Blockbuster Closes Its Doors

shiajun

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Jun 12, 2008
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Well, in my country Blockbuster still seems to be doing strong. I have no idea what will happen when the parent company dies for good.
 

Souplex

Souplex Killsplosion Awesomegasm
Jul 29, 2008
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They just couldn't compete with my local Mom & Pop video store. Soon The Video Gallery will destroy Netflix.
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
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Thing is, if blockbuster had a good visionary at the helm it could have been netflix before netflix. It had a strong presence and reputation, all it needed to do was get there before someone else did, it instead stuck to its guns and died of inferiority.

That dish company that bought them out, didn't do much with it did they? Why even buy it out if it was being put out to pasture by the general public? Seemed like a great to lose money to me.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
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Tenmar said:
Quickly everyone! Go to your local blockbuster if it still exists and call and see if they are having a going out of business sale! Buy all the games for as little as possible :p
Mine died years ago. And actually, I thought the US franchise had already died.
 

QuiB25

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Jul 7, 2010
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Arawn said:
I still see video stores for those reluctant to join in on the digital distribution. I mean people still buy games in stores so it's not completely a dying market. The PC game market is almost all digital at this point.
Serious question: What happens when you want to rent a particular movie? Maybe an older one. Netflix's selection sucks.
I guess torrent, and then hook up my computer to a TV?
 

McMarbles

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May 7, 2009
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There were three Blockbusters nearby about fifteen years ago. One closed down long ago and is now a fitness place, one shut down after the recent Ch. 11 and is still vacant, and one's still open.

It's kinda sad, but... honestly, I don't think I've bought anything other than snacks from them in years. I used to rent games, but they really don't carry any 3DS stuff.

Anyway, it's kind of depressing that digital distibution is killing jobs like this.
 

major_chaos

Ruining videogames
Feb 3, 2011
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This makes me sad. I basically stopped watching movies after all the local video stores closed because netflix and redbox are both kinda shit.
 

scorptatious

The Resident Team ICO Fanboy
May 14, 2009
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Ghonzor said:
And yet Hollywood Video seems to be doing alright in my city. Weird.
Can't say it'll be missed by me personally, I was never much a fan. I'm honestly surprised that Blockbuster lasted this long.
HOLLYWOOD is still around?! I thought they closed down years ago.

But yeah, I always preferred Hollywood myself, but it's a shame that Blockbuster is disappearing. I guess it was inevitable with digital distribution.
 

Doclector

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Aug 22, 2009
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It's sad, but I can't say it surprises me. Blockbuster hasn't been remotely competitive for ages. You could buy some games elsewhere for the amount they would charge to rent them. It was a very rare occasion when I could get something there for less than elsewhere, and for years, its only advantage was being open relatively late, and that only made a difference to my decision if I was having a boring evening and felt like watching a movie I haven't seen before, and only then when for some reason, it couldn't wait until tomorrow.

I'll miss you blockbuster, but don't you ever say you didn't aid your own downfall.
 

Saltyk

Sane among the insane.
Sep 12, 2010
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Kinda sad to see Blockbuster go. I fondly remember renting games from video stores, not necessarily Blockbuster, and playing them at home. NBA Jam was always a good rental.

But you know what I miss even more? Media Play.
That store was awesome! Movies, games, and books, all in one store. I could spend hours in that fucking place just looking around. Occasionally, I pass where it once stood, now some lesser store, and I mourn it's passing. Media Play, I'll miss you. Be good to Blockbuster when it gets up to that great big shopping center in the sky.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
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Tenmar said:
Actually I have two blockbusters that still exist in my neck of the woods in California. So yeah...they still around somewhere still. Hell you can still APPLY to work at blockbuster online in my local area as well.
sweet. Wonder what advancement opportunities they have. >.>

ButjI just heard nothing about the franchise for so long I thought they must have died off. And cared little enough I didn't bother to look. But that's another story.
 

Scorpid

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Jul 24, 2011
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Good. My brother and me both worked at a Blockbuster when we were younger and they treated their employees like crap, only EB/Gamestop did worse (and only by a little)
 

IamLEAM1983

Neloth's got swag.
Aug 22, 2011
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JamesBr said:
Um, I don't know about you, but I've seen Blockbusters in Canada since the 90's, there's nothing "recent" about them. Also, just because you live in Canada doesn't mean you HAVE to use Canadian Netflix. Altering one's DNS is entirely legal, even if Netflix doesn't like it.
Yeah, I should've specified that Brossard, the suburb of Montreal I live in, hasn't had a Blockbuster until something around 2008.

As for altering my DNS, I'll have to try that. I was about this close to subscribing to a VPN service, anyway.
 

Gromril

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Sep 11, 2005
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Doclector said:
It's sad, but I can't say it surprises me. Blockbuster hasn't been remotely competitive for ages. You could buy some games elsewhere for the amount they would charge to rent them. It was a very rare occasion when I could get something there for less than elsewhere, and for years, its only advantage was being open relatively late, and that only made a difference to my decision if I was having a boring evening and felt like watching a movie I haven't seen before, and only then when for some reason, it couldn't wait until tomorrow.

I'll miss you blockbuster, but don't you ever say you didn't aid your own downfall.
Being able to rent aliens colonial marines stopped me from dropping £45 on it. For this, block buster has my eternal thanks.

And thats what we should be sad to lose, one of the few ways to try a game before we buy it, what with demo's and honest previews getting thinner on the ground.

Yes, you could buy a game for a bit cheaper elsewhere, but you couldnt rent it.
 

thiosk

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Sep 18, 2008
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Not a tear shed by me.

Ruined the local businesses.

Shuttered and nothing left but decay.

Borders has gone the way of the dodo, a victory for the few small bookstores left.

Soon, barnes, your day will come.
 

Sanunes

Senior Member
Mar 18, 2011
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I live in Canada and the twelve Blockbusters in the city I live in shut down in 2011 when the company went bankrupt here, I figured it was only time before it happened in the States. All of the places that specialized in rentals has closed over the last few years and outside of a corner store and at one time I think there were eight places to rent from within walking distance of my house.
 

jdogtwodolla

phbbhbbhpbhphbhpbttttt......
Feb 12, 2009
732
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I got a used xbox copy of anarchy reigns and a CD shredder at my closing blockbuster. I went late and the whole place was cleared out. I really wanted one of those wire shelves but every one of them was claimed by then.
 

Product Placement

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Jul 16, 2009
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And now this has become more relevant then ever before:


Blockbusters never spread to my country but we had a similar chain. They closed business ages ago, though. Video may have killed the radio star but the internet sure had the last laugh.