Blu-ray Royale ships record units
Sony says 100,000 sent out, with 50% sold through
By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 3/27/2007
MARCH 27 | Working like a formidable agent for Blu-ray Disc, Casino Royale has shipped a record 100,000 units in the format since its March 13 release, according to distributor Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
The Blu-ray version was stressed in TV ads for the movie's release.
This latest 007 James Bond installment reached the shipment milestone in just two weeks, far speedier than the 11 months it took for the first standard-definition DVD release to achieve the same six-figure distribution, Air Force One in 1998.
To date, Casino Royale has sold through 50% of its overall shipment, according to the studio.
“Quite honestly, it caught us by surprise,” said Sony worldwide president David Bishop. “Our initial ship on Casino Royale was 50,000 units, and then the 30,000 we had for re-orders was gone by the second day of its release.”
These figures do not include any of the free Blu-ray copies retailers and hardware manufacturers have been offering with the purchase of Blu-ray players, according to Sony.
“Sweet spot”
Bishop thanks the perfect storm of Casino Royale hitting all of the correct consumer groups at once: the action-craving gamer who owns a Blu-ray-capable PlayStation 3, the older early adopter familiar with the Bond legacy and the Blu-ray fan boys blogging about the title’s audio and visual quality.
“This is a title that hit all the main demographics,” said Bishop. “It hit all the right sweet spots.”
In the U.K., Casino Royale sold 10,000 Blu-ray units in its first week on shelves, beginning March 19. Typically, even the strongest high-definition titles sell half that amount. Also, PlayStation 3, considered a key Blu-ray driver, just launched in the U.K. on March 23.
“We are excited that Casino Royale is confirming that there is an international market for the Blu-ray format as well,” said Rich Marty, Sony VP of new business development.
Sony stoked Casino Royale sales with its first major mainstream Blu-ray TV campaign. In previous efforts, Sony would emphasize a title’s availability on DVD first, and then mention its day-and-date Blu-ray version. But with many Casino Royale ads, the Blu-ray edition was singled out first.
“In this particular case, we went more in detail on the Blu-ray side, [saying] it has the best audio, can view it in 1080p definition,” said Bishop. “And we hit all of the traditional TV outlets that we would normally use to sell [standard-definition] DVD.”
Committed to 50GB
Going forward, Sony is committing to rolling out 80% of all its forthcoming Blu-ray titles as 50GB discs.
Although replication companies are not yet at full Blu-ray production capabilities, Bishop is confident they can handle the studio’s push for 50GB titles.
“It’s important, especially in this phase, that we make sure we are showing the absolute best quality in video and audio, and 50GB accomplishes that,” said Bishop.
However, Sony is still easing into the Blu-ray format. The studio is planning to hold off releasing The Da Vinci Code in the format until next year, when more of the movie’s target audience will have purchased Blu-ray players.
“That audience who saw and loved it on DVD is primarily older and in the next wave of adoption,” said Bishop. “We will have another opportunity when Angels and Demons [like Da Vinci Code, also based on a book by Dan Brown] comes out theatrically in 2008.”
More interactivity
Also, Sony is not yet stressing exclusive Blu-ray interactivity in a big way. There have been hints from other studios, including 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, that upcoming titles will include Web-enabled features, which are branded BD Live. Sony declined to specify its BD Live launch timing.
Many of Sony’s announced Blu-ray titles, as well as Casino Royale, include special features that were shot in high-def. But the extras are often the same as those included in the title’s standard-def versions.
“Right now, we are expanding into using the Java platform,” the technology driving BD interactivity, said Marty. “With the fourth quarter, you will see the interactivity come into play more. We are really focused on the added value of a [highest] quality picture.”
Blu-ray players aren’t mandated to feature improved functionality for interactivity until after Oct. 31.
On deck from Sony through spring include 50GB Blu-ray releases of The Pursuit of Happyness and Warriors of Heaven and Earth on March 27; Volver and Identity, April 3; Secret Window, April 24; Donnie Brasco and Catch and Release, May 8; Stomp the Yard, May 15; Closer, May 22; and Blood & Chocolate, May 29.
