Fox X3 DVD = Ripoff!!!

Ok, here we go. This is a long-ass post about the X3 DVD coming on Tuesday, and the big time ripoff Fox is pulling off on its North American customer base. If you’re not interested in that, you can stop reading now :) We already know that Tuesday’s release is a barebones edition leading to a double dip. Ratner has already confirmed this. We just don’t know when that edition will hit stores. Well, I did some net searching today, initially intending to check out the differences in Future Shop, Best Buy, and Walmart’s “exclusive” promo offers on Tuesday. A couple hours on the internet later, and I have more X3 info than I knew existed. Thank goodness for fans and the internet. First of all, for those interested, Future Shop is offering a metal case with the ‘collector’s edition’ DVD purchase. Best Buy is offering all the issues of Ultimate X-Men comic books on a bonus CD with purchase. Walmart is reportedly offering a bonus DVD with 50 minutes of behind the scenes footage – although I can’t confirm if this is true in Canada or just the US. It’s probably just an edited down version of the soon to come Special Edition DVD. All 3 are really a waste of money, considering they’re just ways of hawking the barebones DVD to an unsuspecting mass public. I wasn’t planning on buying anything on Tuesday, as I’ll just wait for the Special Edition. Well, here’s the kicker. Region 3 in Asia is ALREADY GETTING THE SPECIAL EDITION! It’s already done and put together – here’s how it looks (you can buy it on Region 3 DVD’s at CDWOW) That’s a sweet looking set, and that’s what we should be having the option to buy on Tuesday. But no, Fox has to get greedy and try to pull double dip money from its North American customer base. I guess the message Fox is trying to send here is that the DVD pirating capital of the world – Asia – gets rewarded with the Special Edition while we’re supposed to pony up money for a sub par set. It almost makes me want to download the movie for free just for spite. Almost. Instead, I’m going to learn about making region free DVD players. It sounds like this will also be the case with Superman Returns Special Edition DVD. I think I read somewhere that Asia is going to get it 2 months ahead of North America. Apparently, this is the studio’s way of curbing the pirating thing. Give the area where the highest pirating is taking place the best edition of the DVD first. What about lowering costs instead? It’s almost as if they are asking North American consumers to go pirate the movie. Hey, if being the pirating leader gets you the special editions faster, then let’s get downloading!