Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

[Rodster]

I'm shocked literally cause I thought Sony was doing really well with this format as I see PSP movies everywhere at Target, CC and BB. What's even more is that some are even chiming in on Blu Ray before it's out saying it won't sell either.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3149162

UMD Sales Sagging
Wal-Mart considers dropping format.
by Luke Smith, 03/30/2006

Sony may be facing a rude awakening from its dream of the PSP as a multimedia center in your hand. An article published by Hollywood Reporter, indicates that Wal-Mart may be considering dropping its sales of the small-disc format.
With the UMD format experiencing limited success at retail, Hollywood studios have started to back away slowly from UMDs. According to Hollywood Reporter, one Universal Studios executive said: "It's [UMD] awful. Sales are near zilch.

It's another Sony bomb -- like Blu-ray."

Aside from Universal ending its UMD support, other major film companies have dialed back their production of UMD movies. Image Entertainment, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and Buena Vista Pictures are among those companies cutting UMD release rates or halting production altogether.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

The movies? Or the games?

[MassNole]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

The movies? Or the games?

The article seems to be about the movies.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

The article seems to be about the movies.

...Then why is it in Non-Sports Gaming?

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

Because it concerns the PSP, I'll leave it here for now.

Everyone I've talked to in the industry says the UMD movies just don't sell. I thought I read before a few studios are going to stop making movies for it as well. They are just too expensive. Great idea, but when a UMD costs more than the DVD with special features, why spend the money?

[Rodster]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

Only movies cause I think PSP games sell pretty good at least the big name titles.

[CM1847]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

Doomed to fail from day one. Wal Mart is so huge that Sony will have to completely rethink it's strategy for PSP now. The movies seem as good as done, if Wal Mart does drop them, it will be over. Hopefully they are able to stay in the handheld gaming market, but putting a lot of faith in any non-DVD form of movie media was a bad idea in the first place.

[Rodster]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

Doomed to fail from day one. Wal Mart is so huge that Sony will have to completely rethink it's strategy for PSP now. The movies seem as good as done, if Wal Mart does drop them, it will be over. Hopefully they are able to stay in the handheld gaming market, but putting a lot of faith in any non-DVD form of movie media was a bad idea in the first place.

I don't know about that cause I read an article from 1up the other day and they show that the PSP is giving Nintendo a run for it's money in the US. In J-ville that's a diferent story cause Ninty is cleaning Sony's clock.

I believe if Wally World does drop UMD "movies" it still won't hurt the PSP cause Sony will just focus on the games for the handheld.

[CM1847]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

I don't know about that cause I read an article from 1up the other day and they show that the PSP is giving Nintendo a run for it's money in the US. In J-ville that's a diferent story cause Ninty is cleaning Sony's clock.

I believe if Wally World does drop UMD "movies" it still won't hurt the PSP cause Sony will just focus on the games for the handheld.

That was what I was saying(well, trying to say anyway). The movies need to be dropped alltogether, they were a bad idea from the start and I really can't believe that idea made it out of the board room. They need to focus on games, good games plus the other nice features their hardware has makes it easy to see why they are giving Nintendo a run for their money. I just never liked the movie idea, they were over-reaching with that one.

[MassNole]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

What is weird is the few times I have seen one being used in public, I have usually seen someone watching a movie on it. I understand the move to drop them if they aren't selling.

It probably didn't help one of the first hacks to the PSP was someone figuring out how to condense a movie onto the memory stick.

[Flawless]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

"I think a lot of people are ripping content and sticking it onto the device rather than purchasing," he said.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002274591

[RubenDouglas]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

lower the damn price. lol.

The clarity is great and all. but most people dont have time to watch a whole movie on a tiny screen. thus they download clips or rip their own favorite dvd scenes.

sometimes its as easy as ONE UMD game, and your built in memory card with its own 3 movies... instead of all the discs and stuff. most psp'ers want convience not alittle disc that can get lost in their backpack that costs almost the price of a 512mb memory card

[HungryBologna]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

Yeah I haven't bought a UMD movie yet (had PSP since last July). I put all my shows/movies on my memory stick.

[Heelfan71]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

Why buy a movie on UMD and only be able to watch it on the PSP when you can just buy the actual dvd and watch it anywhere (including the psp if you put it on a mem card) ?

[Blaze125]

Re: Wal-Mart dropping UMD format

I haven't even considered buying a movie for my PSP, and I've had it since launch. I don't see the point in watching a movie on a little tiny screen in a car, when you could watch it on a nice big screen while sitting on a couch eating food.