Bankrupt Blockbuster, Surprised?

Well...more like just reorganizing and getting away with some extra debts. Chapter 11 is not really bankruptcy, but anyways, who didn't see this coming? Who even uses Blockbuster nowadays? I don't even remember the last time I've been inside one of those places. With Surf The Channel, Hulu, $1 Redbox, and Netflix, how does Blockbuster even factor into this aggressive and completely morphed industry?

It reminds me of this HBR article I read the other day about lack of innovation and the failure of the Italian national soccer team in the recent World Cup. If you don't innovate, you will lose - hello, Blockbuster, are you listening? Take a cue from the recent World Cup losers.

In all fairness, Blockbuster had a pretty good model going for a while. Walk into the store, pick up a video, show your Blockbuster card, pay for a short viewing period, and suffer a penalty if you return it too late. Sounds just like the....public library system, except that's free. Hmm, Blockbuster, I think you're SOL, unless you come out with a Blockbuster PS4. Unfortunately, Netflix is a much more attractive method. No need to even get in the car or take a walk to the store, just use the mailbox. Could it be easier? Oh wait, yes, you can watch those antiquated movies online instantly. They have some better options online, but their improvements keep raising the ceiling of excellence. Blockbuster, I'm still peeved about those late fees, especially when you specifically wait til the next morning to recognize that I've returned the movie even though I put it in the box at 11:59 pm, completely on time and before midnight.

Even more unhelpful, if I wanted to watch all those seasons of Lost, I couldn't get the whole season in one box! Oh no, that's way too much entertainment for one person. Yes, breaking up the season of 22 episodes into 4 boxes is enough excitement for a week. Then, I have to take the time to write down when the dvd's are due, increasing the likelihood of late fees with every extra silly season box that I have to check out. All in all, good job Blockbuster for finally recognizing you can't compete and filing for bankruptcy. I daresay reducing some of those debts will help you win out in the battle against Netflix, Hulu, and the rest.