Spidey BluRay sales disapointing.

[drseid]

Your thinking is outdated. Standalones are where it used to be at, but things have changed. Parsing a difference between a traditional standalone player and the PS3 is foolish since every PS3 has a internal bluray drive just like traditional standalones. You are doing a very typical HD DVD fanboy thing by not counting the PS3 as a player. Not only is that foolish, but it is why Toshiba and HD DVD are behind in disc sales to this day.

I think my viewpoint is very much relevant to the what will transpire. Keep in mind that I have nothing against the PS3, and may buy one myself now that they are $399. I am in no way disputing that every one of the players sold is capable of playing BR movies, and if buyers choose to play Blu-ray movies on them, they can and will.

That said, the Sony PS2 can play DVDs... How many people count them as standalone DVD players? Anyone who buys one *can* play DVDs on them, but how many actually do? This is not a standalone player in the same way a dedicated BR only player like my BDP-S1 is. That does not mean the PS3 is an "inferior" player (it isn't by any means), but most won't view it as a movie player for their living room system and as such, it won't drive software sales in the long-run.

Let's be honest here... Attach rates are much lower with game machines like the PS3, and you know this Sir T. If BR (or HD DVD) want to dominate, they have to sell dedicated movie *standalone* players like my Sony BDP-S1. Right now, most of the BR offerings are too expensive for most people to afford, and so they are not buying them. They will, however, once they come down in price. You dislike Toshiba's behavior because they have realized this and are doing it right now -- I on the contrary applaud them for it. BR may not like it, but they are going to have to do the same if they want to succeed long-term. The PS3 will *not* drive any format long-term. This is not a fanboy statement, it is just plain common business sense.

Toshiba and HD DVD are behind disc sales today because they still need to sell many more standalone players before they can turn the tide in their favor. I never said *no one* is buying software who owns a PS3... Obviously many are, especially at this relatively early point in the formats' life cycle. The attach rates are still just not the same, and will continue to decrease as early adopters are a lesser percentage of PS3 buyers over time.

---Dave