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FOX, Paramount, and Universal may all be joining the UMD movement soon!

M

Mrbob

Member
http://www.videobusiness.com/article.asp?articleID=10410&catType=NEWS

APRIL 27 | It's game-on for studios and PSP.

Execs at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment all are evaluating how they will generate movie titles for Sony's Playstation Portable handheld games system.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment was the inaugural major studio, other than Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, to devote flicks to the PSP. But the others' participation flashes the first industry-wide thumbs-up for the new PSP Universal Media Disc format.

With its support for Sony HD format Blu-Ray, it wasn't a surprise when Buena Vista committed such films as National Treasure and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl for the company's latest device. But the fact that truer rivals Fox, Universal and Paramount are circling PSP seems to bode well for the PSP's success. Universal and Paramount are attached to HD DVD and Fox remains undecided.

Fox is believed to be in advanced negotiations to release titles. Retailers understand that film titles Dodgeball, Napoleon Dynamite, I, Robot, Super Troopers and Predator are among the likely UMD output this year. The studio didn't give title specifics.

Universal also is considered likely to commit to releasing movies for PSP. The studio is working on a final decision, which could see Uni entering the PSP market by mid-summer.

Paramount is said to be assessing its involvement, but its timeline on a decision is less clear.

"I think by the end of the year most, if not all, of the studios will be releasing movies on PSP," Sony president Ben Feingold suggested. "For a format to be successful, it's important to have a broad product offering. We've been working with all the studios to help them get up to speed on releasing product."

Last week, Sony unveiled a fresh slate of UMD content priced at $19.95. Coming June 14 are Daddy Day Care, Bad Boys, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series--Mutant Menace and The Grudge. Hitting retail June 28 will be Resident Evil, Starship Troopers, Air Force One and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Disney also recently announced several new PSP movie titles (VB, 4-25).

Feingold is open to collaborating with studios on joint marketing and advertising strategies. He believes corporate cooperation was a big help in getting the DVD format off the ground in the late '90s.

Retailers reported strong first week sales (VB, 4-25), representing another boost for the PSP. Some store executives were initially hesitant that consumers would pay to view on a small screen movies that they might have already bought on DVD. Some PSP titles also lack bonus features that usually come standard on DVDs.

"This is the second format I've been involved in launching," Feingold said. "There was some skepticism to DVD. And there was a little skepticism with PSP on the movie side. But it's off to a fantastic start."
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GO PSP UMD GO GO!


Bring 'em on! :D
 
What's interesting is that Sony is promoting UMD side-by-side with Blu-Ray to movie studios based on reports. Having some of the HD-DVD studios sign on with UMD, along with the Blu-Ray negotiotiations we've been hearing about make me even more optimistic that the format war may be averted.
 
I dont give a fuck till they drop the prices. Saw Flying Daggers and Kill Bill, etc. for $29.99 today at Best Buy and I said you can go to hell!
 
Target has HOFD for $19.99. Didn't see Kill Bill there though.

I wouldn't pay $29.99 for UMD movies either. I did get Kill Bill, but I bought it for $17.99 through a special deal.
 
Meier said:
I dont give a fuck till they drop the prices. Saw Flying Daggers and Kill Bill, etc. for $29.99 today at Best Buy and I said you can go to hell!
Click to expand...

Amazon has 15 UMD's and most are $13.99 -$15.99 not on sale. Expect to easily find ~most movies for $13 pretty regularly. Not too bad, IMO. Although, I'd much prefer $10
 
I can't see myself buying movies for the psp. However, if you give me umd box sets of family guy or futurama or other half hour shows like Chappelle's show and I'll eats those up.
 
If they were $9.99, I could see myself purchasing more than a few, but right now some UMD versions of movie's cost more than the regular DVD version (due to certain DVD titles being heavily discounted), and that's just wrong.
 
Kindbudmaster said:
I can't see myself buying movies for the psp. However, if you give me umd box sets of family guy or futurama or other half hour shows like Chappelle's show and I'll eats those up.
Click to expand...

I'm totally with you on this. Once I get a 1gig MS I'm just gonna rip DVD's of shows I don't have time to watch and throw them on there anyway, they may as well make it easier for me :)
 
I think right now, they're just trying to figure out how much they can get people to pay for UMDs and still sell a bunch of them. I expect the $30 price point for some of them to disappear soon, but this really happens when any new, untested format is thrust onto the market. I wouldn't pay more than $20, but $10-15 is ideal.

I'll get SuperTroopers, though. Gotta support Broken Lizard!

Once TV shows (other than Spiderman) start making it onto UMDs, I'll be there.
 
Didn't want to start another UMD movie thread so here I am. I found some listings for more movies. Don't know how many of these some of you know about though. But here you go...

Anacondas: Hunt for Blood Orchid
Are We There Yet?
Boogeymen
Charlie's Angels
Daddy Day Care
Hitch
Hollow Man
Open Water
Saw
Spider-Man: New Animated Series
Terminator 2
The Grudge
The Punisher
Van Wilder
You Got Served :lol
 
soundwave05 said:
If they were $9.99, I could see myself purchasing more than a few, but right now some UMD versions of movie's cost more than the regular DVD version (due to certain DVD titles being heavily discounted), and that's just wrong.
Click to expand...

We have a winner :D
Hopefully companies get it in their head and start a base price of 14.99 for new releases, they will sell at the price.
 
$9.99 is the sweet spot for UMD releases. Lower quality video/less features (should) = lower MSRP.
 
Scoobert said:
You Got Served :lol
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hey dont laugh, im good friends with the main "bad guy" with blonde spikey hair. :)

he's got a new movie he's working on and has TWO sex scenes with ... Maybe I can't say yet. :O
 
GDJustin said:
$9.99 is the sweet spot for UMD releases. Lower quality video/less features (should) = lower MSRP.
Click to expand...
I don't see that happening for a while. For now, people seem to be eating them up at $15-20.
 
Mrbob said:
Coming June 14 are Daddy Day Care, Bad Boys, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series--Mutant Menace and The Grudge. Hitting retail June 28 will be Resident Evil, Starship Troopers, Air Force One and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Click to expand...

Gimme Bad Boys II plz.

Also, please bring over TV show box set Fox. 24/Simpsons/Family Guy UMDs will make you lots of $$$$$.
 
Box sets of TV shows would be the only definite UMD purchases for me, though I may eventually pick up some others. I would absolutely buy Aqua Teen, Family Guy, and Futurama box sets, if they were the same price as the DVD versions.

Anyway, updated my UMD movie release list with the new additions:

Released:
Hellboy: Director's Cut
House of Flying Daggers
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Once Upon a Time In Mexico
XXX
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

5/3
National Treasure
Hero
Reign of Fire

5/24
Are We There Yet?
Charlie's Angels

5/31
Boogeyman
Hollow Man

6/7
The Punisher

6/14
Hitch
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
Daddy Day Care
Bad Boys
The Grudge

6/21
Hostage
Cursed
King Arthur: Extended Unrated Director's Cut
Tron

6/24
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
Saw
Open Water

6/28
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
You Got Served
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
Resident Evil
Starship Troopers
Air Force One
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

7/19
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Armageddon
Gone in 60 Seconds Unrated Director's Cut
From Dusk Till Dawn

TBA:
House of the Dead
Rambo: First Blood
Total Recall
Young Guns
Universal Soldier
Stargate

Released: 7
Upcoming: 38
 
Hey Drinky -- isn't this in the wrong forum? I mean, these aren't -games-, after all!

Cough cough cough.

On a practical note... do we have any numbers on how well these things have sold at this point? I'm quite curious.
 
Red Mercury said:
Words fail me with you almost 90% of the time. Guess what, this is one of those times.

Unbelievable.
Click to expand...

I own a psp, and I have watched a movie on it, the prices are simply too high, $24.99 for a umd is insane.
 
wobedraggled said:
I own a psp, and I have watched a movie on it, the prices are simply too high, $24.99 for a umd is insane.
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So how does that make the UMDs an awful idea and worthy of failing? Perhaps constructive criticism is something you should look into. If you have a problem with the prices of UMD movies, you should say that you have a problem with the prices of UMD movies. Not the media it self.
 
Red Mercury said:
So how does that make the UMDs an awful idea and worthy of failing? Perhaps constructive criticism is something you should look into. If you have a problem with the prices of UMD movies, you should say that you have a problem with the prices of UMD movies. Not the media it self.
Click to expand...

Fine, the media is ok... not quite "universal" since the psp is the only thing playing it,

The movie prices are out of whack though, plain and simple.
 
wobedraggled said:
Fine, the media is ok... not quite "universal" since the psp is the only thing playing it,

The movie prices are out of whack though, plain and simple.
Click to expand...

Just to nitpick, since I am woefully sleep deprived, I believe the Universal in Universal Media Disc is not Universal in that it can be played on anything, but that the Media is Universal. Ya know... games, or movies, or music... a kind of universal disc to store your media on.

Although, yeah.. UMD movie prices suck. Hear-hear. $10 is definately the sweet spot for that. Although, seeing Kill Bill on the PSP was mighty tempting. But not $20 tempting.
 
This is supposed to be good news?

I was at futureshop the other day and their UMDs are priced at $31 CDN vs. DVDs that are about 8 to 10 bucks cheaper depending on title, and are far more portable (ironically) since I can play it anywhere that has a DVD player.

UMD movies= still doomed.
 
Deku said:
and are far more portable (ironically) since I can play it anywhere that has a DVD player.
Click to expand...

What? How can it be more portable than having a PSP that you can bring anywhere and use at any time? Or wait, maybe you're saying you don't have a PSP? :P
 
Hmmm.. forced to choose between carrying a DVD or a PSP + UMD , I think the DVd is more portable in many cases where the places I go have a DVd player for me to use.

I've been trying not to bring up the battery issue, but it's always there. Carrying my charger around like an idiot isn't that portable.

I'm sure there will be recommendations for me to buy more batteries but I might as well carry a generator with me. Despite what you'd like to claim, PSP movie viewing isn't that portable beyond the short commutes, even then you'd have to be charging right away when you get to your destinations, that's not even going into the limited selection and the pricing.

But yea, I guess you've been converted. enjoy the Pan and Scan Spiderman, I've got to catch up on my Kurosawa movies anyways, which won't be on UMDs.
 
Deku said:
Hmmm.. forced to choose between carrying a DVD or a PSP + UMD , I think the DVd is more portable in many cases where the places I go have a DVd player for me to use.

I've been trying not to bring up the battery issue, but it's always there. Carrying my charger around like an idiot isn't that portable.

I'm sure there will be recommendations for me to buy more batteries but I might as well carry a generator with me. Despite what you'd like to claim, PSP movie viewing isn't that portable beyond the short commutes, even then you'd have to be charging right away when you get to your destinations, that's not even going into the limited selection and the pricing.

But yea, I guess you've been converted. enjoy the Pan and Scan Spiderman, I've got to catch up on my Kurosawa movies anyways, which won't be on UMDs.
Click to expand...

Converted? Sorry, but I'm a DS owner only.
I was just being rational, since I don't usually walk around finding DVD players everywhere I go.
 
"$9.99 is the sweet spot for UMD releases. Lower quality video/less features (should) = lower MSRP."
Click to expand...
someone needs to tell Japan!

$50+ for a 40 minute music video UMD?
are they crazy???

or i could buy the UMD version of Biohazard 2 , hellboy, spider man 2 for $39...

or... i could get the JPN DVD for about $25... it's a hard choice to make...
 
Those Japanese prices are insane. I'd love to have portable versions for some movies that I like, but I really can't justify spending $15-$25 on movies that I already have. And if I don't already have it, where's the incentive to buy the inferior version? I was at Target the other day, and wanted to buy House of Flying Daggers. Both the UMD and the DVD were next to each other on the shelf. Sure, portability is great, but with both of them priced at $19.99, I'm going to go for the DVD that has better quality and extra features like commentary. I think they'd sell a lot at the $9.99 price point, but until they come down to that price, I'm not going to be buying any, and it sounds like there's a few others here that won't either.
 
DCharlie said:
someone needs to tell Japan!

$50+ for a 40 minute music video UMD?
are they crazy???

or i could buy the UMD version of Biohazard 2 , hellboy, spider man 2 for $39...

or... i could get the JPN DVD for about $25... it's a hard choice to make...
Click to expand...

No, it is not hard... you won't have to make it at all.

Go out, have fun and when you wake up late the next morning you will have both discs laying next to your bed ;).
 
Forsete said:
:lol @ all the hobby analysts on GAF who said UMD were t3h bomb!
Click to expand...

Far from it. UMD movies are insanely popular. Every Best Buy I go to is either completely sold out of every single title (just a big empty shelf) or has 1 or 2 copies of Kill Bill and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. They are so hard to find.

I have a flight next week and I wanted two movies to watch (one on the way up and one on the way back) so I decided to hunt down Kill Bill and Pirates on UMD since I don't really feel like watching Spidey 2 for the 1,000th time. I had to drive all over town just to find copies of those two movies.

It's far from a failure. This time next year you'll probably see every major Hollywood studio releasing UMD movies day and date with the DVD versions (like Disney is doing with National Treasure next week).
 
ManaByte said:
Far from it. UMD movies are insanely popular. Every Best Buy I go to is either completely sold out of every single title (just a big empty shelf) or has 1 or 2 copies of Kill Bill and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. They are so hard to find.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say they're insanely popular - they initially shipped in relatively low quantities, so you may just be seeing the majority of the stock they actually got. Or, even if it is a sell out, there wasn't much stock to begin with.

Still, they seem to be doing better than expected by a lot of people but that's a bit of a shame given the >DVD prices they're asking in a most cases.
 
"No, it is not hard... you won't have to make it at all.

Go out, have fun and when you wake up late the next morning you will have both discs laying next to your bed ;)."
Click to expand...
lol - funny you should say that...

me and the future Mrs Charlie went for some izakaya food last night, a few drinks, etc...
on the way back to Chez Charle we swung in the late night games store...

"Oh... Naruto UMD!... cool, first couple of episodes... and it's only 5040 yen..."
*long pause*
".... *checks balance* nope, i'm still not pissed enough *replaces Naruto on shelf*"
 
Panajev2001a said:
Go out, have fun and when you wake up late the next morning you will have both discs laying next to your bed ;).
Click to expand...

Funny, I go out, have fun and the only thing I wake up with is a hangover and a girl who thinks she's going to get breakfast.

PS. If I ever figure out how to send a PM here, I have a question.
 
"Funny, I go out, have fun and the only thing I wake up with is a hangover and a girl who thinks she's going to get breakfast."
Click to expand...

damn, at least cook your mom breakfast dood. ;)
 
Willco said:
Do you guys hold the PSP in your hands for two hours while watching movies?
Click to expand...

I did when I watched the bundled Spider-Man 2 UMD movie. However, I've now got a Logitech PlayGear Pocket case, and that folds back nicely to prop up the machine for easy movie viewing.

7037.jpg


There are some other solutions out there. I've seen the Stereo Station+ from Hip Gear in stores:

8_LM667_b.jpg


This unit has stereo speakers, front-mounted buttons for playback functions (probably works along the lines of the bundled remote headphones), and also functions as a charging cradle.

Logitech also has a device coming soon called PlayGear Amp.

6981.jpg
 
I went back to work today after 2 days off, and noticed something, we sold outta all the PSP movies... well.. all the ones with the price 19.99
The 24.99 ones will still there, all of them.

Expect the 24.99 to become 19.99 very soon.
 
DCharlie said:
lol - funny you should say that...

me and the future Mrs Charlie went for some izakaya food last night, a few drinks, etc...
on the way back to Chez Charle we swung in the late night games store...

"Oh... Naruto UMD!... cool, first couple of episodes... and it's only 5040 yen..."
*long pause*
".... *checks balance* nope, i'm still not pissed enough *replaces Naruto on shelf*"
Click to expand...

I will go assuming pissed did not mean angry there :lol.

See, you made the first mistake typical of a savvy consumer: you checked your balance.

Soon enough, you won't pay the launch tax anymore and then what ? Where is this world of ours coming to ?
 
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