Blockbuster expands game focus, takes on retail game, hardware sales

by Jason Dobson { Apr 28th 2008 at 11:29AM }

Days after confirming plans to stock Grand Theft Auto IV alongside movies on its outer release wall, Blockbuster today announced that the recently released Wii flavor of Mario Kart will make the leap as well. The move is part of what the rental giant calls a plan to "significantly expand its game business," which includes a greater emphasis on selling retail games and hardware, as well as stocking a larger number and variety of games to rent.

Blockbuster specifically noted plans to offer a special $499.99 PS3 bundle in its corporate-owned stores, which will include a 40GB console, a copy of the movie Spiderman 3 on Blu-ray, Activision's video game adaptation of Transformers, and the opportunity to rent one free PS3 game or Blu-ray movie a week for 12 consecutive weeks. However, while we appreciate the added attention Blockbuster is giving our favorite hobby, we doubt even this will sway us into venturing out into the sunlight to rent anything.

Tags: blockbuster, gamefly, mario-kart, mariokart, rental

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

NATO_Duke @ Apr 28th 2008 11:34AM

The blockbusters here in Chicago have been selling the consoles for a while. The one on Diversity and Ashland has them all stacked up with a bunch of rock band and guitar hero sets for sale too.

Seems like a strange place to buy a game system to me - quite the impulse.

Laggy @ Apr 28th 2008 12:09PM

A lot of Blockbusters in Australia have a small section called "Games Rush" where you can buy games and consoles. It's pretty much like a separate shop within a shop. I think they might be phasing them out come to think of it. I just remember one of the Games Rush had its own counters and everything.

RPGJock @ Apr 28th 2008 1:11PM

Hey Nato, Da Chi in da house. Holla at a brutha on PSN, RPGJock.

driven2sin @ Apr 28th 2008 2:48PM

Rasinettes, Zours .. and a PS3!!

baby sea tuna @ Apr 28th 2008 11:39AM

Slow note from a sinking ship.

Alex Schelldorf @ Apr 28th 2008 12:06PM

Not really.

vidGuy @ Apr 28th 2008 11:53AM

Not sure what I think of this. I never liked Blockbuster but I'd welcome another store actively pursuing the video game consumers since it probably means more competition and game deals.

I see a lot of rental chains moving into retail; wonder if they are scared of digital distribution? Note to rental chains: as long as you carry BluRay you'll have customers who can't be satisfied with digital distribution. It just might be a much smaller group.

ck @ Apr 28th 2008 11:57AM

Yeah - what you're going to see from now on is big name games getting the wall treatment. I don't know what they're going to focus on after GTA, but expect something else to go on the wall after a month or two.

And even though, in my opinion as an employee, this is great for the stores - we're pushing pre-orders just like Gamestop, which to me is a step backwards. Blockbuster is hoping to become a Circuit City retailer (hence the offer to acquire CC). Basically they want to be a one-stop shop for all your entertainment needs. It's a bold move and we'll see what happens in the next few years. Just don't expect Blockbuster to die.

Neon Jebus @ Apr 28th 2008 12:10PM

Just another dose of fail. Remember the Gamerush or whatever they called the 'special area' of the store just for games? Yeah I do too, they spent a ton of money to set up Point of Sales for the section and then never staffed the area. Actually one store I used to visit had staff...for two weeks.

They spend all this money on their next great idea but it doesn't solve the problem. Too few copies. We had the unlimited rental option for games a few years ago, big titles would come out and they would get a dozen copies or so. Bratz got about 50 copies. Meanwhile games like Psychonauts and the like would often have NO copies at all or just one.

What really would really tick me off would be when they wouldn't have a title to rent AT ALL but yet they had 5 new copies of it for sale.

Too little, too late. They don't 'get' the business, and that is why they continue to fail at it.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Apr 28th 2008 1:02PM

i stopped into Blockbuster once a couple months ago during the release of Uncharted. i didnt have a whole lot of money at the time (plus i wasnt sure if i would like it) so i wanted to rent it and give it a try. i went in there like 4 times within a month of it releasing and they never got it for rental. i mean i know it wasnt a huge game, but i thought it was big enough to grace the same shelves as all those pony and barbie games and what not. i still dont think they ever go that game.

D_Average @ Apr 28th 2008 12:14PM

How about lowering the $8 rental tag?

ck @ Apr 28th 2008 1:27PM

It's hard to justify going any lower because they need to rent games out 6 or 7 times just to get the money back on one rental copy alone. And if you get a game like Dark Sector that does not rent well or often (we have 10 360 copies in my store), then we've lost most of the money we invested into getting those copies. The only way to get some money back is to sell it used - but then we still have to pay costs to the developer for putting it out used. It's hit or miss really and $8 isn't bad for a $60 game.

vidGuy @ Apr 28th 2008 1:51PM

It's bad when I can get the same game for 5 nights for $5-7 from Family Video. And from what I hear, FV usually makes a profit on renting its games.

Saria the Cat @ Apr 28th 2008 1:53PM

Yeah, screw that. I have a hard enough time paying over 25% the price of a new DVD for a DVD rental (though I do it!) Besides, you can just rent games for free by buying used games at Gamestop/EB Games and then returning them within 7 days...Not that it's much better to support a company like Gamestop, but at least I can rent for free. :P

ck @ Apr 28th 2008 2:39PM

Yeah, but BBV doesn't have late fees to fall back on. That's what's gives them the ability to rent at cheaper prices.

daniel @ Apr 28th 2008 12:15PM

in the uk blockbuster sell new games for the major consoles, they sometimes run offers on new games, they do preowned games as well sometimes have some good deals, a handful of their stores have retro sections, those are the stores that used to have gamestation concessions, which were rebranded after gamestation was sold to game

Max Headroom @ Apr 28th 2008 12:36PM

I don't want to be an advertising shill or anything, but I really, really like Blockbuster. With the Total Access plan I get unlimited movie rentals online AND in store every month (2 out at a time). On top of that, I get a free game rental every month, plus reduced fees for regular game rentals ($5 instead of $8). That's a pretty good deal for me.

michael @ Apr 28th 2008 1:04PM

except you forget the fact that the plan changed, and they no longer offer the free rental coupon or unlimited rentals unless you want to pay like 35 bux a month and still dont get that coupon, at that point, if you are talking game rentals why not just get their game rental thing, its like 20 bux or something and its unlimited game rentals 1 out at a time

LAWL @ Apr 28th 2008 1:45PM

so i herd Developers found out that,game demos affect negativly games sales,like,they sell less when a game was offered as DLC Demo and they wont do it anymore.

I suggest Bluckbusterstuff to start getting games fast and offer them as fast demo rentals if its legaly posible whatever.

E.J. @ Apr 28th 2008 2:31PM

Tried to buy Mario Kart Wii yesterday:

me: " Do you guys have Mario Kart Wii for sale?"
grouchy clerk girl: "Yeah"
me: "Can I buy a copy?"
clerk: "Did you pre-order it?"
me: "No."
clerk: "We only sell to pre-order customers."
me: "That's ridiculous. I have the money right here."

Then she asked me to leave because she felt threatened being confronted by a somewhat-colored person (I'm Filipino).