Just when it looked as if the tide may have turned in favor of Blu-ray, HD DVD received a significant boost today in the form of exclusive support from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation. Going forward, all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment, will be exclusive to the HD DVD format.
The exclusive support starts on August 28 with the comedy Blades of Glory, and that will be followed by blockbusters such as Transformers and Shrek the Third—those three alone represent more than $1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide. The news comes as a blow to Sony's Blu-ray format, which had been gaining steam of late. And it means that PS3 owners who thought they'd be able to snag these movies on Blu-ray will have no such luck.
Paramount Home Entertainment said that today's announcement does not include films directed by Steven Spielberg, however, since his films are not exclusive to either format.
The studio commented that its decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format "resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs."
"The combination of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation brings a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers with a line-up of live action and animated films that are perfect for HD DVD," said Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures. "Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater, and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience. I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount."
"We decided to release Shrek the Third and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience – families," added DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg. "We believe the combination of this year's low- priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home."
Microsoft recently cut the price on its Xbox 360 HD DVD Player to $179. Combined with the price reduction on the console itself, this Paramount news could help fuel HD DVD Player sales for the console along with further sales of HD DVD movies.
Universal Pictures is the only other studio to exclusively support HD DVD, meaning that films such as Peter Jackson's King Kong and The Bourne Ultimatum will not be available on Blu-ray for PS3 owners. By the same token, however, movies from Sony Pictures, such as Spider-Man 3, and movies from Disney's Buena Vista such as all three Pirates of the Caribbean, will only be available on Blu-ray.
[UPDATE] Just hours after the surprising Paramount news, we've now received an announcement from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, which also releases films from MGM. The studio was one of the more vocal Blu-ray supporters early on, but Fox hasn't released any high-def movies since March and has not really been much of a factor in the format war.
Now, however, in what seems like an answer to the HD DVD camp's big Paramount news, Fox and MGM have pledged exclusive support for 29 Blu-ray titles through the end of this year. The plan highlights six day & date BD/DVD new theatrical releases from Fox including the $241 million box-office hit Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the $335 million box-office draw Live Free or Die Hard, four day & date BD/DVD (U.S. only) new theatrical releases from MGM, 19 'must-have on BD' films from the two studios' libraries, Fox's first-ever TV release on BD, Prison Break, and Fox's intention to release at least one state-of-the-art title per month featuring numerous BD 'firsts.'
Fox noted that the "vast majority" of its upcoming global slate will be presented on 50 GB dual-layer discs with BD-J interactivity and feature numerous Blu-ray exclusive high-definition bonus materials—something that many BD's have failed to adequately provide.
"Given that Blu-ray has consistently outsold HD DVD all year, and this is the case for any titles released by any studio in both formats, we believe that the time is right for us to accelerate our activities and help convert the nearly 60 million high definition households worldwide into Blu-ray households," commented Mike Dunn, President Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "By the end of this calendar year there will be expansive availability of technically vibrant releases featuring never-before-seen, advanced BD-J interactivity as well as a broad offering of playback devices at attractive prices that will prove to any doubting consumers once and for all that Blu-ray is the only way."
He added, "And as Blu-ray continues to grows stronger, it has become survival of the fittest which is most apparent in the retail landscape where our eager and growing global Blu-ray consumer base has caused a shift that is forcing the allocation of more space to the format that is selling the best. And, in many recent instances of note, top retailers in North America are choosing to promote the Blu-ray format exclusively in their stores."
by James Brightman
source:gamedaily.com
