RSSReport: Hybrid movie and game Blu-ray discs coming to PS3
By Tim Conneally | Published February 12, 2009, 11:47 AM
A report from Sony hardware marketing director John Koller yesterday points to the release of "dual format" Blu-ray discs this year. That is, they'll be both a full-length movie, and a complete associated video game title.
John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment, told Videobusiness yesterday that they are "actively pushing" for combination movie/game Blu-ray discs on the PlayStation 3 console. "There are a lot of developers who say, 'We have this game based on a movie...wouldn't it be great to marry these concepts?' We will definitely see this stuff this year," Koller said. Thanks to the density of the medium, a full-length HD movie and associated PS3 game could easily fit on a single Blu-ray disc.
Though movie license video games are never as successful as the films off of which they are based, this sort of packaging could bring about swift changes in that market. It also brings to mind games such as Metal Gear Solid 4, where the line between video game and "interactive movie" have been blurred somewhat. In that game -- which contains an entire feature film's worth of video -- certain scenes can be viewed from different perspectives, one of which is a small robotic sidekick with no dialogue that can explore and find bonus items while the main characters are talking.
According to Kohler, the details about the first hybrid game are still being finalized, but he predicts as many as three will be released this year.
So this will affect how many movie titles that have an associated game?
5? 10?
Whoopdeedo.
One wonders why they just don't give the buyers of the game a free copy of the associated movie simply as a marketing incentive.
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|I think it is a GREAT Idea! If one good thing HD-DVD had, they did Hybrid Discs with one side of the Disc having the HD Version of the movie and the other side having the standard DVD Edition.
Hybrids in general would cut down on the need to buy multiple editions of games or movies!
There is no need to release a movie / game multiple times on different formats anymore and keep labeling them "Special". Some games / movies, the reason they are a Special Edition is simply because they are on a Disc. I mean, how many versions of Starship Troopers can one need!???
It really only cost $2 - $4 to produce (I mean EVERYTHING) the actual Disc / Box and Covers for todays games and movies, They could leave the prices alone and STILL make a decent deal. I remember back in the late 90's, I worked my last retail job, 1996 to be exact. The PS2 hit the market and it was $200. Employee Price was $212 (Yes, $12 more then retail). Then you looked @ the games. Games retail were $49.99, yet employee price was $6 - $9, HUGE PROFIT!!!
Once you have the Hardware (Players and Consoles) you then need the Software (Movies and Games)
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|They would be smarter trying to make all movies contain the standard as well as the BR version and trying to build leverage in the larger market rather than simply going after a fraction of their small user base.
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|I think it makes sense. If PS3 owners have been willing to buy 59 dollar games then I don't see why they wouldn't buy them for say, 10 or 20 dollars more with a movie on it. The success is measured by who and how many are interested in the idea. I guess the REAL factor in seeing this work or not, is how they're going to market this.
Are you going to sell a Movie with a game bonus, for 30 or 40 dollars? Or are you going to sell a Game with a movie bonus, for 60 or 70 dollars?
As for actual hybrid games - that's also a very neat idea. I loved the movie-ish games I've played - phantasmagoria, silent running (i think that's what it was called), not REAL hybrid games, but semi close. Movie clips that are sewn together. Tech. today could really make some nice hybrid games/interactive movies.
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|Really? How much will these combo discs cost? $80-$90? $60 for the game and $20-$30 for the movie? Good luck finding a winning combination of movie and video game that people are willing to buy. Waste of effort Sony.
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