Blockbuster's attempt to stay affloat

Oh, how the mighty have fallen...

Just 5 years ago, when I was in high school (gulp I am getting old), I remember having a very limited list of activities one could do. You could go cruising (get in your car and simply drive around), go to the theater and see a new release or - last but not least - check out your local video store for some good quality VHS/DVD goodness. I didn't even have a blockbuster until Junior year of high school. I had a video store called Video Update (with a special section curtained off in the back -- only later did I learn that this section was the most profitable...)

Blockbuster was the keystone for any youth trying to find something to do. "What do you want to do?" -- "We could go rent a movie". Those days are far gone. The new conversation, "What do you want to do?" -- "We could rent a movie". No longer do you have to GO anywhere.

This lack of 'going' has caused the once mighty Blockbuster (10 billion market cap at its peak) to plummit to a paltry 600 million market cap today. Blockbuster is trying to save its EXPLETIVE and is doing so by throwing its eggs, not into one basket, but just everywhere it thinks a basket might exist.

At the beginning of this week, Blockbuster and Circuit City (both struggling companies) announced they have been in talks to merge for about 2 months. Blockbuster has been struggling with onDemand and iTunes and Netflix. Circuit City simply cannot compete with Amazon and Best Buy and Walmart and Frys. If my ship is going down and I'm a weak swimmer, I don't try and find another weak swimmer to hold onto when we hit the water. I need to find a strong swimmer to lead me to safety. APPLE, for example, is a very strong swimmer, but sadly, Blockbuster's management thinks it is wise to pick a fight with this entity rather than try and join its bandwagon.

Blockbuster is said to be announcing next week a set top box where people can download movies straight to their computers. No Way!?!? What an amazing idea -- Download movies to a set top box and watch them on your television. Oh that's right, it was an amazing idea when onDemand came out years ago. It was an amazing idea when Apple released AppleTv. It is not so exciting anymore. I think Blockbuster needs to realize that all it has are connections to the film industry and a name that is recognizable to my generation (however, I doubt any youngster requests to go to Blockbuster -- they simply netflix).

THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN FIRST MOVERS ~ BUT NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO BE.

In order for this struggling company to survive, it needs to relize its heydays are over. If it wants to survive, it needs to check its EGO out at the door. I feel like they are an old, washed up athlete trying to pretend the glory days are far from over. THEY ARE OVER. If Blockbuster wants to be an online service - it needs to say goodbye to its brick and mortar business of retail. Otherwise, it is just canibalizing its main area of business.

IN CONCLUSION - BLOCKBUSTER WILL COLLAPSE IF THEIR MANAGMENT CONTINUES THEIR PRESENT PATH OF SELF-DESTRUCTION-- LONG LIVE APPLE.