Walmart took a different approach. Ignoring fancy metal cases, they focused on toys. Their exclusive package shrink-wrapped a standard Blu-ray copy with a 4-inch articulated figure of "Axeman" – the hulking, sack-headed executioner from the film’s prison sequence.
Studios needed to convince physical media collectors to buy. The answer? Exclusives. Sony Pictures, the distributor of Resident Evil: Afterlife , led the charge by partnering with big-box retailers to create unique SKUs (Stock Keeping Units). Each retailer offered something the others didn’t. If you wanted the complete Resident Evil: Afterlife experience, you couldn’t just grab the standard edition off the shelf. You had to strategize, pre-order, and sometimes buy multiple copies. resident evil afterlife 2010 exclusive