3D movies all the crazy last season are thankfully seeing a gearing back as ticket kiosks see an increase in demand for cheaper traditional releases. Indeed at our local theater 3D movies are often near empty while the same picture in traditional release are often sold out. The reason? Price, plain and simple. A typical night out at the movies for a traditional release is around $9.50 a person. Maybe some profitable concessions sales for the theater as well and it easily becomes a $20 night out at the movies.
Now comes a 3D release. At a $12.50 adult price tag and concessions oft approaching $25 per person. Even skipping the food, the price of the ticket alone is close enough to the purchase of the DVD itself that you get to take home with you and watch when you want too… Seems the theater is cutting their own throats as attendance drops prices keep going up and more people skip this ripoff. Studios of course LOVE 3d because of the reduction of Camcorder theft of product and being distributed online. I’m all for the studios protecting their product, but should that not mean that 3D sales would be Cheaper for the consumer not more expensive? Especially since the added value is for the studio NOT the consumer. Problem is 3D is NOT protecting their copyrights any more then anything else. They are still popping up on the day of release if not before. Criminals always find a way, that’s what makes them criminals. Meanwhile the Legal consumer is screwed.
This brings me to my next issue in this ever more expensive prospect of being a consumer of the studios products. DVDs and BluRays. When a Theater ticket is 12.50, and a DVD is commonly $14.99-19.99 Seems the best option is to just wait for the DVD. However those too becoming rare because studios prefer Blueray sales at $29.99 a pop or more. But a normal non technophile consumer, ESPECIALLY in this down economy, is not going to be stupid enough to waste another $10 on a bluray title when a DVD is enough. Indeed stores like Bestbuy have virtually thrown away the DVD format in favor of Bluray everything. A much more expensive option that requires new equipment frequently in order to play new releases. (Sorry but patching of players just does not work correctly and more often then not destroys their equipment in doing so in that old titles dont work anymore.) Hey even on demand is a better option then Bluray. On my cable service you can get on demand new releases for as cheap as $3.99 and they are easily recorded on DVRs DVD Recorders and the trusty old VHS machines. Bingo problem solved. Personally I prefer a DVD but this on demand option is more attractive to the public anymore because of it is the least expensive option.
So here is the studios preferred path. 12.50 Movie release +29.99 bluray = $42.49 and you didn’t even add in a date or popcorn and soda yet… Sorry Studios that’s just too much for my taste… you get my $19.99 for a dvd at best. Otherwise I’m done with your industry, Till you go back to an acceptable business model. Thankfully looking at this Easter weekend the local theaters only have one 3D screen slotted and 15 traditional release screens. Maybe this 3D price hike fad is finally coming to an end. Lets hope. And for god sake save some $$ and demand DVDs people the cost difference is phenomenally unacceptable and should be refused by the public.
