I don’t think Michele will be taking me to the video store again. Just too much trouble. All stemming from incident a few weeks back. I hadn’t been to one in years, but an evening of unlikely desperation found us at the local blockbuster-esque corner video store. What surreal and bewildering experience. I recommend not visiting to a music or video store for 3-5 years then suddenly trying it again. Trippy.
One immediately strange thing you’ll notice is that some shelves would be taken up with 10 or twenty boxes containing the exact same movie. Meanwhile lots of other perfectly good movies that I seem to remember weren’t anywhere in the store at all. I don’t know why, but there didn’t seem to be any option to download or transfer in any of these movies from some central archive.
It was hard to choose a movie. First there was the limited selection problem, and then for some reason I wasn’t able to tell just from looking at the shelves if my friends had seen any of these movies, which ones they might recommend, get a tomatometer score, or even google-up some independent reviews of them. hmmm.
Finally though, after some deliberation, I pick one out. No you can’t rent that she tells me. Why not? It’s out. What do mean it’s out? Somebody else has it, the disc has left the store. I don’t understand. How can’t you understand? Well I have money and I want to rent this one, why can’t the guy at the front just burn me another copy? [big sigh] Tom, you know it doesn’t work that way.
Perfectly digital media stuck on individual spinning discs. What a crazy business model. How would you ever explain it to your grandkids?
Holy crap, I hadn’t realized how long it’s been since I’ve been into a Blockbuster…
And nice job exposing their model to be nearly out-of-date.
Holy crap, I hadn’t realized how long it’s been since I’ve been into a Blockbuster…
And nice job exposing their model to be nearly out-of-date.
LOL! Great post, Tom. I actually went to a real blockbuster (which happens to be my “corner” video store) recently for the first time in a really long time. I have to agree, the user experience leaves a lot to be desired.
My kids are rapidly adjusting to movies being “on the computer” … I wonder what their kids will think indeed.
LOL! Great post, Tom. I actually went to a real blockbuster (which happens to be my “corner” video store) recently for the first time in a really long time. I have to agree, the user experience leaves a lot to be desired.
My kids are rapidly adjusting to movies being “on the computer” … I wonder what their kids will think indeed.
You won’t have to explain it to your kids, it’s sure to be included in every Cracked/Fark/SomethingAwful/Digg/Reddit “Top 10 Stupid Things Our Parents Had to Do” joke list streamed to their cellphones with some next generation RSS/SMS hybrid.
You won’t have to explain it to your kids, it’s sure to be included in every Cracked/Fark/SomethingAwful/Digg/Reddit “Top 10 Stupid Things Our Parents Had to Do” joke list streamed to their cellphones with some next generation RSS/SMS hybrid.
Amazing coincidence – while you were writing this, I was signing up for zip.ca. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Amazing coincidence – while you were writing this, I was signing up for zip.ca. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Yeah, I’m kinda useless in Blockbuster without my iPhone to look up ratings…. and why show 50 of the same DVD and take up valuable shelf space?
They could easily leave one up there and have the stash in the back.
Yeah, I’m kinda useless in Blockbuster without my iPhone to look up ratings…. and why show 50 of the same DVD and take up valuable shelf space?
They could easily leave one up there and have the stash in the back.
I am relieved to see that others experience such inane business practices from a “”so-called retailer”. Blockbuster in particular has managed to display their complete lack of planning, customer consciousness, and marketing ‘savvy’ in the business they are supposed to be in…content sales and distribution. How long can a sinking ship float?
I am relieved to see that others experience such inane business practices from a “”so-called retailer”. Blockbuster in particular has managed to display their complete lack of planning, customer consciousness, and marketing ‘savvy’ in the business they are supposed to be in…content sales and distribution. How long can a sinking ship float?
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