I just now wanted to play some Guitar Hero WT and put the disc in - but to my surprise it didn't register. After a few try's and examining of the disc, I notice a barely visible crack just at the center hole of the disc.

Future posters correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression blu-ray was less likely to scratch?

All the same, from touch the discs feel as sturdy as a DVD or CD. But to answer your question: I don't know. Sorry that happened though. :(

"Future posters correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression blu-ray was less likely to scratch?"

I've had a couple bluray movies from netfix come cracked (both times were during winter when it was -1 or -10 degrees outside here in WI).  That hasn't happened since the winter end of 07 though.  My understanding was that bluray disks were thicker than dvd's and postal sorting machines were cracking them, and that they thinned the disks.  I could be wrong, but modern disks seem thinner and more flexible to me. 

I have yet to have one of my personal bluray disks crack on me.  I pulled rock band in and out of my PS3 and the Rock Band case at least twice a week for a year and never had any issue, and likewise I've been doing it a couple times a week with rock band 2 since that came out.  I'm very carefull when I put them in their case, and when I pull them out though.  I try to put all of the pressure on the circle nubs in the case when I pull it out, and then I put my fingers as close as possible to the nubs when I put it in to reduce the chance of cracking. 

As for scratches, I still have yet to see a bluray disk with a scratch on it, and I've been getting 1 or 2 a week from netflix since they started renting them plus I have a six year old with all of the lego games, and he's not careful with the disks and they still look mint.  You really have to try hard to scratch a bluray disk.

Bluray and Durabus

1# by design the blue laser and distance of the data layer inks are very close to the surface on blurays so much so more then dvds, hd dvds, cds...ect
2# because of this design choice blu rays are initially very easy to scratch and even the most miniscule scratches will ruin them making them unable to play.
3# The bluray constorium initially wanted to put them in ram cartridges like those used in archival dvds and cds ala

Blu-ray discs are scratch resistant and more more surdy and reliable then DVD's. However cracks can happen to any disc if they are not handled properly.

PS3 games are the only ones at my GameStop that are never scratched, and only sometimes carry a few smudges. I wish every disc was as sturdy as a Blu-Ray.

"PS3 games are the only ones at my GameStop that are never scratched, and only sometimes carry a few smudges. I wish every disc was as sturdy as a Blu-Ray."

Im sorry to hear that happened to ya man but Im wondering, why did you not press the center eject button in the game case before removing? Theirs obviously resistance to let you know that isn't the correct way to take it out.  

"Bluray and Durabus

1# by design the blue laser and distance of the data layer inks are very close to the surface on blurays so much so more then dvds, hd dvds, cds...ect
2# because of this design choice blu rays are initially very easy to scratch and even the most miniscule scratches will ruin them making them unable to play.
3# The bluray constorium initially wanted to put them in ram cartridges like those used in archival dvds and cds ala

4# Bulky as you can see the blu ray consotrium went to TDK to create a coating which they named Durabus which makes blu ray discs very resistant to scratches and such though i do not know the physical properties of cracks i would think that if a crack at all ever affected the data layer it would ruin the disc.

"

Indeed, in my six months working at Gamestop I've only ever seen a single defective PS3 game. Even then it was only because it had a strange spiderweb look to it. No actual scratches. I've also never had a return of a used one that didn't work.

This is in contrast to 360 and PS2 games. A majority of the ones I see for those are scratched up so bad as to probably be unplayable.

For some reason Wii games are almost never scratched either. I guess people arn't playing them enough to hurt them.

The disc surface has excellent scratch resistant properties, but a crack is deadly, that should be obvious to anyone. Not even the indestructible sweetcorn derived compound will save it from that.

"I just now wanted to play some Guitar Hero WT and put the disc in - but to my surprise it didn't register. After a few try's and examining of the disc, I notice a barely visible crack just at the center hole of the disc.

The crack doesn't even appear to reach into the "data" part of the disc - it pretty much stays in the transparent part of the the center.

This is most likely caused be the case the game is in, and by (I guess) pulling it out of it without pushing the center-release "button" in the case.

I'm pretty surprised though, because: 

A. I take pretty good care of my games. They hardly ever get any scratches at all - So I don't consider myself to be hard on them.

B. I've never experienced anything like this on any of my other consoles.

C. I would never expect the game-case of any game to even be able to damage the disc it's holding.

So, I'm left to wonder... Is BLU-ray a particularly fragile medium?

Anyway... this sucks! I guess I have to buy another copy of the game.

I guess it a lesson. Always use the release-thingy in the case...

"

When the blu ray consortium the first few members who actually invented the format first did they made certain design choices including making the data ink layer closer to the surface thus mkaing a blu ray without a cartridge or durabus coating so easily scratchable that one single scratch makes them unusable, Because the data layer is so close any scratch will affect the data layer, DVDS are much like a blu ray without durabus but because the data ink layer like cd's is further from the serface then they can withstand a certain amount of scratches but blurays having the data layer so close makes it so any lil scratch on a bluray without durabus pretty much unplayable.

WHICH is why when they first proposed the spec they intended on puting blurays in cartridges much like DVD-ROM archives so they could not be scratched *think of UMD's* Instead they went to TDK whom then created a coating called Durabus which made it so we didn't have to have bulky cartridges. Durabus could be put on any disc actually but! is one of the reasons blurays still cost so much.

The following was in reply Liutenant whom didn't like to read my entire post, And Liquid prince whom quoted my reply and said the coating makes them very durable...which really doesn't make sense since thats exactly what i said but i decided to give a history on blu ray so that people didn't think that blurays by design all of a sudden were scratch resistant blurays are not scratch resistant by design and infact are flawed in this way durabus an added on layer after spec is what makes them durable, But its still just a coating and cracks will likely kill your blu ray cause the datalayer is still so close to the surface therefor any crack will likely breach the data ink layer.

StaticFalconar said:

"... and taking a game out of its case without pressing the center button is not taking good care of your games. "

I wouldn't expect anyone to define it as being particularly hard on them either though.

buttons are for pressing

t3h learningz on GB are gud!

I long for carts to be brought back, big chunky Neo Geo style ones :(

I kiss mine before I stick them in the cart slot lol.

FAIL,  you must have done something major to the disc because they have a protective coating.

That must just mean that the disc was cracked prior to your purchase or physically weakened.