HD DVD Fanboys Spike Amazon Rank

[Ian]

A few days ago, Dolph told me that HD DVD fanboys were planning a mass buy of HD DVD titles on Amazon.com. It appears that it worked.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-enterta ... 253131.php

Apparently, the spike occurs the same day that HD-DVD fanboys at AVSForum, the AV enthusiast site, had organized an mass buy of HD-DVD titles. For an immature format, even a few individuals can make a difference, if only on a day.

This post lays down their gameplan for the buy on April 15th, the one year anniversary of HD-DVD's launch:

"The idea is to show support for HD DVD by buying movies on a specific day. There is no better way to show support for HD DVD than by backing it financially. If there is a strong demand for HD DVD software, then hopefully Blu-ray only studios will at least go neutral."

A month later, over 350 members were signed up on AVSForums, but not alone. Countless other HD DVD fanboys on other sites joined in. And on that day, many people grabbed anywhere from 2 to a dozen discs, sometimes more -- Likely not more than 10,000 copies, by my guess. But that's a significant amount on a single day for a format that has less that a million titles sold in total. They'd even managed to get the random, but beautiful BBC documentary Planet Earth box set up into the top 5 sales for movies on Amazon, which members talked about as a first for any HD disc. (Casino Royale on Blu-ray only reached #6).

And as you can see, HD-DVD's sales rank broke out of its second tier title sales rank on Amazon, if only for a day.

I can't wait for the Blu-ray fanboys to retaliate.

[Grain]

Wow. That's the ultimate "piss on consumers" move by the big corporations. Somewhere in an ivory tower, CEO's are slapping each other on the back. Nothing like using customers finances to bolster their own product. Next these HD fan boys will be mailing cheques to the HD-DVD studios to help pay for more advertising. Perhaps they could also go door to door expounding the greatness of someone elses product. Unless they are getting shares in exchange for this idiocy, they've been suckered. I am in no way anti HD-DVD, or pro Blu Ray for that matter, but that would be the day I spend my hard earned money on any product just to ensure it survives.
I think we all need to buy a Ford product on May 1st, not only will it give Ford some free bragging rights, but it will save them millions in advertising, poor poor multi national blue chip companies.
<rant mode off>

[dolphinius_rex]

People are trying to organize a buy in for Blu-Ray fans now... but a lot of Blu-Ray fans think it's stupid

[Justin42]

I know this may offend some on this board, but I see no purpose in being a fanboy of EITHER format. Or ANY format.

It all reminds me of the "arguing on the internet" analogies. It's like, buy the movies you want on the format that's available, but actively being a pawn in this war between multi-billion corps seems a bit like overkill.

Kind of like taking your spare time to hand out Best Buy flyers at Walmart.

[Ian]

Kind of like taking your spare time to hand out Best Buy flyers at Walmart.

You do that too? Good points Justin. It's like the whole Ford vs. Chevy argument. When you get down to it, both will get your ass to work and back.

[Wesociety]

In the case of the HD DVD vs Blu-ray format war, I can *somewhat* understand the fanatacism and "fanboy" behavior because of the initial investment that some people may have dropped on first generation hardware and software.

For those early adopters who have dropped $500-$1000 on blue laser hardware, they have a legitimate reason for wanting their chosen format to succeed. If these next gen extremists can help their format succeed by acting silly online or organizing movie group-buys, then they're up for it! It seems like some of these fanatics will do anything and everything (including argue with others) so that they can help "their" format in the smallest of ways...

[SithTracy]

It's like the whole Ford vs. Chevy argument. When you get down to it, both will get your ass to work and back.

But you will get better gas mileage out of a Honda! I am an American, but I'm not an idiot... and the U.S. Car companies think that "Buy American" still means something. With all the outsourcing of jobs, it means absolutely nothing. I won't own a Ford or GM car until the American car companies change... My 2000 Civic has 145,000 miles and it's not even broke in yet!

DVD's work fine for my needs now and if this format war is ever settled, it will likely be too late with flash memory and SDHC. Heck, I still don't have HDTV... I'm interested, but the technology is getting better and the prices are coming down and I don't watch a whole bunch of TV anyway... But Heros does return next week!