As A few people here at Destructoid know, I'm an employee of Blockbuster Video. Glamorous, I know. Anyone who's been at a Blockbuster lately has probably noticed a window poster for the upcoming Wii title Super Smash Bros. Brawl. You may have even been offered a pre-order for the game. Pre-orders are nothing new for Blockbuster. But pre-orders for games have never been our top priority. But about a month ago, that all changed. Promotional materials for Brawl started to come in, and we were told to ask any customer renting a game (Wii or otherwise) if they wanted to pre-order a copy.

The emphasis on this particular sales drive was sort of odd, but I continued on doing the best I could. However, today was the day our corporate overlords would be in town to visit. During their visit, the subject of the Brawl pre-order drive came up, and the motivation behind the drive was revealed.

It seems Blockbuster went to Nintendo to discuss exclusive rights to sell the upcoming Wii Fit. The corporate suit didn't say it, but it's safe to assume Nintendo's response was that of bellowing laughter. When they caught their breath, they told Blockbuster to go out and get 125,000 pre-orders (about 7-10 per store) for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and then maybe Nintendo would consider it.

My first thought was "Well, there's no way we're hitting that number". Even though my district is on track, my particular store only has 2 of the expected 7 pre-orders. Our district is only on track because a few of the busier stores in well-off areas of town are doubling the expectation.

My second thought was "Blockbuster is being used by Nintendo big time". Getting 125,000 pre-orders for Brawl isn't going to guarantee Blockbuster anything but a face to face meeting to discuss the possibility to carry Wii Fit exclusively. Even if we hit the mark, Nintendo could just tell us to go fuck ourselves.

But on the flip side, a game like Wii Fit being a Blockbuster exclusive is a big deal if you're Blockbuster. This is a company that is struggling to compete with NetFlix and iTunes, as well as the growing popularity of ONDemand and the XBL Video Marketplace. Blockbuster's Total Access online service looked to be on the right track, but when the new CEO took over and saw how much money was being lost on it, he raised prices and removed several of the benefits that made it better then NetFlix. The direction Blockbuster is going under new CEO Jim Keyes is of a retail emphasis. The rental side of things is being slowly minimized, and the focus is being shifted to new retail, games, and novelty items like movie-related posters and toys.

Wii Fit exclusivity could be the shot in the arm that Blockbuster needs to push that retail-first agenda. Personally, I feel it's the right move. The rental business is dying, and by the time Blu-Ray becomes affordable enough to become the norm, digital distribution could be the true format of choice.

What do you think, Dtoiders?

P.S. - Late fees are coming back this August. Have fun with that.