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Exploring Eberron: Introducing D&D to the DDO player
I have a confession to make: I've never played Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons Online caught my attention when the business model changed and held my attention completely on its own merit. I'd always assumed that I was in the vast minority, but over time -- and in talking to players over the past year or so -- I discovered that a lot of players have started (and continued) playing DDO not knowing the first thing about D&D. While that says great things about the MMO, there's a bit of a missed opportunity in the situation as well. D&D has been around for over 35 years, and while it's not everyone's cup of tea, there's something to be said for a game with that kind of staying power. So while the majority of players were introduced to DDO via D&D, why not turn that around and introduce this segment of the DDO community to D&D? Follow along after the jump to see how I'm doing just that!
Redbox passed 30,000 kiosks in Q4 2010, but still missed financial expectations
Redbox may be a red-logoed stepchild compared to industry darling Netflix, but according to its parent company Coinstar's Q4 earnings call, it still managed to pass the 30,000 kiosk milestone, increase market share to 30 percent and grow DVD revenue by 38 percent to $319.6 million. Combined with blowing by one billion rentals back in September and avoiding a lawsuit with Fox, the news would have culminated in champagne and karaoke for Coinstar shareholders... except for one thing: new releases underperformed during the last quarter along with Blu-ray rentals. Coinstar CEO Paul Davis was quick to bolster investor concerns on the call, however, stating company management had taken "definitive steps to correct the issues" and was ready to "leverage the First-sale doctrine" -- which refers to a Supreme Court ruling limiting the control of copyright holders over the re-selling of its property -- should studios get sassy in future distribution negotiations. More updates on the company's streaming plans didn't materialize, though, so you'll have to chuck those dreams of instant rental gratification for a buck back in the deep freeze at least in the near term. Otherwise, hit up the source links below to ogle data tables to your heart's content.
Redbox to offer Blu-ray rentals later this year
If the convenience of streaming content via Netflix and/or having magical pixies deliver discs to your mailbox (that's how they get there, right?) aren't your thing, then know your insatiable desire to view high-def movies will soon be satiated via Redbox. The aptly-titled crimson structure that spits out discs inside your local supermarket or at your favorite strip mall has begun an initiative to see Blu-ray rentals offered starting sometime around mid-2010, Blu-ray.com reports. Of course, all of those extra defs won't come cheap: CEO of Coinstar -- Redbox's parent company -- Richard Davis exclaimed that a pricing structure for Blu-ray rentals hasn't been finalized yet, though it will likely be "higher than our standard DVDs." So ... two dollars, then?
It's official: Redbox welcomes Blu-ray with open arms
They always said a picture was worth a few hundred words, and that's about right with the image above. After toying with the idea for a tick, it seems that Redbox has decided to go Blu. Starting now in select movie rental kiosks, users can rent a Blu-ray Disc for just $1 per night, but you'll have to be lucky enough to be near one that actually serves up BDs. Have a look at your local machine(s) and see if you're one of the fortunate ones.[Via VideoBusiness]
Red Box makes space for Blu-ray on its website
Despite the obvious color bias in the company's name, Red Box is giving Blu-ray a fighting chance. After hearing that BDs were popping up in rental kiosks around the Northwest, it's now looking mighty official that Blu-ray Discs will be headed to its rental boxes around the country. As of now, the firm has made space for a dedicated Blu-ray section on its website, though it's currently empty and waiting for occupants. Impulse renting of BDs? Now there's something the BDA won't mind hearing.[Thanks, Michael]
Blu-ray Discs popping up in Red Box rental kiosks
DVDPlay already announced its intentions to start stuffing Blu-ray Discs into its movie rental kiosks earlier this year, and we've been waiting ever since to hear a similar announcement from rival Red Box. Today, we're still waiting for said announcement, but we've received a report from the wonderfully named Aloha, Oregon that at least one Red Box movie rental kiosk has a Coming Soon flyer for Speed Racer on BD. When our tipster contacted Red Box concerning the discovery, the representative did affirm that if Blu-ray was shown, Blu-ray was on the way, though we aren't sure if they'll cost more than the $1 DVD rentals. Keep an eye out at your local kiosk and let us know if you see the same.[Image courtesy of CashCrater, thanks Mike]
