Sign on Options
Theme:
To Dark

Blu-ray rollout delayed

First wave of films for new format bumped from May to June to coincide with release date for first Blu-ray player.

Sony's HD era of Blu-ray discs will be ushered in a month late, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade paper is reporting today that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has delayed its first batch of eight games from the previously announced May 23 release date back to June 20.

The article quotes Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president Benjamin Feingold as saying the delay came at the request of the studio's retail and hardware partners, who wanted a more coordinated launch for the format. The new date means the discs will hit store shelves much closer to the first commercially available Blu-ray player, a Samsung model that isn't expected in stores until June 25.

Video Business Online has previously reported that the first wave of Blu-ray releases from Lionsgate, which were also originally scheduled for May 23, have been moved back to a June 27 release.

119 Comments

  • Phoenixxx1974

    Posted May 7, 2006 10:41 am GMT

    Why on earth would ANYONE buy a Blu-Ray Player for $1000+ when the PS3 is cheaper (stil expensive and i don't plan to buy one until the price drops or i get a good deal on one hehe i already spent $400 for a 360 because i have a BIG ASS TV and i needed High Def games and i don't want to spend $500-700 for it) and seeing how HD-DVD is half the price and the same quality and the movies are cheaper (i work at best buy and on the site Blu-ray movies are like $35-40 and HD-DVD movies are like $25-30 for the first wave which will go down in price since they are cheaper to produce then BD-Roms) .

    I already threw my suport for HD-DVD and are happy with it. (hey i need High def movies as well for my big ass tv hehe)

  • Son101Goku

    Posted May 6, 2006 4:02 pm GMT

    Betamax failed on the consumer side mainly due to media storage(5h20min Beta compared to 6hr VHS) but Betamax became the standard for media broadcasting outlets because of the superior quality and ease of editing. Betamax was the standard until 2001-2002 when digital media finally replaced it.

  • alberto2045

    Posted May 6, 2006 3:24 pm GMT

    i hope it dosent msess up the PS3 launch

  • duque501

    Posted May 6, 2006 9:09 am GMT

    I would buy a Blue-Ray player only and only if I buy a HD TV 42'' (another $1000) before,
    that is the only kind TV where I can see the diference,
    I wont buy a TV with this features at least in 5 years, or more,
    therefore, SOny is out of place and time.
    May be if The Blue-Ray player comes with a Time Machine to travel to the future, then it would be worthy.

  • eiru

    Posted May 6, 2006 8:43 am GMT

    Blue ray babyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!! Hmmm does the blue ray player work on the computer??

  • gtimandan

    Posted May 6, 2006 8:07 am GMT

    [[re: Phazevariance
    To SnowFarmer:

    Blu-Ray players "will not" support old DVD's so you will have to buy your collection again, unless you buy an HD-DVD player which "can" play the old DVD format. Once HD-DVD players come out with upconvert as a standard, Blu-Ray will fall.

    Sony is making a mistake, and I hope they lose because of it.]]

    Incorrect. Both HD-DVD & Blu-Ray are backward-compatible with at least CD audio and DVD movies, and are at this point supposed to up-convert conventional DVDs to a resolution greater than is native to those discs, however some SACD and DVD-Audio discs will not be supported, at least not yet. For more info, see cnet.com or consumerreports.org.

  • gtimandan

    Posted May 6, 2006 7:59 am GMT

    All this ranting about Blu-Ray having guaranteed success because of Sony fanboys making it happen simply by their purchasing of millions of PS3s....

    ....anybody remember the recent, higher-priced UMD disaster?
    ....how about the higher-priced Sony MD players/recorders/discs fiasco?
    ....and the grand-pappy of them all, BetaMax [again, higher priced failure].

    It is plain to see that better doesn't automatically win the war if the price point is exhorbitant.

    With HD-DVD at half the cost, out of the gate, for players and about 1/3 less cost for movies, it's a no-brainer to see that Sony has yet another stink-bomb on its hands, if history is any indicator.

    Why is Sony their own worst enemy? Their arrogance has gotten them into financial trouble countless times in past decades. I hope they wake up before the entire company goes into the sh*tter because of their imagined self-entitlement. They do make great, revolutionary products, but they most always shoot themselves in the foot in the process.

  • barulez

    Posted May 6, 2006 3:57 am GMT

    its bad news for blu-ray but their players will be out at June so might as well to delay it.

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted May 5, 2006 8:01 pm GMT

    relax.

  • thatguytony

    Posted May 5, 2006 4:07 pm GMT

    Thank God that someone like vallen1311 actually posted a comment that made sense. No matter what Microsoft fanboys want to believe Sony will use the PS3 to make Blue-Ray the winner.

    Off-topic: I know I'm wasting my breath, but I just can't help myself ; people like mezonesxbox should stop posting comments. They never have an actual comment or point ; its just crap like "meh", or "don't care." Why even bother commenting on a topic if you don't care about it?

  • Bluestorm-Kalas

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:59 pm GMT

    A more coordinated launch? basically that means *We are having problems with Blu-Ray and we need to fix it before*

  • mezonesxbox

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:41 pm GMT


    Dont care.....

  • MONTE_BLK

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:00 pm GMT

    Sony is known for delays now... for example look how many times the PS3 has been push back now!

  • vallen1311

    Posted May 5, 2006 1:58 pm GMT

    One comment. People here actually think the consumer is going to decide this? Are you crazy? The movie industry will decide this. They will make movies for the format with the largest installed user base. No one can argue that in the short run and the long run that will be the BluRay because of the PS3. If even a small % of PS3 owners purchased BluRay movies it would probably kill HD-DVD. I'm saying that if even as little as 10% of PS3 owners buy BluRay movies the industry will see that there is the possibility of much more than HD-DVD can offer. The only way HD-DVD could win would for it to sell at least half as many units as PS3. Does anyone actually see this happening? Can you seriously believe there will be 3 million HD-DVD players in homes before there are 6 million PS3s in homes. I don't see it. The industry doesn't see it either which is why most of them are backing BluRay. Honestly, I don't see how so many of you think you are smarter than all of the tech and media companies in the world. Oh, and downloading HD movies won't be widespread enough for at least another 5-10 years. Download speeds simply aren't fast or economical enough for it right now and that won't change in the next couple years like some people think.

    Anyways, look at how the industry is doing this rather than listening to Sony or MS or any one company. You have to look at the whole picture to see that we don't have a whole lot of choice here because it IS needed. One way or the other we are going to have either HD-DVD or BluRay, and they will have strong sales for at least a decade once they really get kicked off in the next couple years.

  • Oni

    Posted May 5, 2006 1:14 pm GMT

    All you guys go ahead and get mom and dad to fork over 1000 dollars for this thing. I'm happy with my current non - HD DVD player. I'll buy one of these when the format war is over and the winner DVD player cost $100 or less

  • princeofgames90

    Posted May 5, 2006 1:04 pm GMT

    well if you look at the first DVD's you will see that they wher costy too but as for me PS3 for shure

  • crude_darkness

    Posted May 5, 2006 12:36 pm GMT

    N o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o oo o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

  • sandjar

    Posted May 5, 2006 11:34 am GMT

    $1000 that is

  • sandjar

    Posted May 5, 2006 11:33 am GMT

    Why would you buy a a BD player for 1000K if you can buy a PS3 just several months later for almost half the price??? What kind of marketing is that?

  • skyvader

    Posted May 5, 2006 10:21 am GMT

    I went to fry's yesterday and was suprised at where they put the selection of HDDVD. They put them over in the games section. Actually right next to the psp games and movies. They should have them in the dvd section and most likely will. They didnt even have a player on display. They dont like promoting something that they know will sell because they want you to buy the other stuff they have tons of instead. I hate frys but they have the dvd-r's i like and so i still shop there. Anything and everything that usually is on sale in their ad is never where you think it would be. Sale stuff they shuffle away from its expected location and gets moved. Like finding a dvd player on sale over in the washer dryer section instead of the dvd player section.

  • Fallout_red

    Posted May 5, 2006 10:19 am GMT

    Who would have bought a BD movie without a player anyway??

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted May 5, 2006 10:04 am GMT

    If it's to really enjoy movies in true hd, I dont care about the delay.

  • LinkErdrich

    Posted May 5, 2006 9:57 am GMT

    Yay! A delay on something I won't buy for another five years!

  • The_Fat_Zebra

    Posted May 5, 2006 9:50 am GMT

    Indeed, poorly chosen title. I wonder if GS has an allegiance to a certain different format?

  • gtimandan

    Posted May 5, 2006 9:45 am GMT

    What I fear is this, when Blu-Ray/HD-DVD hits:

    Before DVD appeared on the scene, I had a laserdisc player for years and a sizeable LD collection along with it. When DVD came out, albeit at outrageous prices for the players and the discs, I was rudely shocked & surprised that *every* avenue that sold LDs & players immediately [and I mean YESTERDAY!] jettisoned their inventory at cut-throat prices and in its place went all this DVD mess that nobody was eager to adopt or could easily afford. The LD community was blind-sided by this, having assumed the new format would sit alongside the existing formats for at least a short amount of time. The new stuff did not move at all, and for many, many months at that, yet we no longer had a source for our LDs.

    Granted, LD was an old technology by that time, but it was still superior to VHS's scan lines and was enjoyed by those that appreciated the higher resolution that we now take for granted, so it had its merits and also enjoyed a decent customer base.

    What worries me now is that the corporate puppet masters will again immediately cut the strings that suspend DVD, in favor of this new, more expensive, more "secure" format just as they did to LD so many years ago. Will stores no longer be allowed to carry DVDs & players when Blu-Ray/HD-DVD comes out, forcing us to immediately buy new hardware & software against our will?

    Food for thought. Once bitten, twice shy...

  • troakun

    Posted May 5, 2006 9:19 am GMT

    Makes sense, why would I buy a blu-ray DVD if I didn't own the player. That'd be like buying PS3 games a month before the system came out.

    "Blu-Ray players "will not" support old DVD's so you will have to buy your collection again,"

    If that turns out to be true I won't be buying Blu-ray anytime soon.

  • HalfLi5e

    Posted May 5, 2006 9:09 am GMT

    Why doesn't anyone seem to understand that the price of Blu-ray will only be high initially? DVD was the same way and so was CD. In time prices will come down and I do expect Blu-ray to become the new standard. It will probably be a few years though until that really happens.

  • Naruto-freak

    Posted May 5, 2006 8:41 am GMT

    oh well. I didnt think blu-ray would beat hd-dvd anyways.

  • skyvader

    Posted May 5, 2006 8:39 am GMT

    Netflix was offering HDDVD before the player was out but only had a few titles. Now they have much more to choose from. I don't know if they will be offering blueray due to the high price of the media.

  • sasuke55

    Posted May 5, 2006 8:35 am GMT

    The PS3 won't be 360 Price but If anyone wants a Blu-Ray Player that would be the way to go.

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted May 5, 2006 8:30 am GMT

    relax.

  • spidey008

    Posted May 5, 2006 7:46 am GMT

    I think this whole format war is really annoying. The casual DVD collectors are not going to jump to a new format like Blu-Ray. They have already gotten a nice DVD collection and many don't even have HDTV's. Sony has really messed up by sinking so much money into this format.

  • edhc44

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:49 am GMT

    On a separate personal note, I think Sony grew too ambitious since the remarkable success of the first two PS's. I mean, the highly-anticipated PSP couldn't beat the "highly-mocked" DS, UMD failed and this PS3/blu-ray saga is more drawn out than Days of Our Lives or something along those lines... Geez, Nintendo is the one who used to do this kind of crap and look at where those guys are now...

  • ewjim

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:49 am GMT

    That's bad, i want it NOW!

  • gibb1

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:43 am GMT

    humm, not that bad ithink.

  • edhc44

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:43 am GMT

    Man, blu-ray is s**t I mean, why would I waste good $1000 (or whatever it costs when prices start to drop) on a player that can't play either CD's or DVD's and doesn't have that much more storage capacity over an HD-DVD? As far as movies go, I agree with what's been said: blu-ray will be the next betamax. The PS3 will keep the format alive, but this is it.

  • samuelroberts

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:40 am GMT

    Yeah, the PS3's price is going to be screw. That's if they've even made it yet!

  • khggame

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:32 am GMT

    I'll wait for the PS3

  • diablusx

    Posted May 5, 2006 6:11 am GMT

    All companies that are making blue ray should just hold off till this holiday for the PS3.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted May 5, 2006 5:51 am GMT

    To SnowFarmer:

    Blu-Ray players "will not" support old DVD's so you will have to buy your collection again, unless you buy an HD-DVD player which "can" play the old DVD format. Once HD-DVD players come out with upconvert as a standard, Blu-Ray will fall.

    Sony is making a mistake, and I hope they lose because of it.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted May 5, 2006 4:48 am GMT

    HAHAHAHAHAHA LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! down with sony!

  • billp0887

    Posted May 5, 2006 4:44 am GMT

    blu-ray will win becuz of fan boys, millions of them, business like millions. we all know ps3 will sell in the millions anyway! the installment base will be there and hollywood like that. even if and that's a big if HD-DVD wins this format war, hollywood would still make movies for blu-ray anyway. if MS would have option for HD-DVD to be inside the 360, sony would be in some trouble and the tide would have turn to HD-DVD format right now..i get MS didnt see that one coming!! 360 owner may buy this HD-DVD add-on and i'm guessing it 200 or so. everybody knows how expensive add-on sells right . well it look like it cost about the same as the ps3. so when u get a ps3
    , u may buy a blu-ray movie too. why waste the technology!! that what i think!!!!!

  • Quadster

    Posted May 5, 2006 3:50 am GMT

    Unless sony cuts costs i'm afraid "You will die a slow, slow death"
    i can see sony doing what it did last time, but you know....funnilly enough all the lemmings will flock and go over a cliff for sony...so....it really is a tough call

  • cyprus646

    Posted May 5, 2006 3:33 am GMT

    MS is going to have a feild day with this.

  • Sandman100

    Posted May 5, 2006 3:33 am GMT

    That is bad but at the same time is most likely for the best.
    Blu-ray seems like a great technology. It will be very important for Sony to place the Blu-ray brand in consumers' minds. Blu-ray has faced a lot of delays and given the high price for early adopters it will be great to have a "cheap" player in the PS3. It be $1,000 I whether get it for under $800.

  • amaranth_aeon

    Posted May 5, 2006 3:10 am GMT

    Sony is probably counting on the standalone Blu-Ray players' prohibitive price to push more people towards the PS3.
    Oh and, anamnawshad, DVDs may be enough for games, but they certainly aren't for movies. The DVD definition is just not good enough, even on a modest 26" 720p HD screen.

  • grayfox_2k

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:51 am GMT

    it's a smart move... on the other hand why would they release the format when there's nothing to play it on!!!

  • anamnawshad

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:22 am GMT

    Just like teh P$-3!
    DVD's are enough. No need for HD-DVD, BLU-RAY s**t !

  • ro-co-to

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:17 am GMT

    As always, if Blu-Ray doesn't do porn, it will go like the betamax.

  • Doolum

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:14 am GMT

    yet another delay...kind of getting used to it already. But have to be realistic...how can you play a video format such as Blu Ray when the player that can do it is not even on the market.......!!!!!!

Subscribe to GameSpot's YouTube Channel

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!