[Jim Morrison]

"Spider-Man 3 is Sony's top-selling Blu-ray title, besting the former top-seller, Casino Royale.

NOV. 7 | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Spider-Man 3 swung to the top of the studio’s Blu-ray roster, selling 130,000 high-def units in its first six days on shelves, according to the studio.

The studio shipped about 400,000 Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray units to retail for the title’s Oct. 30 bow, said Sony, making first-week sell-off about 30%. Sony said that does not include units bundled with the new $399 PlayStation 3.

That street week sell-off bested the comparable kick-off frame for Casino Royale on Blu-ray by more than three times. Casino Royale, which sold 40,000 Blu-ray copies in week-one sales, had been Sony’s No. 1 performer in the format to this point.

The top-opening Blu-ray title across studios is believed to be Warner Home Video’s 300, which the studio reportedly sold 250,000 units on the HD DVD and BD formats combined. It’s believed about two-third, or 165,000, of 300 units were Blu-ray.

On the HD DVD side, Paramount Home Entertainment touted selling 190,000 HD DVD units of Transformers in the week after its Oct. 16 bow. Many industry sources wound up disputing that figure, however, believing it was actually tens of thousands lower.

Sony executives said Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray is doing a bang-up job at retail.

“We are well-placed for the holidays,” said Sony’s worldwide president, David Bishop. “We got in before the key shopping season, and now you’ll have more people getting into the market, as new players are launching from Sony, Sharp, Panasonic [among others]. It’s our hope that they walk out with a player and Spider-Man 3.”
"

http://www.videobusiness.com/article...?desc=topstory

[Jim Morrison]

Sorry - title should read 130,000 sold. If one of the mods could do the honours.

Ta

Jim

[Rasczak]

Giving fairly wide margins for error on either side then it looks like both HD DVD and Blu-ray blockbusters are now able to shift more-or-less equal numbers.

[Jeff]

I assume thats both sku's? (Spiderman 3 and the trilogy)

[Sonic67]

The Transformers DVD did better too.

http://www.dvdtown.com/news/spider-m...d-blu-ray/4903

The numbers for the first week are in. Spider-man 3 did good but falls short of Transformers both in HD and on DVD.

"Spider-man 3" becomes the best selling Blu-ray title with 130,000 copies sold in the first six days. "Transformers" did 190,000 units on HD DVD in the same timeframe. Some have speculated that the "Transformers" numbers are exaggerated but proof has not been presented and Paramount says that they have double checked the numbers.

On DVD Sony was more reluctant to reveal specific numbers but said that the standard DVD version sold 4 - 5 million copies. "Transformers" did 8.3 million on DVD.

[Greg]

Ok, lets not turn this into a Blu-ray and HD-DVD format war thread. Let's all be happy that both formats are having good sales.

[eiren]

Yep, it seems to be a good sign that high definition is being adopted, rather than ignored.

[Pecker]

Originally Posted by Greg

Ok, lets not turn this into a Blu-ray and HD-DVD format war thread. Let's all be happy that both formats are having good sales.

Greg's right - we'd only be discussing things we may never know.

There's no reason to believe or know with any certainty whether one studio is being more or less honest with the truth than another. I suppose the fanboys will believe what they want to believe (which will inevitably be their own 'side').

Paramount's announcement was brought into question by a HMR report, but unless they do a similar survey on Spider-Man 3 we'll never know whether they feel Sony are being more or less accurate - anyway, Paramount still dispute the report.

We should just be happy that high def on both formats can sell big nimbers.

Steve W

[Donnacha]

Its great that HD (in both formats) is taking off! Its getting harder to watch (or buy) SD DVD these days so the more HD the better!!

[lfletcher]

Originally Posted by Jeff

I assume thats both sku's? (Spiderman 3 and the trilogy)

From bits and pieces on various other forums that figure looks like it might be just for the standalone Spidey 3 release and doesn't include the copy in the boxset or any of the PS3 giveaways.

Should have a better idea on Friday when the Nielson figures come out.

[Jeff]

Strange I expected the trilogy to sell better, it has always been well ahead on Amazon.

[lfletcher]

New Nielson figures are out and the Trilogy sold 71.95% of what the individual release did. If Spidey 3 did around 130,000 units, the Trilogy sold just over 90,000.

[zz101]

Originally Posted by lfletcher

New Nielson figures are out and the Trilogy sold 71.95% of what the individual release did. If Spidey 3 did around 130,000 units, the Trilogy sold just over 90,000.

Thats amazing figures for a box set

I'm glad to see Sony didnt put out any silly press releases too.

[Adam_uk]

Wow you continually find new ways to annoy people don't you.

How many bans have you had so far?

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by lfletcher

New Nielson figures are out and the Trilogy sold 71.95% of what the individual release did. If Spidey 3 did around 130,000 units, the Trilogy sold just over 90,000.

It looks like the 130'000 was combined otherwise Transformers sold over 40'000 in it's 3rd week.

[zz101]

Originally Posted by Adam_uk

Wow you continually find new ways to annoy people don't you.

How many bans have you had so far?

[pythagoras]

It dosnt matter which studio had released Spiderman, they would have quoted the sales figures for the individual release and the boxset as a combined figure. It was always wishful thinking to believe otherwise.

Nice sales figure, lets hope hd sales can carryon increasing.

Regards

John.

[zz101]

Originally Posted by pythagoras

It dosnt matter which studio had released Spiderman, they would have quoted the sales figures for the individual release and the boxset as a combined figure. It was always wishful thinking to believe otherwise.

Nice sales figure, lets hope hd sales can carryon increasing.

Regards

John.

I thought the press release was just Spiderman 3? (I very much doubt they would have added Spiderman trilogy sales to the total without saying as its a completely seperate product). Thats my point - Sony seem to making moves to distance itself from the 'format war TM' which is to be applauded. Hopefully others will follow.

[pythagoras]

Spiderman 3 was in the boxset, so I assume would be counted as sm3 sales.

Regards

John.

[zz101]

Originally Posted by pythagoras

Spiderman 3 was in the boxset, so I assume would be counted as sm3 sales.

Regards

John.

I think they would have specified that though - regardless I'm sure we will find out one way or the other soon.

[Pecker]

Originally Posted by zz101

Thats amazing figures for a box set

I'm glad to see Sony didnt put out any silly press releases too.

Erm, they did.

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/sh..._for_Sony/1155

Originally Posted by pythagoras

Spiderman 3 was in the boxset, so I assume would be counted as sm3 sales.

Regards

John.

Surely, if Spider-Man 3 had sold 130,000 and the boxed-set sold 90,000, Sony would be trumpeting both figures, not just the latter.

Looks like the single set sold 76,000 and the boxed-set sold 54,000.

Feedback from retailers have been saying all week that Spider-Man 3 had been under-selling compared to Transformers, so that looks much nearer the mark.

BTW, I bought the boxed-set. At £33 from Sendit for 3 films, that's only £11 each...or as I see it, £16.50 each and turkey thrown in for free. Well, it is nearly Christmas.

Steve W

[Jeff]

If Spiderman 3 sold 130000 on it's own, then the BD 300 sold around 8000 which seems awfully high considering it's been doing around 3000 in prior weeks. But is it did do 130'000 on it's own then great, because HD is really starting to take off.

[zz101]

Originally Posted by Pecker

Erm, they did.

I meant they didnt make silly 'format war' claims like others who have since had there numbers disputed.

Like I said we'll eventually find out if it was just the single release so its wortless speculating on it.

[dr no]

I think one of the insiders elsewhere confirmed the SM3 sold is a combined figure of single and boxset sales.

Still good sales though especially as it's likely to have legs and it is in player bundles as well.

[dr no]

Originally Posted by Rasczak

Giving fairly wide margins for error on either side then it looks like both HD DVD and Blu-ray blockbusters are now able to shift more-or-less equal numbers.

Just to balance your quote, and not to inflame, it is only fair to say the same margin of error could also widen the sales gap as well.

[Rasczak]

Originally Posted by waled

Just to balance your quote, and not to inflame, it is only fair to say the same margin of error could also widen the sales gap as well.

Do you think my quote was biased then? I biased quote would surely have pointed out Transformers did 190,000 sales set against 130,000 for Spiderman 3 - but I wasn't going mention it until you brought it up.

[Pecker]

Originally Posted by zz101

I meant they didnt make silly 'format war' claims like others who have since had there numbers disputed.

Like I said we'll eventually find out if it was just the single release so its wortless speculating on it.

Sorry, I don't see how Sony's comments are any more or less valid than Paramounts.

Both may be equally accurate or inaccurate.

The only reason the Paramount figures have been called into question is that HMR did a report on sales in Transformers week. Unless a similar report comes in for Spider-Man 3, we'll be none the wiser.

Incidently, Parampunt still stick by 190,000. Meanwhile HMR admt their figures are based on incomplete data.

I think it's most accurate to say:

- Paramount claimed 190,000 for Transformers;

- Sony claimed 130,000 for Spider-Man 3 + The Spider-Man Boxed Set;

- HMR think it's possible Paramount might be out, they they don't have all the evidence;

- HMR have done no similar study for Sony's figures;

- Most fans of HDM are simply happy to accept that both have sold very well indeed.

I think that covers it all in an open and unbiased way.

I think Greg covered it best in Post number 6. Let's not turn this into a HD DVD vs BD format war thread.

WELL DONE SPIDER-MAN!

Steve W

[Lion]

I got spiderman 3 and watched it today, quite good really.
(I'm now officially format neutral. )

[Greg]

Yes indeedy, lets not get all hung up on the specifics of the sales figures. Lets just all be happy that the sales are 'relatively' good. Rather than start arguments on the validity of past figures, current figures etc.