Bourne, Potter dominate sales charts

by Darren Murph posted Dec 20th 2007 at 4:26PM

We knew sales of Universal's The Bourne Ultimatum and Warner's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would be closely eyed, and sure enough, the web is ablaze with discussion surrounding initial reports. Reportedly, Potter topped the DVD sales charts for the week ending December 16, 2007, but 'round these parts, it's the high-definition iteration(s) that we're concerned with. Regrettably, it seems that the actual breakdown of HD DVD vs. Blu-ray sales on the latest installment of Potter has yet to be divulged, but we were told that Bourne outsold the wizard and his posse by a margin of "nearly 2-to-1" on HD DVD. Furthermore, Order of the Phoenix managed to slip in at number two on the Blu-ray charts, falling shy of leader Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Hopefully we'll hear a few more specifics on all of this soon enough.

[Thanks, Ali]

Filed under: Industry, Blu-ray, HD DVD

Tags: data, format war, FormatWar, harry potter, HarryPotter, High School Musical 2, HighSchoolMusical2, nielsen, research, sales, The Bourne Ultimatum, TheBourneUltimatum, Universal, warner

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Neutral

andy @ Dec 20th 2007 11:54PM

It's easy to have more potential when you won't commit to a final product.

hooooozah!

Highly Ranked

Charles @ Dec 20th 2007 4:36PM

The fanboy warring commences in 3...2...1...

Guys, just give it a rest. All these blog posts are flame bait. Ignore this one because it doesn't even cite sales figures, only anecdotal evidence. There is nothing about which to get up in arms!

Do the right thing here.

Neutral

RPGJock @ Dec 20th 2007 6:44PM

AMEN Brutha!! Everytime I check the feed for new stuff, just see more and more flame bait. I wish they just shake hands and start developing duel systems already.

Neutral

jango fett @ Dec 22nd 2007 12:59AM

amen brother! amen! lets hope the fanatics hear you!

Neutral

jango fett @ Dec 22nd 2007 1:02AM

whoa i didnt know rpgjock had said the same thing when i wrotte it!

Neutral

anotherdave @ Dec 20th 2007 8:08PM

Tim - the BR/HD-DVD numbers were leaked at AVS. 61-39.

Neutral

dferg80 @ Dec 20th 2007 4:50PM

There are still two more weeks left of the Neilson numbers after tommorrows since they report sales for the previous week.

Neutral

DeadPlasmaCell @ Dec 20th 2007 4:51PM

Exactly.. And if you look at the Amazon #'s he mentions, The Bourne movies out sold The Potter movies as well.. so I'm not sure how it's "sealed as 100% in Blu-Rays favor" But that's the beauty of fanboys.. Reasoning and logic are not qualities they posses. All in all it's good news for HD movies in general.

Highly Ranked

Tim Dunlap @ Dec 20th 2007 4:52PM

This just proves (like Ratatoullie and Cars proved earlier this year) that families are not buying into HD. The family films are not doing as well on either format as the action/comedy/drama fliks are doing. If either format wants to tap into the family market, they really need to start catering directly to them. Of course, if they don't try harder, that probably won't happen until players are $20 and make no money for electronics companies. At that point, they'll have moved on to try and make a new format viable.

Highly Ranked

Cam @ Dec 20th 2007 4:52PM

Sucktacular Pirates 3 outsold OOTP? My god, what is wrong with people?!?

Highest Ranked

John B @ Dec 20th 2007 4:54PM

I wish that Steve and Ben would have the gonads to tell these trolls either to knock it off or risk having their accounts canceled. All that morons like BBG are doing is (A) making their particular camp look stupid and (B) bringing down Engadget HD to Digg levels. You know it's gotten bad when the first post has to be one that tells the fanboys to shut the hell up, which they promptly ignore anyway.

Neutral

Darren @ Dec 20th 2007 5:12PM

Trust us, we're doing our best to monitor comments and get the baseless fanboy rants out of here. There are plenty of places to spew aimlessly about formats -- Engadget HD is not one of them, and we're aiming to provide a place where intelligent conversation can occur.

Neutral

Devils Advocate @ Dec 20th 2007 4:54PM

61:39 were the numbers for the week.
If I were bluray Id be impressed considering that HD-DVD has the excellent Bourne as an exclusive and had their first BOGO.

If HD-DVD wants something to be happy about it was also shown that potter OotP ratio for blu:HD was 55:45 or 1.2:1

Neutral

david @ Dec 20th 2007 5:05PM

Are the numbers out for the week yet? Not saying they are not, but I thought the numbers were published on Friday.

Low Ranked

domerdel @ Dec 20th 2007 5:07PM

Red's been doing BOGO months ago, no where near the first.

Highest Ranked

zargon @ Dec 20th 2007 5:17PM

@david

These are the official unofficial numbers. I don't know if there is anyone else, but there is a member at AVS that has a source and has been leaking them on Wednesdays. Those were the numbers that they are saying they were given.

@domerdel

This is suppose to be the first HD-DVD sponsored BOGO, not random stores having them.

Highly Ranked

Jason @ Dec 20th 2007 4:57PM

I find it humerous that with a 3-1 or greater hardware advantage the BD patrol are consistently patting themselves on the back that they can outsell HD DVD by a 1.5:1 margin.

All this data is doing is further convincing studios that standalone player sales are far more important than the number of people with a PS3.

Neutral

Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 20th 2007 5:50PM

Yes, because clearly every PS3 is being used as a movie player. Both sides need to quit twisted the PS3 factor to suit their arguments... crap like you just posted is just plain stupid. The only fact about the PS3 is that it IS having an impact, but that impact is hard to gauge clearly due to its multifunctional use.

Low Ranked

Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 20th 2007 5:52PM

Oops.. that should read, "quit twisting".

Neutral

Tom @ Dec 20th 2007 6:03PM

So when a silver medalist looks up at the gold medalist does he also say, "yeah but you only won by .20 seconds, keep patting yourself on the back"

Neutral

JJ @ Dec 20th 2007 6:17PM

Tom that analogy really doesnt work in this case.

Its true that PS3 IS a capable BD movie players, but at the same time you cant Count on ALL Ps3's being used as such. So depending on what ration or statistic you want to use, you can skew the information to whatever way you want it to go, good or bad for either individual format.

The bottom line is still that BD software outsells HDDVD software and there's probably a LOT of overlap between its HD buyers.

Either way its still difficult to gauge either format fairly due to the many variable outside factors involved and the equipment required.

having the most standalone or players period out there doesnt matter if you're not moving the software, and the price of the software isnt exactly attractive to a mass market at the moment. %15 for a new DVD or 30 for the HD version is a choice i can tell you a lot of consumers dont care to make at this juncture unless you're a techie.

Neutral

Region Free HD @ Dec 21st 2007 6:39AM

@Tom

You do realize that in the real world, the gold medalist is STILL DVD?

Oh, and it's a crap analogy anyway. You don't hand out medals until AFTER the race is run.

Highly Ranked

Jody @ Dec 20th 2007 5:00PM

ok, it's official. BBG is the biggest FUD spewing tool currently posting on engadget. He has fallen to last place in the IQ department behind H4 and Truth Teller by scoring a record low 21, maybe he is really Charlie Gordon and the drugs are definitely wearing off.

Highly Ranked

Reapman @ Dec 20th 2007 5:02PM

I buy blu, I support blu, but ppl like BBG almost make me want HD-DVD to win, just for the look on his face...

Highest Ranked

Mitchell @ Dec 20th 2007 6:26PM

Remember. Week end numbers don't really mean anything. (The can fluctuate so fast with one title, as we have seen) If anyone is looking at these numbers to make a business discussion they are at minimum looking at current year numbers or maybe inception. Which it is much closer.

Mitchell

Neutral

zhang @ Dec 21st 2007 1:53AM

weekly numbers were 61:39, since inception numbers are 62:38, year to date numbers are 65:35. Sorry but i'm not sure which numbers you are saying are "much closer"

Highest Ranked

Kris @ Dec 20th 2007 5:14PM

Props to whichever admin deleted all of BBG's posts, glad you guys are starting to realize our frustration wtih this guy's presence on the boards! Thanks!

Neutral

zargon @ Dec 20th 2007 5:20PM

Now they just need to work on HDPurist, hd4lol, Nfinity, Truth Teller and probably Greg.

Neutral

Eddie @ Dec 20th 2007 5:41PM

It's a shutout! Bourne on HD outsells BluRay 100%!

Just kidding.

Seriously though, what do you guys think is the effect of the holiday season on these numbers? Hesitating to use the term "skewed", but do you think the studios are really paying attention to these numbers? On the one hand, sales are bound to be up what with sales and the gift giving season, but then again a) I have less money to buy myself these titles during this season and b) since I'm still considered an "early adopter", no one that knows me really knows (or really sees the point) to spend $35 on a new HDDVD as a gift for me.

Highest Ranked

andy @ Dec 20th 2007 6:18PM

I think this is why standalone player sales matter so much more than disc sales.

The sell through will really be determined by the number of houses ELIGIBLE for a movie. Not every movie sells to every player owner. You only buy the movies you want. So to sell software, you've got to get that hardware install base going. Look at PS3 and XBOX, they sell at a loss to get the install base and make it up on games. HD movies are getting there too, and they will eventually undercut each other on hardware to make it happen.

Lowest Ranked

Greg @ Dec 20th 2007 6:16PM

My dear zargon, I have as much a problem with trolls as you do.
Now that you would think I am one, when I am merely posting from time to time with facts (and links) to fight trolls like "Truth Teller" and ""HD4ME" (not counting zealots like Bill, Andy and countles others).
If you have a problem with infos that go against your own agenda, mmh, do not read public comments on blogs?

This being said, good week again for Blu Ray despite this last week having been anounced as maybe the toughest (or 2nd toughet, behind TF) week for Blu Ray. HD DVD had a Bogo (the first official one) and a huge exclusive title. Bourne did well, as expected, but HP did disappoint for both sides.
At this point we are indeed looking at a full year of Blu Ray dominance on Disc sales so far. Unless we get a big surprise with The Kingdwom / Eastern Promises (vs Rush Hour 3), that'll soon enough be 52 weeks.
Now I guess everyone will be looking at what will happen on January 7th (if anything at all happens that is). :)

Neutral

HD4ME @ Dec 21st 2007 1:46AM

@Greg
Thanks for dragging me into your shi* fight, very much appreciated.
If you have a look, i VERY OFTEN have highly ranked comments, and yours are often low ranked.
It's not my fault you post such crap, support the wrong team and don't know how to entertain with witty comments.

Those of us on the red team aren't so bitter as some "others" though, so you have a great Christmas and a wonderful new year.
Team red is looking forward to a very prosperous 2008, and i personally am looking forward to some more wonderful and en lighted posts of yours.

Neutral

andyj @ Dec 20th 2007 7:03PM

Harry Potter on Blu-ray outsold HD DVD? ... hmm ... this doesn't help keeping Warner from going Blu-ray exclusive much does it?

Neutral

TJ @ Dec 20th 2007 7:44PM

Here's a question: Do those #'s include the boxed set? Lots of fans who would spend the $$$ on a high def player probably picked that up. I did.

And what about the earlier films? Surely that contributed, especially for fans who might be building their collection a disc at a time. I also know several people who aren't buying them at all (DVD or HiDef), simply because they want to wait for a 7 disc set.

On the other hand, Pirates and Bourne skew more to an older crowd than Mr. Potter does (though I like all of them). Maybe the PS3 and HD DVD crowd simply prefer those flicks to HP.

Neutral

andyj @ Dec 20th 2007 7:47PM

From what I read on other sites -> the Blu-ray box set is what really outsold HD DVD :/

Neutral

Mike @ Dec 20th 2007 7:57PM

I don't see any leae info at avs cept that harry p sold close to 1.2 to 1 on both box set and the new movie.

Low Ranked

AlwaysThere @ Dec 20th 2007 8:05PM

800,000 dedicated HD DVD machines and Harry Potter and/or Bourne can't win a week for the HD DVD PR Group?

If you ask me, that's the big story.

Highly Ranked

carg0 @ Dec 20th 2007 8:16PM

Order of the Phoenix was an unwatchable mess of a film. possibly even worse than Azkaban, which i thought i'd never say considering how awful that was. it's really disappointing because i believed Goblet of FIre had gotten the series back on track.

the latest (last?) Bourne movie was good but couldn't have been more straightforward as far as plot. not nearly as good as the first two and instantly forgettable after it was over.

Highly Ranked

andy @ Dec 21st 2007 1:59AM

The main problem with OOTP was that it was only half as long as it needed to be. In the book, most of it is occupied with the time at Sirius' house learning about the order and what's going on. There was not nearly enough focus on that in this movie. What they did show was good, but I walked out of the theatre (for the first time in the series) knowing that I had missed something. So, I had to go back and read the book and the last two books. After reading the book, I realized why I felt so much was missing from the movie; it was.

Highest Ranked

Billy @ Dec 20th 2007 8:21PM

So the numbers got leaked, and Harry Potter blu-ray barely edged out it's HD-DVD counterpart with THREE times as many players in the wild.. what's that tell us? Make plot an x,y graph, STARE at the trend, and figure it out everyone :)

HD-DVD ftw

Neutral

med1320 @ Dec 20th 2007 9:04PM

I find this unhumerous that with a 10-1 or leaser software disadvantage th BD patrol car are persistenly touching themselves on the front that they cannot outsell HD DVD by a 20-1 margin.

All this data is not doing further convincing studios that unstandalone players sales are far more that the number of VCR's

Highly Ranked

MAK1981 @ Dec 20th 2007 9:57PM

That was possibly... the worst post I've ever read.... how can you fit 5 HDTV's in your mom's basement?

Highly Ranked

severian00 @ Dec 20th 2007 10:14PM

That was great mak, just great.

As for the numbers, HD-DVD should pull ahead for the week easily and I would say pull 45-55 by the end of the year. Come on guys, everyone knows that this war is either going to last forever or else it'll go down just like DVD+- did with dual format winning. With a market penetration as low as HDM has, no nuetral companies can afford to go exclusive unless money hats are involved. Quit with the bickering and face it. Dual format FTW.

Neutral

andyj @ Dec 20th 2007 10:34PM

The problem with the dual format now is that it is holding people from going full force with Hi Def ... it's simply causing confusion.

I know neither side wants to just give up ... but seriously ... wouldn't it just be easier if there was 1 format so we could all have the same titles?

... and right now Blu-ray has many more players out there and is selling more discs ... plus the discs can hold more data ... so if I was to choose 1 sole format I'd have to choose Blu ...

I hope Warner Bros. goes Blu solely soon like I've read they will ... cause I think it might help end this whole thing ... I dunno. Guess we'll see.

Highest Ranked

Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 1:34AM

HD DVD has more stand alone players and continues to sell more stand alone players... not to mention the lower price of HD DVD is a better buy for the working middle class.

I hope Disney goes neutral soon..like I have read..cause when they do...HD DVD jumps to a big lead.

Neutral

andyj @ Dec 21st 2007 1:58AM

Mike, I hear ya ... but using the stand alone players argument really doesn't help the HD DVD cause anymore ...

Ever since they said PS3s count in the Blu-ray player stats in order to attack Blu-ray attach rates.

Also remember, it's been a year running that Blu-ray has outsold HD DVD ... and the HD DVD inability to outsell Blu-ray even when they have blockbuster titles does not hold well for the format.

Highly Ranked

andy @ Dec 21st 2007 2:03AM

The only problem there is that my father will never buy a ps3 to play movies on. The ps3 market will saturate, and when it does, blu ray won't sell any more players. That is assuming they don't come to market with a full 2.0 spec player at the same price point as the HDDVD players. I know when my parents saw 100 dollars for an HD player, they jumped. That's not going to happen at 500+ (only 1.1 standalone).

They need to compete with the cheap players in order to put HDDVD away.

Highly Ranked

Mike @ Dec 21st 2007 4:47AM

But you are comparing weekly sales of different movies at different price... especially on weeks blue ray has buy 1 get 1 sales. Now when the movie 300 was released blue ray out sold hd dvd by close to 2 to 1...rumours are the new harry p movie and the harry p box set are closer then that. I saw some post it is close to 1.2 to 1. If that is true it is big for HD DVD as new HD DVD player (and the xbox 360 add on) are for movie sales and more of the new ps3 sales are for gamers who couldn't afford it when it was 500 or 600.

That is why Warner said it won't be influenced by game system sales.

Neutral

Snatcher (MDF - Halo Ring) @ Dec 21st 2007 2:03AM

As of today my good people I am format agnostic.

HD-A3 HDDVD player with:

300
Bourne Identity
Bourne Ultimatum
Harry Potter OOTP
Transformers
Evan Almighty

PS3 with:

Spiderman 3
Ghost Rider
Underworld Evolution

Sitting on the fence sucked balls. Now I get all of the great movies. BOGO FTW!

Neutral

Ryan @ Dec 21st 2007 7:45AM

I'm with you Snatcher. Being blinded by one format or not participating at all sucks too much.

With enough time there stands a good chance that dual format will prevail, affordable combo players will proliferate and it won't matter whether the case is red or blue.

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