I think the eyes of many consumers are far more open to retailer exclusives and missing extras on certain discs since the U.S. Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray release last month.

It's an issue that's been going on for some time really – with a gulf between the extras on discs released in different countries very common for years – but the spotlight seems a little brighter right now.

Into this somewhat harsh light enters The Wolverine Blu-ray release.

James Mangold's film will be released on the 3rd of December in three formats in America – A DVD only release, a Blu-ray / DVD + DigitalHD package and a 3D Blu-ray Collectors Edition. Now, there's nothing as contentious as there was with the Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray here but this release is certainly weighted in favour of the 3D set.

The different versions break down as follows,

THE WOLVERINE – BD3D

THE WOLVERINE – Blu-ray 3D Theatrical Version

THE WOLVERINE – Blu-ray Unleashed Extended Cut with Director audio commentary

THE WOLVERINE – Blu-ray Theatrical Version with Special Features:

Alternate Ending

X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour

The Path of the Ronin – an immersive feature following the journey of

a hero without a past

Sync with Wolverine Second Screen App for an interactive Second Screen

experience

Theatrical Trailers THE WOLVERINE Blu-ray

THE WOLVERINE – Theatrical Version with Special Features:

Alternate Ending

X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour

The Path of the Ronin – an immersive feature following the journey of

a hero without a past

Sync with Wolverine Second Screen App for an interactive Second Screen

experience

Theatrical Trailers THE WOLVERINE DVD

THE WOLVERINE – Theatrical Cut

Inspiration – A Ronin's Journey

So, if you want to see the extended version and to listen to the commentary then you need to buy the 3D set. I'm not sure it's entirely clear from that excerpt from the press release if the extended cut is only in 3D or will be in 2D on the disc too. My hunch is the former rather than the latter though.

I don't have a 3D television, yet, but I'm inclined to pick up the 3D set as I will get one eventually and it seems to make sense to future proof my purchases as much as possible. More releases like this will probably force my hand, in a similar way to the way in which I made the leap to Blu-ray from DVD. Presumably that's the kind of behaviour that the studios are counting on.