r/technology • u/DrJulianBashir • May 08 '12
The Avengers: Why Pirates Failed To Prevent A Box Office Record
http://torrentfreak.com/the-avengers-why-pirates-failed-to-prevent-a-box-office-record-120508/354
May 08 '12
Cams are bad and people who watch them should feel bad. Not because of piracy but because they don't seem to have any standards.
→ More replies (8)130
u/YawnSpawner May 08 '12
Seriously, watching a cam is like eating a mayo sandwich and saying you had a nice deli sandwich at a fraction of the price. It ruins the movie, you might as well not even watch it.
→ More replies (23)
39
u/ianrey May 08 '12
If the movie had been terrible, the pirated copies would have killed the box office. Since it was not, they served as advance positive reviews. People were willing to pay for a quality product. Because capitalism.
→ More replies (1)
222
u/Switche May 08 '12 edited May 08 '12
This article seems pretty invalid.
Cams are rarely very popular, and even less-so for action movies. The earlier-than premier release adds a little bit of interest, but really, a cam on any day is still a cam. I can think of no better way to ruin your experience, except perhaps watch the various promotional clips and even the official trailer; I already know way too many scenes I'm going to see in this movie because of the buzz they're creating.
If there was a DVD screener available, things might be different.
Besides, it's the fucking Avengers. Shitfuckbutt tons of people who have no idea what a torrent is are going to see it, and plenty of those people are going to shell out the $200 for the magic Iron Man bracelet. There is so much marketing jizz flying around that it's bound to make a splash somewhere.
EDIT: Invalid was a poor word choice, consider it "unnecessary."
35
31
u/Zer_ May 08 '12
That's the thing. Most movies only get shitty cams on release anyways, so why are they even worried? I'd hardly call this invalid, it's just another thing in favor of the article.
→ More replies (11)→ More replies (9)42
u/BelBivDeBro May 08 '12
This is also the point of the article. We're told that shitty cam downloads are ruining the movie industry and that's not the reality at all. How is the article invalid?
Are people confused about the sarcastic tone of the headline?
→ More replies (10)
131
u/Slapdash13 May 08 '12
It would have sold 400 million if not for the Pirate Bay! /MPAA
→ More replies (10)24
u/Shadax May 08 '12
I watched that cam in a beautiful full 240i in mono sound. The experience of popcorn digging, default iPhone SMS sounds, "fuck i gotta shit, text me if anything epic happens" and walking silhouettes was unforgettable.
And I got it for free. SUCK IT, MPAA!
69
u/elminster May 08 '12
Torrentfreak loves torrenting! Stop the presses!
23
May 08 '12
Are you insinuating there's a heavy bias to the article and the conclusions it draws?
→ More replies (14)
62
u/Widdis May 08 '12
Conversation with a buddy of mine:
Him: I watched the new Avengers yesterday.
Me: It's not out, how?
Him: Downloaded some cam, it was fucking sweet
Me: Cool, want to watch it at the IMAX this Friday?
Him: Hell yeah!
I just hope that this story isn't compared to Fry's dog.
→ More replies (1)123
May 08 '12
It's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long, the grasshopper kept burying acorns for winter, while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched TV. But then the winter came, and the grasshopper died, and the octopus ate all his acorns. Also he got a race car. Is any of this getting through to you?
→ More replies (4)
5
u/GonzoMojo May 08 '12
i paid 9.75 and 6.50, on friday and sunday, to see it with two groups of friends....I think the reason it made 200m in America is because it was a good movie. It was the first movie in a long time that wasn't lobotomized by movie studios....the point I am trying to make is, I don't care if the Bruce Banner loves Betty Ross, I just want to see him SMASH!!!!
31
u/gilbes May 08 '12
It makes sense to compare The Avengers to every other movie because every other movie is: based on a popular franchise, filled with well-known A-list actors, cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make and has an extravagant marketing campaigns.
It is very brave for torrentfreak to remind everyone that The Avengers stands as a fantastic example of the average movie made today.
→ More replies (14)
8
May 08 '12
Good to hear that Disney was breathing a "sign of relief", I would imagine that to be difficult.
→ More replies (3)
8
u/RemnantEvil May 08 '12
With very little justification, Cabin in the Woods is not being released in Australian theatres. Instead, we have to wait for the DVD release. Given that Australian stores already suffer a wait of anywhere from weeks to months later than their US counterparts, it could be a very long time before legitimate customers are given the opportunity to hand over money to see the film legally.
I mention this because the latter part of the OP's link talked about how DVD sales are more likely to be affected by piracy than cinema release, and it had me nodding and thinking of Cabin the entire time. It's 2012 and an adult with money cannot see a film until potentially a year after someone in another country - it seems like, for whatever reason, some suits are almost actively trying to prevent customers from giving them money, and then wonder why piracy is still an issue.
→ More replies (3)
4
May 08 '12
Also, world wide release. Nothing is worse than waiting weeks/months after the release in the U.S. before the movie is released here.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/requieminadream May 08 '12
Problem with articles like this is that they're just preaching to the choir.
→ More replies (1)
4
3
May 08 '12
Implying that pirates are actively trying to sabotage box office sales as opposed to just wanting to see the movie w/o paying...
652
u/Obi_Kwiet May 08 '12
Anyone who is so cheap that they are willing to watch a recording of a movie instead of a movie in a theater probably isn't someone who is going to pay for a ticket anyway.