The Game of Thrones Season 8 Blu-ray and DVD releases have been on the market for a few weeks now and they’re already breaking records. Despite streaming services obviating the need of physical media for many, season eight is officially a best-seller!
According to specialist website MediaPlayNews, on the week of its release on December 3, Game of Thrones: The Complete Eighth Season “topped the NPD VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks combined DVD and Blu-ray Disc Unit sales,” as well as “the dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart.” The final season of Game of Thrones won over Angel Has Fallen, which even in its second place sold only “38% as many copies as Game of Thrones.”
The Blu-ray versions accounted for a slight majority of the sales over the older DVD format; for a ratio of 53%/47%, specifically. The 4K Blu-ray subset enjoyed a respectable 10% of overall sales, which is quite impressive for such a new, expensive format.
One would think the criticism season eight received would be reflected on its home media sales, but it seems loud online fan discourse doesn’t reflect the reality of potential buyers. As per MediaPlayNews, to find a TV show on top of the disc sales charts is “a rarity” in these days of streaming, when almost anyone can rewatch the season online.
Of course, getting the Blu-ray is the only way to get all the juicy extras, from commentary tracks and making-of docs to narrated “Histories & Lore” features; not to mention a consistent HD picture quality not dependant on the whims of your Internet Service Provider. Personally, I’m particularly eager to experience “The Long Night” as I originally did: with its untouched painterly quality and no crushed blacks!
A lot of people did enjoy the last season, no matter what internet says.
Thank you Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss.
mau,
I completely agree. Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss did a phenomenal job with season 8 and especially with the final episode. I highly recommend the Duty is the Death of Love special on blue ray, that was just brilliant Storytelling and I am happy to see that far more people loved season 8. I always be grateful. I hope Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss will do a Game of Thrones sequel and the crew from the prequel should get some tips from them.
I also hope Mr Benioff and Mr Weiss do more Game of Thrones. The fans showed such a respect for them and I’m sure their brilliance cant wait to return to this beautiful fandom.
As with everything that social media decides is “terrible,” the general public doesn’t care.
My only complaints can be summed up by saying I wanted more. It went too fast towards the end and they missed bits out that I wanted to see. So as criticisms go, that’s quite positive.
I have not bought S8 yet. I have only just acquired a blu-ray player, so am still debating whether to just buy S8 or buy the whole series on blu-ray. Can’t really justify the expense of the latter.
I don’t agree that it was just brilliant. There were many problems as we have discussed in ad nauseam. However, the bulk of the problems had to do with story and character. I haven’t heard criticisms about the visuals other than a slight coffee cup problem. Something that can’t be denied is how much GOT changed what can be done in a TV show. The world of TV has changed forever. Season 8 was visually spectacular, and personally I want to appreciate it in the best resolution possible.
just a slight edit:… yes there were criticisms about “The Long Night” being too dark, but that was partly because people viewed from mobile devices and computers instead of a great large screen TV in a dark room. The DVD should be even better.
Great to hear! Well deserved and I’m doing yet other rewatch in 4K! It’s even more brilliant this time around and Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss outdid themselves and gave us 8 brilliant seasons and 73 brilliant episodes. This is easily the greatest piece of cinema history.
Tron79,
I disagree. There was not a single problem!
My only criticism of S8 is that it was too short and because of it, actual dialogue and character interaction suffered.
Other than that, I went into it knowing the series would end as a Greek tragedy would. I knew we were never going to get everything we wanted, but I was ok with what we got. I don’t know about anyone else, but my heart was in my stomach filled with both anxiety and anticipation for the entire Long Night episode. I was so happy and proud of Brienne on A Night of the 7 Kingdoms. I mourned Varys, Jorah and Theon. And the final scene with Dany and Jon broke my heart and I cried for them. And I was happy that in the end, Jon survived and was where he wanted to be, even though I’d wished more for him. I don’t know of any show that has elicited such a roller-coaster of emotions from me as this show has.
And with my broken heart and even my criticisms, it was still the best show on TV in a very long time. I miss it.
BuT GaMe oF ThROnes iS deAD! The fiNaL seAsON wAS uNiVeRsaLly hAtED!
cucucat,
Game of Thrones was dead since season 5 đ
Rewatching episode 3 (Blu-ray version) was a good thing for me. The video quality improvement is obvious.
Then I saw the inside episode 6 bonus feature and I got mad again.
So many questions raised throughout the entire series can be answered by “it doesn’t matter” when we were used to every single small detail to matter… It is unacceptable and sad.
That’s great to hear about the blue ray quality of episode 3.
The funny thing is that Sam’s shaking hands at the beginning of the episode is one of the most memorable shots for me. It always pops up in my brain first. (Of course there are a lots of Arya moments I won’t forget as well). I think it’s just because Sam’s hands mirrored the way i felt every day the week before episode air. It was a very stressful week. I was so nervous that everyone was going to die in episode 3.
Tron79,
Agree fully with this, the only problem was that it was rushed, but the season was a visual spectacle, and even when rushed many things were great.
And it seems Neil marshall the director of episode 1, 2 and 4 seems to agree with this:
https://winteriscoming.net/2019/10/02/game-of-thrones-director-neil-marshall-calls-season-8-rushed/
As for the 4k box. I really am torn with this. I really want the complete 4k set, but I need to save for it, but as with many boxes of tv shows I’m afraid that next year the box will not be made again. (I think around august I have enough money saved for it)
6thofhisname,
Agree, even with it’s problems and that it was not perfect and brilliant, it’s still one of the best show ever made. This is something we will not see that often again. And the shows that tried to be the next GoT I expect that they will not even get close to what GoT gave.
The haters always speak the loudest. Most people I know in real life liked season 8. I am hoping Santa delivers the complete set for Christmas. đ
kevin1989,
Neil marshall? Check your sources man. David Nutter directed those episodes
I think we will be able to watch all seasons in 4K on HBO Max before 4K box set is released.
You may be thinking about season 8 when David Nutter directed.
The article Kevin linked was an interview with the director for Blackwater and The Watchers on the Wall episodes (Neil Marshall).
edit: yes, I see Kevin referenced Nutter’s season 8 episodes, but the article itself talks with Marshall who was awesome directing Blackwater and The Watchers on the Wall.
Reek,
Sorry my bad, I wrote this in a hurry. Blackwater and the Watchers on the wall. You’re right he didn’t work on season 8.
Tron79,
Yes I made a big mistake with this, I posted it just before going to work, and reacted in a hurry.
I got what you were saying though. Millerâs opinion matches up with a large number of fans who thought the ending points may have been the same but getting there was rushed. And I did think Miller directed two great episodes. I just had a memory flash of Ygritte dying in Jonâs arms. Damn you Ollie!
Tron79,
Tron
Off-Topic Q:
Was it you who referenced the old Star Trek episode âThe Enemy Withinâ in a fairly recent comment? Thatâs the episode in which a transporter malfunction splits Captain Kirk into the two aspects of his personality: a âgoodâ Kirk whoâs compassionate but indecisive, and an âevilâ Kirk whoâs devious yet daring.
I ask because I was going to allude to that Star Trek episode in a long, convoluted comment I may post if I can edit it down….
Interesting. Someone named “The Last Dragon”, which is a fairly new name around here, along with yours, said in another thread the same exact thing. Even right down to the Duty is the Death of Love recommendation.
Yes I was the one. Very similar themes are also in Picardâs TNG episode Tapestry. Thatâs the episode when Q sends Picard back to the academy to change the past and do things differently so he wouldnât lose his heart. If you remember Picard lost his heart in a fight with a Nausicaan. I think I may even like that episode better than The Enemy Within to prove the same point that you need both sides of yourself or you may end up a lowly technician instead of a Star ship captain.
Mr Derp,
I changed my name but I will keep this name.
Who’s Miller? Or are you referring to Neil Marshall?
I was actually just checking the other day about Max offering 4K and it looks like it won’t have it at launch. They haven’t officially announced it yet. Launching a streaming platform in 2020 without 4K would definitely be behind the times.
Funny. You are right. I meant Marshall. I must have written it quickly too. So Kevin I do it too! Marshallâs name isnât as engrained in my memory as much as Sapochnik, Nutter, Taylor, Podeswa, Shakman, and even Mylod because Iâm upset with him. But Marshall did have two great episodes
I loved Neil Marshall’s episodes! Blackwater and Watchers on the Wall are my favourite Battle episodes.
The LightKing,
So, I was right about you using multiple names even though both you and Luka gave me shit about it in a previous thread. Apparently, Iâm more on top of this than the mods are, lol.
Mr Derp,
I don’t gave you shit, what are you talking about? I changed my name just one time, but as I said, I will keep this one.
I swear this is not my duplicate account, but I endorse this opinion 100%
You haven’t watched The Descent have you? It’s probably my favourite horror and it was directed by Marshall.
Mr Derp,
I know that you don’t like my comments.
On line posting represents a small number of those watching.
The sales numbers show that most viewers , IMO, were quite happy with the show. I know I was. Would I have loved a more fairy tale ending for the Starks? Absofrickenlutely! But that wasnât the authorâs ending . At least, they lived.
Interesting. Watchers on the Wall is my favorite battle episode as well, but I didn’t enjoy The Descent. I’d rank the battle episodes as…
1) Watchers on the Wall
2) Hardhome
3) The Bells
4) The Long Night
5) Battle of the Bastards/Battle for Meereen
6) Blackwater
7) Spoils of War
8) Beyond the Wall (even though it’s last in my rankings, it’s still brilliant).
Jack Bauer 24,
Hmmm, if I had to rank them, I’d go…
Watchers on the Wall
Blackwater
Hardhome
BotB/Meereen
The Long Night
Spoils of war
The Bells
Beyond the Wall
Oh I also forgot the naval battle with Euron against the sand snakes and the Unsullied taking Casterly Rock/Lannisters taking Highgarden.
Iâm NOT jumping into the fray. Iâm just curious…
What was your prior screen name? And why did you change it?*
*(Donât get me wrong. I wish I had chosen a better, more GoT-centric screen name when I first started commenting. I just figured that based on the Moderation Policy, once I used âTen Bearsâ I was supposed to stick with it to avoid confusion.)
Thanks for confirming that. I was going to ask you to âhold that thought,â
[For anyone whoâs curious, hereâs my synopsis of that original Star Trek episode, followed by a link to its wikipedia page]
Star Trek: The Enemy Within
(written by Richard Matheson) – transporter malfunction splits Kirk into a âgoodâ Kirk, whoâs compassionate but indecisive, and an âevilâ Kirk, whoâs devious and daring.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enemy_Within_(Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series)
ââââ
I do recall the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode you described, in which Q allows Picard to âliveâ the alternate life he would have had if he hadnât been a reckless young cadet who got impaled in a bar fight when he was younger. That alternate-reality Picard never took chances, never took the initiative, and never made an impression – and led a mundane, boring life as a lowly, never-promoted crewman.
I loved every episode with Q, especially the two-part series premiere (âEncounter at Farpointâ), the two-part series finale (âAll Good Thingsâ), and the episode with the best ending ever (âDeja Qâ).
Anyway, I was thinking of the original Star Trek episode for a different reason…
Ten Bears,
My first name was The LightKing.
Then I wrote comments that are not shown because I praise Mr. Benioff and Mr. Weiss and that obviously bothers someone. But I don’t let my opinion be forbidden. That’s why I used a different name to test whether my comments are shown when I use a different name. This name was The Last Dragon.
Tron79,
Luckily I’m not alone.
Thanks for the laugh Jenny.
Not surprisingly. Despite the bitching and moaning, the petitions and other complete moronic and utterly idiotic actions, most people ate up Season Eight just like all the others.
Wait until you see the utter and underwhelming piece of garbage that is “The Witcher” on Netflix. Season Eight of GOT alone is soo far beyond that trash, it’s not even funny.
Henry Cavill in a Legolas wig prancing around in what is a very expensive LARP if it aired on CW with a higher budget = The Witcher….
Anyone other than Bran as king, then the complaints would have been a LOT lesser
Fewer.
https://pa1.narvii.com/6435/f80e51443c67ed9597b9258ce31e378dc73d6a44_hq.gif
I rarely buy physical discs now but I got GOT S8 (I usually also get the Marvel/Star Wars movies). No surprise that the final season has done very well though.
Exactly I don’t even think it’s biased to say more people loved S8 than disliked it. Unfortunately those that didn’t like it were extremely vocal (largely all Dany fans) who went on social media rants and organised negativity (coordinated IMBD bombing for example).
I don’t know the figures but 4k penetration is pretty limited at the moment i.e. not that many people have 4k ready devices and part of that is due to the fact it’s not visually much different from HD.
I actually bought a 4k TV here in UK before GOT S8 aired, at this moment I have no TV channels which upscale to that level only Netflix offering some limited shows in HDR/4k.
cucucat,
Game of Thrones died when D&D had to stand on their own two feet. They proved that theyâre just basic Hollywood bros who value style over substance. They had no idea how to write these characters on their own, no idea how to end their character arcs and no idea how to pace the story correctly, so what we got since season 7 began was just jumping from place to place with no development in between. Sure the theory that Bloodraven manipulated events to gain the throne is interesting, but those two are nowhere near clever enough to create that and there wasnât really enough to substantiate the theory on screen. They gave people what they thought they wanted (Clegane Bowl airhorns) but had no idea how to create an ending worth watching over and over again. What the fuck did it matter about Jonâs parentage? In the end he was basically the same as the bloke they sent to kill Brann, irrelevant…