According to consulting firm Futuresource (via Video Business), Blu-ray discs will account for 50 percent of the home entertainment market by 2012. That said, the firm lowered its expectations of Blu-ray sales for 2009 from 90 million to 75 million thanks to software attach rates on the PS3. It seems that PS3 owners tend to buy only one or two Blu-ray movies a year, while owners of dedicated Blu-ray players buy anywhere from five to eight.

Furthermore, while the PS3 is currently the most popular Blu-ray player -- it accounts for 6 percent of high-def hardware, while dedicated players make up only 3 percent -- Futuresource expects the console will account for only 22 percent of all high definition equipment in 2012. Declining prices for dedicated machines -- the firm says that entry level players will cost $50 by 2012 -- will push them to 53 percent.

Assuming these numbers ring true, maybe we'll be paying a little less for the "one to two" Blu-ray movies we supposedly buy every year.

The most popular PlayStation Network game of 2008 is finally finding a home on retail disc ... in Europe. A Blu-ray version of the physics-based action game will be out June 24th in Europe, June 25th in Australia and New Zealand, and in the UK and Ireland on June 26th for €24.99/£19.99.

The offline collection will include all the expansions released so far: Abusement Park, Movie Studios and Sore Spots. You can expect a few DLC characters to be included as well, such as Tati, Ginger, Cookie and the Ded Baron. However, while the package is a rather comprehensive offering of PAIN, it will not include the next DLC pack, Museum, coming this summer.

[Thanks, Daniel G.!]

Advent Children in its original form is far from a great film. However, it did serve its function as the most expensive fan-service created to date. Continuing the story of Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children treated fans to a gorgeous, albeit nonsensical, film filled with over-the-top action sequences. The upcoming Blu-ray release of Advent Children Complete goes a long way into bettering the film, however fans may be upset that a large majority of the new footage is dedicated towards characters not from the original PS1 RPG.

For the uninitiated, Advent Children was an impossible-to-follow film that relied too much on the legacy of the Final Fantasy VII anthology. Advent Children Complete, surprisingly, pads the film to make it a far more accessible film than the original. Geostigma, the mysterious disease that plagues the citizens of this world, is humanized by newly added scenes surrounding Denzel, a child whose role becomes fleshed out in this director's cut. Through the eyes of Denzel, we can better understand the chilling effects of the disease, and the desperation of those that are infected with a seemingly incurable and lethal disease. The film's villains, Kadaj and company, stood out as two-dimensional leather-wearing freaks. The Complete cut makes their intentions, plans and outfits all the more obvious.

We reported last night that the two episodic Watchmen games were going to be compiled onto a retail disc. However, we've now learned that PS3 owners will be able to get the game in one very awesome Blu-ray hybrid package.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience is one of the first Blu-ray discs to offer a video game and movie in a single package. (The special edition of Stranglehold on PS3 included a copy of Hard Boiled.) Not only will the package include the Director's Cut of the Watchmen film, it will also include The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2. The two-disc set will feature exclusive artwork and packaging.

The End is Nigh didn't get the best reviews, but we're encouraged by this news. This is an excellent step for the format to take -- one we hope other publishers will copy in the future. Bundling a game and film for one low price is certainly an attractive offer. Imagine: Batman: Arkham Asylum with HD episodes of the Batman animated series, or the upcoming Transformers game with the first film? There are a lot of possibilities here.

California taxpayers should be grateful. Schwarzenegger actually canceled plans to purchase a platinum bust in his likeness and just ordered one of these babies for the governor's office. Head past the break for the complete list of Blu-ray video releases for the week.

The Watchmen are coming to Blu-ray on July 28th. The only version of the film offered on the Blu-ray disc will be the Director's Cut, which adds 28 minutes to the film's already lengthy run time. In addition to a new 190 minute cut, the Blu-ray version of Watchmen will also include a number of Blu-ray exclusive special features, such as "Maximum Movie Mode" which allows viewers to watch the movie with split-screen on-camera commentary. Two features will also be exclusive to the Blu-ray release: "Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes" and "Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World."

Whether or not you loved or hated the film, we're glad to see Warner Bros. add more exclusive content to its BD releases. For fans of the film, the opportunity to see about half an hour more of Dr. Manhattan in 1080p is sure to be a treat.

Did you hear? There's a new Star Trek movie out. Time for Paramount to dust of the "Original Motion Picture" collection and burn it on some Blu-ray discs. Unfortunately, there was only time to polish up The Wrath of KKHHHAAAANNN! -- the one feature from the six-flick bundle actually restored in high definition. Thankfully, there's no shortage of true HD options this week, which makes up for Paramount's untidy cash-in collection. The full list of Blu-ray videos releases is posted after the break.

We didn't believe it at first, but it looks like humanity's greatest cinematic achievement, also known as Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, is coming to Blu-ray -- and DVD, incidentally -- this June. Of course, one disc isn't nearly enough to contain a film this powerful, so the special edition comes packed with three.

Included with the package are theatrical and unrated versions of the movie, plenty of bonus features -- including a sneak peek at Marvel vs. Capcom 2 -- and also the Street Fighter Round One: Fight! animated comic movie. Oh, and let's not forget, it also has awesome box art. We think we speak for everyone when we say get pumped.

We're ain't afraid to tell you that rumors of a demo for Ghostbusters being packaged with the upcoming Blu-ray version of the film can be safely locked away in an Ecto-Containment Unit (or the nearest parallel dimension). A recent listing by online retailer ShopTo.Net excited some by listing a demo among the movie's features. However, Atari reps busted our hearts, saying simply "there will be no demo for Ghostbusters: The Video Game on the Blu-ray disc."

It's worth mentioning, however, that the retailer in question is rooted in the UK while the PR person we spoke with was US-based. So there is a slim possibility that differences exist in how the movie will be packaged in the different regions, or perhaps ShopTo.Net is bundling the demo itself as part of some special promotion. Again, unlikely, though the store tells Joystiq that based on our inquiry it is checking with its suppliers and will "update the website accordingly if it's not going to be included."

Look. We've all got our guilty pleasures. Far be it from us to judge another who relishes teenage romantic-fantasy films. But, if you're gonna do it, we do ask that you do it right. Do it in Blu-ray.

Continue on for the complete list of Blu-ray video releases for the week.

Cowabunga!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming at you in full 1080p on August 8th. This Blu-ray collection features all four theatrical TMNT films: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze', 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time', and 'TMNT.'

In addition to the four films, this Blu-ray collection will come packaged with a number of bonus features:

• Comic Book
• Sketch with Co-Creator Peter Laird's Autograph
• Radical Beanie Hat
• 8 TMNT Character Cards

See the full box art after the break.

[Via Blu-ray.com]

Anything with "Wars" in the title must be bloody epic in high-def ... right? Here's the week in Blu-ray video releases:

• Amazing Journeys (IMAX)
• Bride Wars
• Brideshead Revisited (2008)
• Connected [Chinese]
• The Da Vinci Code (Extended Cut)
  
• Fast Company
• Giulio Cesare [Italian]
• Hotel for Dogs
• In the Realm of the Senses (Criterion Collection)
• JCVD
• Luisa Fernanda [Spanish]
• Orlando [Italian]
• The Reader
• Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1
• Tamerlano [Italian]
• The Uninvited
• What Doesn't Kill You

If you were one of those crazy, pie-in-the-sky HD DVD adopters (like one of those Microbots), know that Warner Bros. has offered to take your HD DVDs and supply you with fresh Blu-ray versions of those movies. It's not all on the arm, however, as there is a $4.95 upgrade fee for each disc. When you think about it, the $5 is a lot less than actually buying the Blu-ray, so it's not that bad. Of course, your only option aside from all of that is to never watch the movie again and, really, who can live without August Rush? We know we can't!

[Via Blu-ray.com]