A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014) • Hacker News Board

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#11

Post by ghaff » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:27 PM UTC

beamatronic wrote: post #9

Animats wrote: post #2

The author harps on "networks" too much. In general, brick and mortar retail sectors which can be done better on line have tanked. From Sears to Radio Shack to Toys-R-Us, that's happened. Malls in general are hurting badly.

Oddly one of the big San Jose malls (Valley Fair) is currently undergoing a huge renovation and expansion.

It's very uneven. Upscale malls are generally doing pretty well. Then there's the nearest mall near me which sports such luminaries as Sears and JC Penneys as anchor stores (plus the Toys R US which recently closed). It's not... great. There are a few stores in the same general complex that seem to be doing fine but the mall itself is moribund.

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#12

Post by jackconnor » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:35 PM UTC

"Antioco was, in fact, a very competent executive—many considered him a retail genius"...yet he made incredibly obvious mistakes to prop up a business with a flawed business model. I fail to see any of the genius, he seems like another corporate idiot in a suit, to me.

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#13

Post by stevenwoo » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:35 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #2

The author harps on "networks" too much. In general, brick and mortar retail sectors which can be done better on line have tanked. From Sears to Radio Shack to Toys-R-Us, that's happened. Malls in general are hurting badly.

I thought Toys-R-Us went under because private equity firms that bought it stood to make more money that way. Probably if it had remained an independent company it would still be around.

https://theweek.com/articles/761124/how-vulture-capitalists-...

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/toys-r-...

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#14

Post by RandallBrown » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:47 PM UTC

jackconnor wrote: post #12

"Antioco was, in fact, a very competent executive—many considered him a retail genius"...yet he made incredibly obvious mistakes to prop up a business with a flawed business model. I fail to see any of the genius, he seems like another corporate idiot in a suit, to me.

Antioco tried launching a dvd by mail and streaming service around the same time Netflix did. They were behind, but not that far. The problem seems to be this

> While he convinced the board to back his plan, one of his lieutenants, Jim Keyes, led a rear guard action.

Had they actually listened to Antioco, they may have survived.

I subscribed to Blockbuster Online because I could return things to the store and get movies faster than Netflix. Everything about it was equal or better (except maybe the name.)

Then it all sorta fell apart on Blockbuster and I've been a happy Netflix subscriber for more than a decade.

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#15

Post by toast0 » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:48 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #5

Blockbuster used to have a really crappy selection of mostly mainstream movies, but often it was one of the closest video rental stores around, as they seemed to be everywhere. They also censored and cut their movies, which was really annoying. I don't know what their agenda was on that front, and why they couldn't just let mature adults watch the full films. My friends and I used to much prefer going to independent…

> I had meant to try Greencine, as it supposedly had an even better selection of obscure movies

They did have a selection of obscure movies, but sometimes their selection/availability of popular movies left something to be desired. When they moved their operations to the LA area, it really hurt their delivery times to the bay area, and that happened around the time that Netflix added streaming as a free feature, so it made sense for me to switch. I keep thinking of going back to the DVD subscription because a lot of things I want to watch just aren't available, but streaming is nice for immediacy when it actually has something, and I don't really want to pay for both.

How is the DVD selection these days?

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#16

Post by toast0 » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:51 PM UTC

stevenwoo wrote: post #13

Animats wrote: post #2

The author harps on "networks" too much. In general, brick and mortar retail sectors which can be done better on line have tanked. From Sears to Radio Shack to Toys-R-Us, that's happened. Malls in general are hurting badly.

I thought Toys-R-Us went under because private equity firms that bought it stood to make more money that way. Probably if it had remained an independent company it would still be around. https://theweek.com/articles/761124/how-vulture-capitalists-... https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/toys-r-...

Toys R Us going under was essentially guaranteed when it was sold to private equity firms, it was simply a question of when and how. Everyone involved in the transaction knew that at the time of the sale. The question for the sellers was, given that I know this ship is going to end up on the beach, should I run it there myself and try to give it a soft landing, or should I sell it and let someone else take it into the shore full steam ahead.

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#17

Post by stephengillie » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 9:58 PM UTC

schnevets wrote: post #3

In the same year that Reed Hastings was laughed out of the conference room, Blockbuster announced a partnership with Enron for Videos on Demand. https://www.forbes.com/2000/07/20/mu4.html#545092873541 The partnership lasted a single year. I wonder which event happened first? If they met with Enron first, it seems the morale is to move fast and never underestimate what the future holds. If they met with Netflix first,…

It seems so bizarre - a rental company would stream video, through an energy company's fiber optic cables. Didn't this seem incongruous to anyone at the time?

https://youtu.be/5sMXR7rK40U?t=6m8s

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#18

Post by lotsofpulp » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 10:12 PM UTC

beamatronic wrote: post #9

Animats wrote: post #2

The author harps on "networks" too much. In general, brick and mortar retail sectors which can be done better on line have tanked. From Sears to Radio Shack to Toys-R-Us, that's happened. Malls in general are hurting badly.

Oddly one of the big San Jose malls (Valley Fair) is currently undergoing a huge renovation and expansion.

Only the malls around rich people are doing okay. You can spot these by searching for Apple and Nordstrom’s, also where you will find the wealthier side of any urban area.

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#19

Post by bmer » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 10:15 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #5

Blockbuster used to have a really crappy selection of mostly mainstream movies, but often it was one of the closest video rental stores around, as they seemed to be everywhere. They also censored and cut their movies, which was really annoying. I don't know what their agenda was on that front, and why they couldn't just let mature adults watch the full films. My friends and I used to much prefer going to independent…

> Many of them rarely realize how crappy the selection of Netflix streaming is, as they've been brought up on a diet of crap, and are only vaguely aware that there's a whole world of fantastic movies out there beyond Hollywood blockbusters and TV shows.

I like science fiction and well done period dramas (i.e. historical fiction or alternative history). I am not really into high-brow art movies, as I don't really have the education to get them. Is there really a wide world beyond Hollywood for the type of movies I enjoy? If yes, how does one go about exploring this world?

Re: A Look Back at Why Blockbuster Really Failed and Why It Didn't Have To (2014)

#20

Post by euos » Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 10:17 PM UTC

beamatronic wrote: post #9

Animats wrote: post #2

The author harps on "networks" too much. In general, brick and mortar retail sectors which can be done better on line have tanked. From Sears to Radio Shack to Toys-R-Us, that's happened. Malls in general are hurting badly.

Oddly one of the big San Jose malls (Valley Fair) is currently undergoing a huge renovation and expansion.

And in Cupertino Vallco is rotting.