Given that $100 at Wal-mart is essentially as good as cash, we can only imagine how titillating this offer may seem for Blu-ray holdouts. Announced today, the mega-retailer will be offering a $100 gift card with the purchase of any Blu-ray player from June 8th through 14th -- and yes, Sony's PlayStation 3 is included. In case this wasn't enough to maybe-possibly get the general public to actually
pay attention to the format, Wally World will also sell "select" BD titles for $15 starting on the 8th. Since the format war ended earlier this year, we've seen report after report
proclaiming that Blu-ray adoption
just wasn't taking off here in America, but with a theoretical net price
now close to $200 (albeit for a few days only), we can certainly see the masses taking notice at long last.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted Jun 3rd 2008 10:51PM
Um, actually this officially started in-stores SUNDAY and online a few weeks ago. Also Best Buy stores got a directive from their corporate office to pricematch this deal on a case by case basis if you'd rather have a $100 BBY giftcard.
Why anyone would prefer a bestbuy giftcard is a mystery to me.
Long live paying full MSRP!
So... it started and already ended online? And it started Sunday and is going on till when in stores?
First of all, I'm buying my PS3 on june 12th to get the MGS4 DS3 pack.
Secondly, I'd perfer to use this to buy games, but games cost so damn much I can only buy one game and maybe have enough left over to get a Blu Ray disk that's on sale.
Wal-Mart:
"You know you are going to buy some crap from us sooner or later"
Yea I was gonna say...wasn't this on slashdot like.....a week ago?
I got a $10 Walmart gift card about 4 years ago. I think I finally lost it a couple months back... Even so, if I were out looking for a BR player or a PS3, I'd go to Walmart.
Craig#2, because there are no Wal-Marts in my general area(unless I want to drive far) is one reason. Another, Best Buy always has sales on quite a few items, so you may not pay MSRP if you wait for a sale and also coupons in the mail.
@EricB:
Thanks for the head's up. Mentioned it to my wife (we've been waiting to buy a PS3 to have a Blu-Ray player), and she actually came home with one yesterday, AND the $100 gift card (no convincing necessary . . . Best. Wife. Ever.). Anyway, she said the guy at Wal-Mart told her that the $100-gift card deal ends June 7. She actually bought the last PS3 in the store. Wal-mart dude didn't know anything about the $15 movies.
If it weren't for EricB, we'd have missed it, and I'd be cussing Engadget pretty fierce on June 8.
Tempting. I might actually buy a PS3.
"titillating"
he he he...
Oh MGS4 bundle, I didn't think you could be anymore delectable....
WIN
Consoles still come bundled with the six-axis, huh? That's kind of disappointing..
MGS4 pack comes with DS3.
Don't know what you are talking about, don't bash, or get better informed.
And where might one buy this MGS4 bundle? Oh, not out yet?
Then I guess his statement still stands as valid. The current consoles on Walmart.com come with Sixaxis. Maybe you should quit being an overly-defensive fanboy. I mean with the success of the PS3 is it really necessary....oh wait...
@Kamokazi
The MGS4 bundle is being released on the 12th and will qualify.
Shutup.
The fanboys defending the least successful product are always the most amusing.
What a trainwreck.
@Kamokazi
I was unaware that a full year longer in market and less than a year's worth of sales more (PS3 has not been out 2 years and it has already posted over 13 million sales, compared to the Xbox's 19 million with almost 3 years on market) was a mark of massive success on microsoft's part and huge suckage on sony's...
not a fanboy either... just an informed individual who sees the truth in this mess
I didn't know the exact numbers, but it's about what I figured (actually maybe a bit lower...breaking it down by years, the PS3 has only sold ~160k per year more)....and it's likely the PS3 will be more successful than the Xbox 360 in the long run. (The Wii I don't even consider a contender because it's not really in the same class as the other two.)
I just like to throw bones to the rabid fanboys and watch them fight over them for my own amusement :-)
Actually the mgs4 bundle was packaged with dual shock 3... cuz my wonderful fiance wouldnt have bought it for me any other way! Duh!
Is this offer good in Canada? Of course not right?...
wait, so can you get $100 off the player you're buying
or do you just get a $100 gift card?
First Blu-Ray wins the format wars. Now the PlayStation 3 will win the console wars.
PS3 RUL u Rst Drul
You mean the Blu-ray player wars!
Epic price cuts / special offers are not the usual result of great success.
I think it's fair to say a fat portion of money is being lost on these sales.
$100 gift card is web use at wal-mart, you cannot use it in stores.
No, that was last week when it was only at walmart.com. And even when it was just online you could still order regular gift cards on the site with your "walmart.com gift card"
I got my PS3 yesterday since they are doing it this week (it doesnt start the 8th, it started on the 1st for in-store deals). I got GTA with the gift card and will be spending the rest on food.
If you buy your groceries at walmart then the gift card is indeed just as good as cash.
No that was the old offer. The new offer comes with a in store $100 gift card.
well i hate to break it to you, but it's still very much alive online
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=10039674&sourceid=19089883414108638491
actually a gift card is just a gift card... they cant make them online or offline... silly consumers... i love working for walmart
Easy to fix -- I bought myself a $100 gift card (on-line) to have shipped to the house. That cost me $1.87 for shipping. Always a way my friends.
I recommend getting this and Warhawk if you want a $40 awesome online game. Games like Oblivion, GTA4, MGS4, GT5 Prologue aren't bad choices either. Or if your into movies, a few Blu-rays.
Care to recommend any particular movie Phinn?
Have you played Uncharted: Drake's Fortune? I was hooked on that game for awhile also...way fun
@ David
V for Vendetta has a great transfer on Blu, Across the Universe sounds killer with HD audio and has marvelous PQ, I Am Legend is a must own, probably the best Blu I've seen aside from Cars lol, Kingdom of Heaven looks great, The Departed, 300... Casino Royale and Layer Cake
I liked "The Prestige"
With promotions like this, how can HD-DVD possibly win? I predict blu-ray as the eventual winner
You were in comma?
Must have been in a coma...
Your delivery was too dry. The thing to keep in mind when being clever on sites like Engadget is that the average American doesn't really get subtle humor like irony or sardonicism...
wow... just wow...
@Keith
Huh?
:) I stopped catering to average Americans a long time ago
Yes I suppose that is the wisest choice...
Ah yes. Make fun of America, a sure fire way to get your comment rated higher.
Better not, I wouldn't want you going hungry now JuggleNuts.
What an insensitive clod I am. My sincere condolences.
It's really odd how sarcasm, a humor that's defined by the way a person says it, just does not work while in pure text form.
@DarkestDaze: Yea it works. The problem is that some readers are just too slow to get it, but the sarcasm itself works fine..
IMO hd-dvd can still win since the players are cheaper.