BlockBusted!

It’s innocuous departure is almost symbolic of its now clandestine vestibule. The hastened evacuation of its now empty premises with mutilated advertisements scattered bitterly across the empty floor wreaking of melancholic dejection for its once established dominance in retail and varied rental distribution it once provided. I am of course referring to the demise of a once fastidiously consumed institution; Blockbusters. Its reputed dereliction occurred when administrators were informed of Blockbusters less than adequate solvency 6 months ago, and despite enthusiastic buyers and internal restructuring, the company has failed to maintain financial continuity. Though tender hope remains for penultimate reprieve, already established stores have begun to cease trading, with partial and perpetual closures assured across the UK, adding further economical disparity to the already decimated high street, applicable to wide-spread community that verges on economical septicaemia.

With recession limiting consumers available, disposable income, there was little or no need for tangible visitation to rental stores such as Blockbuster with the likes of Netflix, Love Film and other streaming media services nullifying the requisite for physical residence with an ethereal privilege that provide direct media streaming, with fixed–and principally–affordable service that doesn’t reprimand it’s customers with late commissions. The fact is that Blockbuster were latent in their receptive uptake with an arrogance that suggested immunity from reduction of business and systematically failing to adapt to the shifting parables that have crippled this once prevalent entity. The subsequent prevalence of supermarkets has also been catastrophic for stores such as Blockbuster, with its reticent ascension markedly more convenient for the more hastened consumer. We all have to return periodically to replenish diminished supplies, and the electronic aisle is so favourably situated for us inquisitive transients, that’s its only natural that we’d forgo our usually introverted aptitude to purchase attractive offers and with additional in store credit, the timidity of accumulated currency is not an expense we can ignore.

“Bulletstorm was the last game I purchased from Blockbuster….about 4 months….for £3.”

I’m not attempting to rationalise this provoking incident, or bombard you with condescending regurgitation of my aggressively public aversion to Blockbusters contrived mandate, nor categorise a thesis on its self-inflicted demise but merely surmise and partially lament over its dwindling visibility from social consciousness. Many my age will reminisce at its influence; the ample convenience of simply picking a film to watch and return–with an additional fine for latency–depositing the disc or VHS (consult your parents if your unfamiliar with this acronym) into the recipient receptacle. You also have to realise the historic litigation process that the company undertook and won against Nintendo to allow wide distribution of games for rental purposes. Blockbusters were innovative, but due to their current circumstances does little more than highlight the cataclysmic fall from its once affluent dictatorship. Gamers, which  became more than just a subsidiary importance to Blockbuster, have developed more sophisticated palettes with more of an aggressive penance for the content they play and more possessive with their gaming purchases. We are content to acquire new content and either nurture or simply resale the product at a loss rather than rent the corresponding game for a week. Though I feel grievous remorse for its evisceration, particularly the soon to be redundant employees for which there will be no financial clemency and will only add to the already inflated, unemployment statistic’s. Whether a belated investor can be found to inject a conductive resolution to the hugely discriminate problems is unlikely, and with the exception of the employees I hope that Blockbuster will be consigned to historical manuscripts, rather than a continual financial drain on the economy.

Will the demise of Blockbuster effect you? Let me know your thoughts on this. Cheers.