Wal-Mart throws in $100 gift card with Blu-ray player purchase

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]

[EricB @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:56PM]

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.

[craig#2 @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:58PM]

Why anyone would prefer a bestbuy giftcard is a mystery to me.

Long live paying full MSRP!

[Josh @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:25PM]

So... it started and already ended online? And it started Sunday and is going on till when in stores?

[Flashpoint @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:37PM]

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.

[Drew @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:42PM]

Wal-Mart:

"You know you are going to buy some crap from us sooner or later"

[Mike @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:58PM]

Yea I was gonna say...wasn't this on slashdot like.....a week ago?

[Reader @ Jun 4th 2008 12:14AM]

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.

[Mobile Phone Diva @ Jun 4th 2008 12:16AM]

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.

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jun 6th 2008 4:09PM]

@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.

[craig#2 @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:56PM]

Tempting. I might actually buy a PS3.

[Drew @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:57PM]

"titillating"

he he he...

[Falcon Punch @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:01PM]

Oh MGS4 bundle, I didn't think you could be anymore delectable....

WIN

[craig#2 @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:05PM]

Consoles still come bundled with the six-axis, huh? That's kind of disappointing..

[kingofwale @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:07PM]

MGS4 pack comes with DS3.

Don't know what you are talking about, don't bash, or get better informed.

[Kamokazi @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:22PM]

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...

[PeterF @ Jun 4th 2008 12:13AM]

@Kamokazi
The MGS4 bundle is being released on the 12th and will qualify.
Shutup.

[Kamokazi @ Jun 4th 2008 1:13AM]

The fanboys defending the least successful product are always the most amusing.

[Chris @ Jun 4th 2008 1:41AM]

What a trainwreck.

[Colin Potter @ Jun 4th 2008 2:01AM]

@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

[Kamokazi @ Jun 4th 2008 8:54AM]

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 :-)

[mookie @ Jun 18th 2008 1:26AM]

Actually the mgs4 bundle was packaged with dual shock 3... cuz my wonderful fiance wouldnt have bought it for me any other way! Duh!

[Keith @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:08PM]

Is this offer good in Canada? Of course not right?...

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:22PM]

First Blu-Ray wins the format wars. Now the PlayStation 3 will win the console wars.
PS3 RUL u Rst Drul

[Billy Gun @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:34PM]

You mean the Blu-ray player wars!

[David @ Jun 4th 2008 12:05AM]

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.

[fincan @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:24PM]

$100 gift card is web use at wal-mart, you cannot use it in stores.

[Eh @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:42PM]

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.

[sgt_quackers @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:47PM]

No that was the old offer. The new offer comes with a in store $100 gift card.

[alexmueller @ Jun 4th 2008 11:49AM]

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

[mookie @ Jun 18th 2008 1:26AM]

actually a gift card is just a gift card... they cant make them online or offline... silly consumers... i love working for walmart

[Mike Entner @ Jun 25th 2008 4:16PM]

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.

[phinnvr6 @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:25PM]

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.

[David @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:30PM]

Care to recommend any particular movie Phinn?

[lawyer bird @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:32PM]

Have you played Uncharted: Drake's Fortune? I was hooked on that game for awhile also...way fun

[Colin Potter @ Jun 4th 2008 2:20AM]

@ 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

[CosterMonger @ Jun 4th 2008 2:16PM]

I liked "The Prestige"

[Daspl @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:31PM]

wait, so can you get $100 off the player you're buying
or do you just get a $100 gift card?

[JuggleNuts @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:33PM]

With promotions like this, how can HD-DVD possibly win? I predict blu-ray as the eventual winner

[Billy Gun @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:38PM]

You were in comma?

[Chris @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:41PM]

Must have been in a coma...

[Keith @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:58PM]

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...

[Jesse @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:58PM]

wow... just wow...

[JuggleNuts @ Jun 4th 2008 12:01AM]

@Keith

Huh?


:) I stopped catering to average Americans a long time ago

[Keith @ Jun 4th 2008 12:03AM]

Yes I suppose that is the wisest choice...

[eleazar123 @ Jun 4th 2008 12:12AM]

Ah yes. Make fun of America, a sure fire way to get your comment rated higher.

[Reader @ Jun 4th 2008 12:13AM]

Better not, I wouldn't want you going hungry now JuggleNuts.

[Keith @ Jun 4th 2008 12:17AM]

What an insensitive clod I am. My sincere condolences.

[Darkest Daze @ Jun 4th 2008 1:15AM]

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.

[DarkLight @ Jun 4th 2008 2:07AM]

@DarkestDaze: Yea it works. The problem is that some readers are just too slow to get it, but the sarcasm itself works fine..

[Booshack @ Jun 4th 2008 5:26AM]

IMO hd-dvd can still win since the players are cheaper.