Less than a week has passed since Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in the UK (April 18), and yet instead of celebrating the launch of Episode VII on multi media platforms, criticism has been levied against Disney and LucasFilm for the lack of bonus content accompanied with the DVD version of The Force Awakens.
According to the Independent, the DVD (which was priced at £9.99) included little more than the film. Whilst the Blu-Ray included both deleted scenes and a series of behind-the-scenes documentaries, and cost an extra £5.
One fan reported his view on the matter to The Mirror:
"I was really looking forward to this: I don't have a Blu-ray player, so was intending to use the digital download key to get the movie online. But there is no digital download with the UK version: the US version has this. Completely unacceptable and I can't think of a better way of driving people who WANT to buy a legitimate version to piracy sites. Idiots."
On Twitter and Amazon, some fans have expressed their fury at Disney for attempting to induce people to purchase the Blu-Ray. Their outcry also centres around the seeming misled promotion scandal, as many outlets have chosen not to overtly declare that the UK DVD release contains no documentaries or deleted scene content.
In an interview with The Guardian, a Disney spokesperson responded to the criticisms:
"As a company we are committed to seeking out the best ways to provide audiences with access to Disney content. Each territory is different, and we evaluate and enact distribution strategies on a market-by-market basis. In the UK this means we do not include extras across our DVD products. On Blu-ray and digital download offerings for 'The Force Awakens' are providing audiences with a wealth of extras including a special documentary, behind-the-scenes looks and much more that are now being enjoyed by thousands."
The frustration of fans is completely understandable, particularly when it feels like that market consumers are being pushed to spend more money by distributors. However, from a marketing standpoint, it makes sense for Disney to want to promote the more expensive version of The Force Awakens, which includes a better visualised and audio version of the film, and a monopoly in bonus content.
Source: The Independent
Source: The Independent
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