RIP Blockbuster

[exdeath]

I hate them for vandalizing what are now collectible retro games with those stupid stickers on SNES and N64 carts that damage the label if you try to remove them.

Worse was Hollywood Video who branded and melted the plastic! FU.

 

[lupi]

Still have one near me, hasn't been there but a couple years either.

 

[Red Squirrel]

We only got a blockbuster here later on so never went there much. The video store I actually kinda legitly miss is Jumbo Video as that was around forever. When I was a kid we'd often go there as a family to pick a couple movies. They served popcorn and we'd just walk around and probably spend a good half hour in there. That place is a pet store now, I actually went in and I could still visualize where all the movies were, the desk where you paid for them etc... it's actually the same doors to get in.

They also had a gum ball machine that if you got a black one, your movie was free. (is that racist?) I never got a black one. I think it was rigged.

But just like milk delivery services it's simply an business model that's no longer relevant. Now if only the RIAA and MPAA could give up their lawsuit frenzy and just live with this fact.

 

[mmntech]

There was a Blockbuster in my home town. Only lasted 10 years before they shut it down in their big purge. They were always a lot more expensive than the ma & pop video stores. Those are now gone too. It's a shame really. Pay-per-view and streaming was always more expensive than my usual shop. Plus there's nowhere you can rent games anymore unless you sign up for a monthly plan. I don't want to do that.

Seen a RedBox like machine in the local Walmart but it's way out the other side of town.

 

[iRONic]

It's true. And to clarify for the non-readers, I miss the experience (having a movie rental be an event), not the mechanics (i.e. rewinding, selection, etc.).

I wasn't calling you a liar, mang. S'all good.

 

[CA19100]

I won't miss them a bit. They refused to adapt, and laughed in Reed Hastings' face when a partnership with Netflix was proposed.

This sums up my thoughts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62kxPyNZF3Q

 

[zinfamous]

Good riddance. They went into every town and ran all of the video rental stores with underhanded tactics.

This, but I mostly hate them for their puritanical anti-film censorship policies.

fuck them

I hate them for vandalizing what are now collectible retro games with those stupid stickers on SNES and N64 carts that damage the label if you try to remove them.

Worse was Hollywood Video who branded and melted the plastic! FU.

umm, OK.

 

[Blintok]

A bunch of morans standing out in the cold going through pages of movies trying to find something to watch.

lol - just too funny, someone calling someone else stupid and they can't spell Moron.

Urban dictionary
moran
A moron's spelling of the word moron which means idiot.

 

[cronos]

lol - just too funny, someone calling someone else stupid and they can't spell Moron.

Urban dictionary
moran
A moron's spelling of the word moron which means idiot.

You're being serious aren't you?

 

[lxskllr]

I don't think I was ever in one. I was never a big movie renter. I could probably count the movies I've rented in my life on one hand. If I really wanted something, I bought it.

 

[exdeath]

This, but I mostly hate them for their puritanical anti-film censorship policies.

fuck them



umm, OK.

I hate finding games I'm missing at yard sales and such only to see it plastered with a heavy duty "property of blockbuster" right over the front label with the world's strongest adhesive that will not come off without damaging the paper label sticker. Ruins the condition of the game. I end up having to flip or trade those and put the proceeds towards a better copy of the same game, just a huge hassle.

 

[Mixolydian]

 

[bunnyfubbles]

i find it funny that the local video rental place in my town is still there and apperently doing fine, survived a BB moving in as well back when BB was relevent

I know of places just like that; from what i can tell most of it has to do with customer loyalty and a small, family run business...I could easily see them staying in business until the workers, customers, or physical media die off.

 

[zinfamous]

You're being serious aren't you?

we should probably avoid quizzes before allowing people to vote, but before using the internet? might be a good idea. :hmm:

 

[zinfamous]

I know of places just like that; from what i can tell most of it has to do with customer loyalty and a small, family run business...I could easily see them staying in business until the workers, customers, or physical media die off.

Most of those smaller places tend to have better, niche selections. They also don't adhere to Blockbuster's fascist support of media censorship.

 

[WT]

Was never happy paying $4.24 per rental from BB, so I jumped on the Redbox bandwagon a long time ago. At $1, it put BB to shame.

I did take advantage of the BB free 6 month trial posted on SD last year, and milked BB for about 18 free rentals at that time. It was the least I could do for (to) them for their price gouging.

 

[Doppel]

Good riddance. I used them a lot back in the day but the Internet made the business irrelevant.

 

[TheShiz]

I hardly ever post on these forums anymore but felt the need to chime in here. The death of the video rental store is the end of an era. My dad, to this day still runs a mom and pop rental business. He doesn't make much money and his business will likely end very soon as he retires. Years ago a blockbuster moved in right next door. He outlasted it. He outlasted it because his prices were good and his selection was deep. I browse redbox every once in a while but the selection is not very good. Sure, digital distribution is great but have a little respect for what came before. A lot of people have great memories of the VAST selection of movies at rental stores, even blockbuster. Going to one was fun. You look at the boxes, see what's new, check out the games selection. Now that is gone. You have an infinite selection and you typically do it by yourself. Walking into a video store was a group activity. you and some friends and family went somewhere and made decisions of what to rent. I really can't understand the animosity of most of the comments here. I guess I was on the inside since I could ask my dad to bring whatever movie or game I wanted home on a given night but I do believe something has been lost in the death of the video rental store. You can call it progress, you can complain about late charges and the walls of the same movie, but I'm sad to see it go. I'm not that old, I'm 34. To all you younger people you will also see things you hold nostalgia for now go as the years/decades pass. There is a blockbuster near my work and I walk around it every once in a while. Makes me wonder what will happen to it now. The end of an era. I don't say good riddance. I look back at the good times and question why the disdain. Blockbuster and the like provided a service people wanted at the time. Stop being an asshole just because you are behind a keyboard on the internet and you think you know everything. I was there 20 years ago, I was there 14+ years ago when I made an account on these forums. I suspect most of the hate is coming from young people who didn't live through it. my rant is over and I'll go back to sleep for another year until a topic touches a nerve with me.

RIP, rest in peace is adequate. I have fond memories while these days I see so many douchebags looking at their phones all the time. Think about an era where people related with one another. Kids went to the rental store together to find a movie. People paid attention to the people they were with over their phones. It was a good time. I fear for the future, and I'm dead serious about that.

-Shiz

 

[TwiceOver]

lol - just too funny, someone calling someone else stupid and they can't spell Moron.

Urban dictionary
moran
A moron's spelling of the word moron which means idiot.

It was intentionally spelled wrong.

 

[AdamantC]

I have a lot of good memories renting games from Blockbuster and Hollywood back during the 90s and early 2000s. However I shall not miss them as the likes of Netflix, Steam, Amazon, Ebay, etc, more then make up for their loss.

 

[Soundmanred]

I hate finding games I'm missing at yard sales and such only to see it plastered with a heavy duty "property of blockbuster" right over the front label with the world's strongest adhesive that will not come off without damaging the paper label sticker. Ruins the condition of the game. I end up having to flip or trade those and put the proceeds towards a better copy of the same game, just a huge hassle.

This was annoying, but most stores did this. I bought a ton of N64 games at Hastings, and while the box and everything else was pristine (they were stored in the back until selling them) the carts either had nearly unremovable stickers, security tags or Sharpie marker on them.
I learned about GooGone and other orange cleaners at that time.
Same with the games on disc, they had FULL label covers on them. If you tried to remove them, the data layer came off with it. It was a security measure, but sucks for reselling.
Not tm mention the time I bought Guardian Heroes for Saturn and the (fragile) case and instructon manual were perfect, the disc inside was cracked in half. I didn't pay much and ended up selling the case and instructions on eBay for quite a bit more than I paid.

 

[Markbnj]

A lot of people have great memories of the VAST selection of movies at rental stores, even blockbuster. Going to one was fun.

Walking around aimlessly until the other patrons moved toward the front, then trying to slip unnoticed into the porn section. Yeah, good times.

 

[Doppel]

I hardly ever post on these forums anymore but felt the need to chime in here. The death of the video rental store is the end of an era. My dad, to this day still runs a mom and pop rental business. He doesn't make much money and his business will likely end very soon as he retires. Years ago a blockbuster moved in right next door. He outlasted it. He outlasted it because his prices were good and his selection was deep. I browse redbox every once in a while but the selection is not very good. Sure, digital distribution is great but have a little respect for what came before. A lot of people have great memories of the VAST selection of movies at rental stores, even blockbuster. Going to one was fun. You look at the boxes, see what's new, check out the games selection. Now that is gone. You have an infinite selection and you typically do it by yourself. Walking into a video store was a group activity. you and some friends and family went somewhere and made decisions of what to rent. I really can't understand the animosity of most of the comments here. I guess I was on the inside since I could ask my dad to bring whatever movie or game I wanted home on a given night but I do believe something has been lost in the death of the video rental store. You can call it progress, you can complain about late charges and the walls of the same movie, but I'm sad to see it go. I'm not that old, I'm 34. To all you younger people you will also see things you hold nostalgia for now go as the years/decades pass. There is a blockbuster near my work and I walk around it every once in a while. Makes me wonder what will happen to it now. The end of an era. I don't say good riddance. I look back at the good times and question why the disdain. Blockbuster and the like provided a service people wanted at the time. Stop being an asshole just because you are behind a keyboard on the internet and you think you know everything. I was there 20 years ago, I was there 14+ years ago when I made an account on these forums. I suspect most of the hate is coming from young people who didn't live through it. my rant is over and I'll go back to sleep for another year until a topic touches a nerve with me.

RIP, rest in peace is adequate. I have fond memories while these days I see so many douchebags looking at their phones all the time. Think about an era where people related with one another. Kids went to the rental store together to find a movie. People paid attention to the people they were with over their phones. It was a good time. I fear for the future, and I'm dead serious about that.

-Shiz

When i said good riddance I was possibly a touch glib. If you see this thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2351075 much of what you said has been echoed this week (including by me).

Although new movies being unavailable because others got them has been an annoyance since the onset of video stores, my primary annoyance with blockbuster was its prices. I guess something about it was just slightly patronizing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I won't weep to see it go. I guess I always felt it was there at the expense of mom and pops, so a corporate giant with poorly paid 20 year olds to collect its fee.

The mom and pops are sadder. Growing up I got a ton of movies from a corner store--a real one. This didn't have a gas station, it was a real live corner store. It probably only had 100-150 movies. If I got a drive, or later when I was able to drive, I'd go to the larger ones. Unbelievably (I really cannot understand how) one of them is still going, but its days are certainly numbered.

 

[Triumph]

Even in the heyday of video renting, Cockbuster sucked balls. Catalog VHS rentals would cost 3-4 dollars a day. No thanks, I'd rather go to mom-and-pop shops and pay half of that for multi day rentals. I'll miss the experience of the video rental store, but I'm glad to see Blockbuster won't be around anymore.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Things that are irrelevant: