Xbox Killing Blockbuster Video - 3 Year Warranty Boosting Sales (!?)
Oh boy, you Brits sure do know how to crack me up. In two unrelated stories some pretty wild claims are made. First off is the Telegraph has an article up singing praises to the Marketplace and their video download services, which we have had in the States for a while, however it is just being rolled out in Europe. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing, as the article states, “It would mean movies could be watched at a much cheaper rate than buying or renting the DVDs or videos from high street stores.” Very true statement, however, they do take things a bit far by later stating, “it could spell the end for DVDs and videos and their high street suppliers.”
Maybe there is something going on in the UK that I don’t know about as far as price gouging of some kind, but just like illegal downloading of movies hasn’t stopped people from going to the theaters, and video did not kill the radio star, such will be the case of people downloading movies and tv shows on the fly with their 360’s will not end DVDs, even just physcial rental services. The Video Marketplace didn’t get to be 2nd behind iTunes in the download department by sucking, but it sure isn’t changing the world.
Now the second article had me cracking up more than the first, BUT, I can admit makes a valid point in a way. MVCUK has their article up with the ideas that the 3 year warranty plan is going to help boost 360 sales. At first, as someone reading a 360 gaming blog, you are part of an elite sort, who understands the industry a little more than the common man (congrats btw!). So with that understanding, we all know that the 3 year warranty is there because Microsoft is not owning up to Xbox 360 red ring of death failures out right, instead taking a semi-pussy way out by just covering their asses without an apology to us, Joe Consumer. The valid point that the article makes that I can’t argue with, that Joe Consumer’s cousin, Ignorant Customer, will be in the store looking for a new console, and easily go “Oh wow, this one comes with a three year warranty!” That is just what I call some Fox News worthy good spin on a bad situation, damn you journalists!
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Xbox 360, Video Marketplace, Xbox Live Marketplace, iTunes, Blockbuster Video, 3 Year Warranty, Microsoft, Fox News, Faux News, Illegal Downloading, Renting, The Buggles
