movie in the first place, just STFU you piltert.

DJManoloco @ Oct 19th 2006 10:00PM

From my understanding King Kong is a Universal Studios Pictures movie, which backs the HD DVD format. Mr. Grant let's get our facts straight before we go posting about wanting some big ass ape on our PS3s.

Chris @ Oct 19th 2006 10:03PM

Talladega Nights was a fun dumb movie, perfect for letting off steam on a Friday night. But, I would never want to see it again. Couldn't Sony have just bundled a movie people WANT to see in 1080p like Finding Nemo? even with its PG-13 rating Talladega Nights is not really for the family set, its not for the HD set and its not for the people with a brain set either. That completely eliminates all their early adopters.

1up_clock @ Oct 19th 2006 10:04PM

I can hear a Sony Pictures rep right now.

"Hey guys! Remember that wretched comedy we made a while ago? Well guess what! If it's on Blu-Ray, it magically makes the movie tons better!"

I also could hear the same rep say the exact same thing when I found out RV and Benchwarmers were out on Blu-Ray. Hey, Sony, how about you give us a movie that could actually benefit from Hi-Def, like, y'know, Spiderman.

Lekko @ Oct 19th 2006 10:05PM

All I can really ask is this: Sony- Please please PLEASE put it in a retail case. That's all I ask. slap it in a BD case with actual cover art and I'm happy unlike what you did with spiderman 2 and just give me the UMD. At least give me something that I can put in my library that I can show off rather than a paper sleeve with a disc inside.

Petrie @ Oct 19th 2006 10:05PM

@DJManoloco

He was saying that King Kong was a much more appropriate movie to bundle with a high-def player. He wasn't saying that the PS3 should bundle King Kong, merely that they should have picked a more befitting to show off the high-def. Get YOUR facts straight before you attack C. Grant.

Dr Love @ Oct 19th 2006 10:06PM

@Optimus Prime

Simmer down there mister; theres no need for the use of angry words or insulting terminology.

I agree that bundling a Blu-ray movie with the PS3 is a good move, but I believe Sony made a poor choice in choosing that particular movie.
First off, in my opinion, the movie was terrible. Second, considering that the movie was in fact a comedy, would it not have been a smarter move to bundle a movie that makes extensive incorporation of action and CG? King Kong, perhaps?

The1 @ Oct 19th 2006 10:12PM

Are we understanding???? The first 500K get TN and these are FANBOYS. Tell me how this is growing the customer base for Blu-Ray. This is the same strategy used for the PSP and that did not work.

Dr Love @ Oct 19th 2006 10:13PM

@23

You fricktard, everyone and their mother knows that King Kong is a Universal Studios production. Get your facts straight before you go blabbering your uninformed mouth all over the place.

-_- Thought I'd save you guys the trouble. My bad.

While King Kong may not have been a possible choice for Sony, the point is that a movie in the action genre would have been a much better choice, in my modest opinion.

spoo @ Oct 19th 2006 10:16PM

I would much rather have a free remote IMO.

Johnny B @ Oct 19th 2006 10:17PM

Way to chose some dumbass comedy to show off blu-ray sony. What good is some jackass SNL movie in high-def? At least MS decided to pack in an effects heavy movie that might actually make people notice the difference.

lol@sony....

Chiablo @ Oct 19th 2006 10:21PM

Yay, now I can watch a free blu-ray movie on my PS3 in stunning 480i due to a lack of included HD cables. Thanks Sony! Next time, I suggest you just package your next-gen console with a tube of KY Jelly and directions on where your loving consumers can shove their new $600 console.

Optimus Prime @ Oct 19th 2006 10:23PM

You guys are all yootups, King Kong is being bundled with the 360 HD-DVD add on; why the f would it be bundled with PS3.

And, TN is in the top ten grossing films this year (ok, thats not saying much) and so there is a proven fanbase for it. Its also one of the first BD50 movies, at a time when skeptics where saying there would be no BD50s for a long time (Click and Blackhawk Down are also BD50).

And, you can always eBay it.

Dan @ Oct 19th 2006 10:24PM

@15

If that is indeed their strategy, then it may very well backfire. The "mainstream" that aren't aware of Blu-ray's presence in the PS3 aren't going to know to buy HDMI cables, and are probably hooking their PS3s up to standard def TVs. These people aren't going to be terribly impressed by their Blu-ray experience, and will probably stick to DVDs, since they don't have the means to see the difference.

latpack @ Oct 19th 2006 10:27PM

#15, I was going to post something, but it looks like #29 beat me to it.

signed, post #30

polly @ Oct 19th 2006 10:30PM

"It's got nothing to do with movies. By the way, we're giving away a free movie with every PS3!"
-Phil Harrison

ronnie @ Oct 19th 2006 10:48PM

I felt like got raped after paying $10 to see that shitty movie. I wonder how it would feel to pay $600 to watch it...

jared @ Oct 19th 2006 10:52PM

lol shitty american movie? no thanks, sony..although it looks alot more appealing than wii sports.

The ZeroCorpse @ Oct 19th 2006 10:54PM

@ Optimus-

The 360 *is* capable of digital output. Microsoft has gone on record a few times saying that the 360 can do HDMI, but they just don't see the purpose to calling for a full production run of a cable that 2% of Xbox 360 owners would purchase at this point. When the market penetration for HDMI is there, then we'll see the HDMI cable for the 360.

HDMI makes no friggin' difference anyway. It's not "better" because it's digital. It's just a different technology. The studios will not turn on the HDCP any time soon because they would be slamming the door in the face of all the current HDTV owners and early adopters. The majority of HDTVs "in the wild" are non-HDMI units, and to cut out these owners (which includes me, BTW) would be a HUGE mistake by the studios. Copy protection won't be used until at least 2010.

Some time within the next year or so, we'll have the 360 HDMI cable, when it makes sense for the company to spend money producing it. There just aren't enough 360 owners with HDMI for it to make any sense right now.

BklynKid @ Oct 19th 2006 10:56PM

They should bundle Spiderman to match the retarded font they used on their console.

All seriousness, what's the deal with Sony using that font?? Do they think it's 'hip'?

PS360 @ Oct 19th 2006 10:56PM

polly: "It's got nothing to do with movies. By the way, we're giving away a free movie with every PS3!"

Yeah...I know everyone here gets a hard-on from bashing the PS3 first, but did you even read the article? The title of the article, even? First 500k...People here can turn the slightest bit of good news into "OMFG SONY = SATAN".

icecold @ Oct 19th 2006 10:58PM

lol... this movie is terrible.

Nobody will want their kids to watch this movie if they have seen it... it has some very very questionable stuff in it, some stuff teenage boys will hate too, great choice to convince people not to buy anymore blu-ray stuff after they watch this, lol.

Kevin @ Oct 19th 2006 11:08PM

Great way to push your agenda Sony.

Funny, they tried to push the UMD with Spiderman the same way they're trying to push Blu-Ray with Talledega Nights.

The UMD had a better chance with Spiderman.

Street Foreigner II TURBO @ Oct 19th 2006 11:10PM

I was hoping for Ghostbusters

Optimus Prime @ Oct 19th 2006 11:10PM

"HDMI makes no friggin' difference anyway. It's not "better" because it's digital. It's just a different technology."

Actually, yes it is. In the same way that optical/coax is better than analog audio connections; and DVI is better than VGA. HDMI will become the standard for consumer television because it is better.

"Some time within the next year or so, we'll have the 360 HDMI cable, when it makes sense for the company to spend money producing it. There just aren't enough 360 owners with HDMI for it to make any sense right now."

NO.

Do you see an HDMI port at the back of the 360? No? Because, if they want to output via HDMI you need to follow licensing specs and use an HDMI--HDMI connection .... which require an HDMI PORT ..ie. MS cant just go out and create a proprietary HDMI cable to fit into their AV slot.

Besides, the 360 video cant output digital.

Shogan @ Oct 19th 2006 11:11PM

Wow, now I HAVE to buy a PS3! I'd hate to miss out on a deal like this!

Rod Oracheski @ Oct 19th 2006 11:20PM

Did they actually say that PS3 buyers will receive their copy of TN that day, or is this just a 'send in the voucher' deal?

JJ @ Oct 19th 2006 11:28PM

Jeez its just a free movie guys calm down.

Seriously you guys are acting like they're forcing you to watch it.

I guess they figured a comedy would be a bit more mainstream. Funny though, MS is lauded for their choice of king kong but if sony bundles a comedy... they get vitriol spit at em again.

Funny.

In the end who cares? a free movie is a free movie. King kong is nice as is talladega nights, but at least sony has a relatively new movie going for it. Where as king kong has been out for months now

Scott @ Oct 19th 2006 11:40PM

I agree that an opportunity like this is somewhat wasted on a movie like Talladega Nights. I can't think of a better movie to bundle in than House of Flying Daggers, which has been out on Blu-Ray for a few months now. You can bet I'll be watching it on November 17.

Korexz @ Oct 19th 2006 11:42PM

Hey wait now... I thought the PS3 wasn't all about movies? Didn't they just say that the Blu-Ray was necessary for next gen gaming, had nothing to do with movies?

Oh well, here is your movie, bend over, cause here comes Blu-Ray.

Again, this is why Sony will fail.

Joshua @ Oct 19th 2006 11:50PM

Ohh yeah, what a way to turn people on to high def by giving them a free.... comedy movie??? What the hell are they thinking.
Their format is probably going to fail if its anything like the UMD movie selection.

r0Be @ Oct 19th 2006 11:55PM

MILK WAS A BAD CHOICE.

BARK TWICE IF YOUR IN MILWAUKEE.

Wild Homes @ Oct 19th 2006 11:59PM

Optimus: you're really, really literal. if Microsoft really wanted to, they could make a dongle to plug into the AV port, and that dongle would contain a standard-size-and-spec HDMI port, and then bundle a cheap cable along with it.

and if Microsoft have said (many times) that the 360 is capable of supporting HDMI, then how much smarter are you than them to know the 360 can't? and if you are so smart, why are you wasting your time hanging out at Joystiq? you flametard.