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Sony’s high-definition disc format has struggled to find traction since it quashed the challenge of Toshiba’s HD DVD alternative in February. Yet, while bloated hardware prices and the need for a HD television continue to dissuade the majority of established DVD consumers, the success attributed to the Blu-ray release of The Dark Knight suggest the format still has legs.
The Dark Knight sets new opening-week records for Blu-ray sales. Image: Yosi/Flickr.
More pointedly, in its first week after swooping onto retail shelves, director Christopher Nolan’s summer sequel to Batman Begins has already sold in excess of 1.7 million units around the world, which surpasses all sales records set by previous Blu-ray releases.
As the caped crusader’s latest big-screen blockbuster reaches towards the sell-through landmark of two million unit sales, its Blu-ray popularity likely arrives as far from surprising for distributor Warner Bros., which has already seen The Dark Knight pushing $1 billion USD in terms of movie theatre ticket stubs.
The Blu-ray hot seller shot out of the gate upon release, racing to 600,000 sales in its very first day of availability, which duly offset the worries of some movie executives that believed such massive box office momentum would tarnish the film’s retail potential.
In terms of regional sales, buyers in the United States have snapped up more than 1 million Blu-ray copies of the film, while Batman fans in Australia, Benelux, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom have also contributed to the current total.
When comparing the single-week strength of previous sales leader The Matrix, which is largely credited with sparking interest in Blu-ray discs, The Dark Knight’s 1.7 million unit sales more than double the 780,000 units sold by the Wachowski Brothers’ sci-fi classic.
Despite the obvious appeal of The Dark Knight, Blu-ray players remain a low priority for consumers as the festive holiday looms large on the retail horizon. Specifically, a Google top ten of most searched-for products ahead of Christmas is led by the Nintendo Wii and is completely devoid of Blu-ray hardware – including Sony’s PlayStation 3 console.
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