Amazon's Rings of Power series might be gearing up for a third season, but its first two chapters are seeing official Blu-ray releases you can pre-order ahead of their launch this November.
I am not the biggest supporter of Amazon's Rings of Power series, but I am probably the most insufferable Tolkien nerd you'll meet. I'm also a big believer that physical media, be it books, albums, Blu-rays, old maps, or hand-me-down sparkly armour given to you by an uncle, is worth valuing in our world today.
I likely don't need to fill you in on the conversation surrounding physical media that's been dominating the gaming headlines this summer, but if there was one company I didn't expect to support physical media with one of its flagship digital products, it's Amazon Prime Video with its Rings of Power show.
Its probably one of Prime Video's biggest assets and thus, something Amazon would want to protect with exclusivity to its all-digital streaming service. The show has famously become the most expensive TV project ever made, with a budget that goes beyond a billion in spending. And yet, Amazon is allowing you to watch it without Prime Video now by officially launching Blu-rays of it that you can buy.
On one hand, I'm stunned by this. Amazon, the biggest retailer on the planet, is making a move that goes against its competitive streak against the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max - who'd have thought? On the other hand, the company likely realises that fans of this genre appreciate having keepsakes, collections, and physical media they can own and enjoy at home without the continual upkeep of a subscription cost.
No matter your thoughts on Rings of Power as a series (I have many), by making this series available outside its subscription service, Amazon is admitting that long-term ownership through physical media is something that transcends practical business decisions - it feeds deeper fandom.
Or, if I'm giving Amazon too much credit, maybe they're jumping on the trend of physical media being "in" at the moment for nerds like us.
هەفتانە هەرسکردنەکان، چیرۆکەکانی ئەو کۆمەڵگایانەی کە خۆشت دەوێن و زۆر شتی تر
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/rings-of-power-seasons-1-and-2-are-getting-an-official-4k-blu-ray-release-and-if-even-amazon-can-admit-physical-media-is-still-worth-our-time-i-have-no-idea-what-that-says-about-playstation
