Sure, but point being, if they only tell you the IFE is down after the cabin doors are secured, it's too late to visit the bookstore.

No IFE on a domestic flight is not a big deal -- NW hasn't had it for years -- but on longhaul / international it is a compensation-worthy fault. It is asking a lot to just sit there staring at your seatback for 8+ hours. On some airlines (SQ, CX, etc.) the advanced digital IFE is a significant part of the value prop in all classes and may be why some customers chose to fly with them.

The OP's anecdote is a little odd. I can't think of any 13-hour transatlantic flights. And I can't think of a longhaul airline that normally offers IFE but, when it fails, effortlessly produces dozens of personal video players for the pax up front.