RIP Blockbuster

[Ns1]

Truly, the end of an era.

The once-booming business of renting movies from brick-and-mortar Blockbuster stores will be obsolete by early next year, parent company DISH Network announced today. The video chain only had around 300 retail stores still open in the U.S., all of which will shutter by January along with Blockbuster’s distribution centers. Blockbuster’s DVD by mail service will also end, although franchisees and licensed Blockbusters stateside and overseas will be unaffected. “This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” said Joseph P. Clayton, DISH president and chief executive officer. DISH will keep the Blockbuster brand going through digital offerings, following in the steps of competitor/usurper Netflix.

Not sure how that's going to work with Blockbuster franchises...

http://www.deadline.com/2013/11/r-i...n-2014/#utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

[zinfamous]

more like good riddance?

but isn't this the official 4th time they have disappeared? I wish they would just be gone for once, and forever, so we can stop reading stories every 3 years about how they are out of business.

 

[Ns1]

more like good riddance?

but isn't this the official 4th time they have disappeared? I wish they would just be gone for once, and forever, so we can stop reading stories every 3 years about how they are out of business.

This should be the last...

 

[CrackRabbit]

Time to start looking for deals on clearance old rental games and movies.

 

[Markbnj]

One of the starker examples of creative disruption.

 

[vi edit]

I'm still clinging onto my awesome online deal...$14.99 a month for 4 out at a time, including blu rays and games. I still get coupons for instore rentals but my local one closed earlier this year so that's useless. It used to be uber...4 out at a time, unlimited in store exchanges, plus coupons for game rentals. Le sigh.

 

[Oyeve]

Meh, I stopped using them 10 years ago. overpriced and never had enough copies.

 

[DesiPower]

sad to see them go, end of an era indeed.

 

[MetalMat]

Good riddance. They went into every town and ran all of the video rental stores with underhanded tactics.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

inevitability reached

glad they weren't bailed out

 

[iRONic]

I miss renting movies

 

[lozina]

Heh I only remember renting VHS tapes from them

 

[ThinClient]

I haven't seen a Blockbuster in something like a decade. I thought they went under long ago. They certainly became irrelevant long ago.

 

[hanoverphist]

Not sure how that's going to work with Blockbuster franchises...

"although franchisees and licensed Blockbusters stateside and overseas will be unaffected."

there it is, in your original quote... unaffected.

 

[Kaido]

I miss renting movies

It's true. And to clarify for the non-readers, I miss the experience (having a movie rental be an event), not the mechanics (i.e. rewinding, selection, etc.).

 

[Anubis]

i find it funny that the local video rental place in my town is still there and apperently doing fine, survived a BB moving in as well back when BB was relevent

 

[Pardus]

Office Max, Office Depot, Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. will soon follow suit.

 

[TwiceOver]

i find it funny that the local video rental place in my town is still there and apperently doing fine, survived a BB moving in as well back when BB was relevent

Yeah, we have a local place too that survived a BB. Not that I go there.

I gave Redbox a shot again the other day and it had the same problem I have always had with it. A bunch of morans standing out in the cold going through pages of movies trying to find something to watch. Meanwhile I already reserved my selection online and just need 3 seconds at the kiosk to get my movie. I think I was there for 15-20 minutes waiting.

Ugh, Redbox.

 

[Kadarin]

Didn't realize they were still around... Good riddance!

 

[Agent11]

Best Buy still has a niche for large things such as speakers, monitors, desks, and chairs. As well as the benefit of allowing for returns locally. I wish they would carry more computer components though, sometimes you want to grab what you need without waiting for shipping or driving 45+ miles to Fry's.

 

[Soundmanred]

Best Buy still has a niche for large things such as speakers, monitors, desks, and chairs. As well as the benefit of allowing for returns locally. I wish they would carry more computer components though, sometimes you want to grab what you need without waiting for shipping or driving 45+ miles to Fry's.

Ok.

 

[cronos]

Office Max, Office Depot, Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. will soon follow suit.

I bet you didn't know that Office Max and Office Depot merged yesterday!

http://officedepotmaxmerger.com/

 

[darkewaffle]

Blockbuster was awesome as a little kid, I used to always love looking at the back of the boxes for their "shark" VHSes in the nature section or whatever. Sometimes mom would let me get one. Or Surf Ninjas 😀

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Better get moving Sears and JCP, here is your chance to beat a company at something.

 

[Genx87]

Buh bye. wont miss them one bit. Amazing how quickly they rose and fell when you think about it. 20 years ago they were exploding in growth. And it all came crashing down in under a decade.