'Hulk' DVD busts out: 2.5 mil copies in 2 days
'Hulk' busts out
Oct 31, 2003
Universal Studios Home Video -- the first major Hollywood studio to incorporate a sample of an Xbox video game within the two-disc release of a feature film -- flexed its marketing muscle with core DVD buyers with its Tuesday release "The Hulk."
"Our target demographic for this film is young men, the same core demo for DVD in general," USHV president Craig Kornblau said. "That's why we decided to invest in an extremely robust bonus item like the Xbox video game packaged together with the feature, because we knew that our core buyers for this product also are gamers who watch DVDs on their video game consoles."
The marketing move appears to have paid off, with 2.5 million DVD units sold through to consumers within the first two days on retail shelves, according to Kornblau.
"That initial sales number may not have set any records but when you consider how competitive this fourth quarter is in the DVD marketplace, I believe those numbers bode very well for 'The Hulk.' "
USHV has had high hopes for "The Hulk" DVD. The company peppered the home video market in June with a release of the pilot episode of the original television series on a single DVD titled "The Incredible Hulk: Original Television Premiere," starring and directed by the late Bill Bixby, and then released a six-disc box set of "The Incredible Hulk: The Television Series Ultimate Collection" on Oct. 21, shortly before the double-disc DVD feature film hit retail shelves Tuesday.
The marketing machine behind "The Hulk" is as ferocious as the Marvel Comics' character itself, with USHV's parent company Vivendi Universal Entertainment creating "The Hulk" complete video game as well. The double-disc DVD release of "The Hulk" carries a single level, or sample, of the entire Vivendi-authored video game on the bonus disc, enticing gamers to purchase the full video game as well.
While the sample video game on "The Hulk" bonus DVD disc can only be viewed on Microsoft's Xbox video game console, Vivendi's "The Hulk" complete video game can be played on the Xbox, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube.
"Our target demographic for this film is young men, the same core demo for DVD in general," USHV president Craig Kornblau said. "That's why we decided to invest in an extremely robust bonus item like the Xbox video game packaged together with the feature, because we knew that our core buyers for this product also are gamers who watch DVDs on their video game consoles."
The marketing move appears to have paid off, with 2.5 million DVD units sold through to consumers within the first two days on retail shelves, according to Kornblau.
"That initial sales number may not have set any records but when you consider how competitive this fourth quarter is in the DVD marketplace, I believe those numbers bode very well for 'The Hulk.' "
USHV has had high hopes for "The Hulk" DVD. The company peppered the home video market in June with a release of the pilot episode of the original television series on a single DVD titled "The Incredible Hulk: Original Television Premiere," starring and directed by the late Bill Bixby, and then released a six-disc box set of "The Incredible Hulk: The Television Series Ultimate Collection" on Oct. 21, shortly before the double-disc DVD feature film hit retail shelves Tuesday.
The marketing machine behind "The Hulk" is as ferocious as the Marvel Comics' character itself, with USHV's parent company Vivendi Universal Entertainment creating "The Hulk" complete video game as well. The double-disc DVD release of "The Hulk" carries a single level, or sample, of the entire Vivendi-authored video game on the bonus disc, enticing gamers to purchase the full video game as well.
While the sample video game on "The Hulk" bonus DVD disc can only be viewed on Microsoft's Xbox video game console, Vivendi's "The Hulk" complete video game can be played on the Xbox, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube.
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