NCR, the same company responsible for those SD-card kiosks Blockbuster recently debuted at a couple of local locations, sent word this morning that it acquired DVDPlay, which has about 1,300 DVD-rental kiosks scattered about the U.S. and Canada. Said the note, NCR's going to rebrand the stations with the Blockbuster Express moniker, meaning: "Dallas-area consumers will soon see a recognizable brand, Blockbuster, in local Tom Thumb locations." Which isn't the point of this post.
Last night, while out researching a piece, I paid a visit to the Blockbuster location on N. Central Expressway and Royal Lane, which, as you can see above, has but days left. It's just one of the 300 or so being shuttered across the U.S., with hundreds more on the Dallas-based videotailer's chopping block next year.
The scene reminded me of the final days of Tower Records three long years ago: "Everything Must Go!" signs everywhere (even on the appliances), deep discounts on DVDs (five useds for $19.99 -- many of 'em, brand-new titles) and even deeper discounts on books, games, candy, posters and the other assorted whatnots Blockbuster started carrying when the brick-and-mortars stopped attracting, ya know, people. For instance, there's a whole table of Star Trek action figures going for pennies on the dollar -- even those Mego retro redos. So hustle up, fanboys. There's Christmas shopping to be done.