Disney debuts Blu-ray movie PS3 game combo disc

The Disney Toy Story 3 Hybrid Premium Edition video game will include a copy of the original Toy Story (Blu-ray) alongside the new Toy Story 3 video game.

Similar to a typical video game, PS3 gamers will be shown a regular game menu that allows playing the game like normal.  Also on the menu screen, however, is an added “video” menu that can be accessed to view the entire Toy Story 1 film.

The ability to watch a movie and play a video game all together on one disc is appealing, but it remains to be seen how many movie studios and game makers will work together for more of these products.  I believe this will stay a niche offering for movies turned into video games, or special launches of select video games.

It costs more to manufacture discs that have partitions that are able to support multiple types of media — which is one of the reasons it hasn’t been used much.  The Toy Story game/Blu-ray movie will cost $65 (a $15 premium over the regular game that doesn’t include a movie).

I’m unsure how this initial offering will work out for Disney, but I think this type of hybrid disc could be very popular in the future.  The ability to store both a movie and game on a single disc could be beneficial for gamers with limited space — and it will help reduce clutter caused by extra discs and cases.

This appears to be a new strategy from Disney to include even more flexibility and convenience for gamers and viewers.  It was announced custom mini-levels will be available for the PS3 version of the game, as Disney offers additional game playing capabilities.

What do you think of the combo Blu-ray Disc movie/PS3 game concept?