In a strategy aimed at reviving sales, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will leave special features off its rental DVDs.
Fox's wholesalers will start distributing two different versions of the DVDs -- one with the bonus content and one without -- depending on which retailer is getting them, Video Business reports. The first titles to try out this plan will be "Marley and Me" and "Slumdog Millionaire," starting March 31. "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The Wrestler," "Notorious" and "Bride Wars" will also exclude bonus content from rental SKUs.
"We have developed product variations to feed different consumer consumption models and behaviors," Fox said in a statement.
If this idea takes off, it could weigh heavily on the DVD resale industry, which is huge right now. Rental shops like Blockbuster could have a tougher time unloading their previously viewed titles, because customers might hold out for the extra features. Netflix recently abandoned its DVD sales business, but it does sell its old products to second-hand distributors. Those resellers could find it harder to peddle their wares if the product is regarded as second-tier.
On the flip side, a move like this could expose whether people really value those extra features in the first place. Is the studio expecting consumers to rent a DVD, then buy a copy just for the extra scenes, or are they hoping for more purchases outright? Personally, bonus content isn't a make or break feature for me, but pricing is, and I wonder how many other people feel the same way.
