Take that, Gotham!
NCR
NCR's Blockbuster Express kiosks are clearly gunning for Coinstar's
This isn't an easy race to handicap. NCR is bankrolling the rollout of the machines, so it's not going to burden Blockbuster's finances. We'll have to wait and see whether the value proposition of one-buck rentals will sting its in-store business.
It's clear that the public isn't valuing video entertainment the way it used to. DVD sales have been sluggish, and even Amazon.com
Do we blame piracy? Do we blame Google's
There's no single scapegoat here. Movie studios can't just blame $1 rentals for their DVD woes. If Blockbuster Express rentals wind up cannibalizing actual Blockbuster rentals, there are probably other factors feeding on those bones.
The filmed-entertainment industry is going through a lot changes these days. For now, at least, it means that even jaded New Yorkers may have a hard time resisting single-buck rentals.