Blockbuster almost bust - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11397020"]BBC news[/URL] [quote]DVD and games rental company Blockbuster has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US. The Dallas, Texas-based company said it had made the decision as part of attempts to cut its debts and restructure the business. Agreements with its creditors will allow it to cut its debts from nearly $1bn to about $100m, Blockbuster said. Blockbuster's non-US operations are not included in the bankruptcy, as they are legally separate entities. That includes its 4,000-strong network of stores in the UK, Canada, Denmark, Italy and Mexico. Blockbuster's 3,000 stores in the US will remain open for the time being, the company's statement said. It has also secured a new $125m loan it says will allow it to keep working during the restructuring process. Competition struggles "The process announced today provides the optimal path for recapitalising our balance sheet and positioning Blockbuster for the future as we continue to transform our business model to meet the evolving preferences of our customers," Jim Keyes, Blockbuster's chief executive said. Analysts say Blockbuster has struggled with the increased competition in the online rental market in recent years. When it launched its own online DVD subscription service in 2004, it was already several years behind the US market leader, Netflix, which launched in 1999. Other competitors have since entered the market, offering films and DVDs through postal delivery, vending machines and via online streaming. Despite the competition, Mr Keyes said Blockbuster still had a great deal to offer. "Blockbuster will move forward better able to leverage its strong strategic position, including a well-established brand name, an exceptional library of more than 125,000 titles, and our position as the only operator that provides access across multiple delivery channels - stores, kiosks, by-mail and digital," he said.[/quote] $1bn debt for flogging DVDs? Gee...

Just shut down, Blockbuster. No one wants to pay four dollars for a movie rental anymore.

Man the first time I played Super Mario 64 was on a demo console at BB. Gonna miss those guys.

[QUOTE=Gordy H.;25001325]Just shut down, Blockbuster. No one wants to pay four dollars for a movie rental anymore.[/QUOTE] The one I go to sells them for £1, new ones at £2 :what: I buy and sell all of my games to blockbuster, i'll miss you BB :ohdear:

fuck you blockbuster and your $138.74 late fees

We ditched Blockbuster once we learned that you can stream movies on Netflix as much as you want for the same price as a one week rental from Blockbuster.

Oh i seeeeee, its only going bust in the US, from what I see the US versions are shitty

One more chapter in my life i can skip. :argh:

[QUOTE=Frisk;25001700]We ditched Blockbuster once we learned that you can stream movies on Netflix as much as you want for the same price as a one week rental from Blockbuster.[/QUOTE] That almost sounds like an ad

Blockbuster shut down my childhood video game rental store.

It was good before online rentals, after that is was not needed.

[QUOTE=Jmir 54;25001840]Blockbuster shut down my childhood video game rental store.[/QUOTE] Blockbuster [I]was[/I] my childhood videogame rental store. [editline]01:14PM[/editline] Oh, and it shut down too.

Yarg.

My local one is still there, but nobody is ever in it. The only time I go there is to get popcorn.

[quote=BBC News] Blockbuster's non-US operations are not included in the bankruptcy, as they are legally separate entities. That includes its 4,000-strong network of stores in the UK, Canada, Denmark, Italy and Mexico. [/quote] Thats OK. We use Blockbuster quite a lot for renting Blu-Rays.

I have a feeling that they'll just move exclusively into the rental kiosk business. [editline]05:24PM[/editline] These: [img]http://www.coupondad.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Blockbuster_Express6.gif[/img]

[QUOTE=fenwick;25002072]I have a feeling that they'll just move exclusively into the rental kiosk business. [editline]05:24PM[/editline] These: [img]http://www.coupondad.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Blockbuster_Express6.gif[/img][/QUOTE] Honestly, Blockbuster stores suck, their Kiosks are so much better.

I find it kinda funny that even without hollywood video as a competitor they're still going down the dumps.

noooooo, blockbuster is awesome. goodbye childhood.

The movie store is dying. Fuck, what a shame. Netflix just isn't as fun.

Blockbuster was great for renting videogames, but then they introduced all this commitment/security shit because people couldn't just return the freaking game after a few days.

They closed down the Blockbuster that was near where I live, tis' a shame since it had been there since before I was born.

[QUOTE=Gordy H.;25001325]Just shut down, Blockbuster. No one wants to pay four dollars for a movie rental anymore.[/QUOTE] Back in the day it was, if I recall like $7.99 for a rental OF ANY KIND, movie, video game whatever. You also only got it for 2 days.

I thought Blockbuster shut down years ago...ours did. I always rented N64 games there. The Bomberman 64 games were my favorite. I rented them about twenty times before buying them. I also rented Mario Kart 64, and a bunch of other classics. I used to just look at the box cover, and if it looked cool, than I'd rent it. I was never wrong, as they were always great. One thing I'll miss the most: the smell. For some reason, our Blockbuster always smelled nice. Maybe because it had an ice cream box...thingy...that happened to sell my all-time favorite ice cream: the Chip Burger. I had so many great memories of my childhood there...it was sad to see it go. It was like my second home.

I have never used Blockbuster. Never saw the need with LOVEFILM around.

Blockbusters are like the canal companies when railways came about. And the online sites will soon be like the railways when the cars came about.

netflix knocked their block off

[QUOTE=Gordy H.;25001325]Just shut down, Blockbuster. No one wants to pay four dollars for a movie rental anymore.[/QUOTE] I also don't want to drive all the way out to the store just to find out they don't have any copies of something, or that I just can't find anything I wanna watch.

fuck, I miss Blockbuster. going there every weekend to rent a new n64/ps2/gamecube/whatever game was so much fun

[QUOTE=fenwick;25002072]I have a feeling that they'll just move exclusively into the rental kiosk business. [editline]05:24PM[/editline] These: [img]http://www.coupondad.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Blockbuster_Express6.gif[/img][/QUOTE] How do these work anyway? Do they have copies of the disc or is it a genuine one? What about late movie returns? Do you return them at all or is there some kind of timelimit on them somehow?