The command line order for converting vdi into vmdk images, generates an image unusable with vmware (vmplayer message is: ASSERT …/disk.c:3868 bugNr=21838).

# VBoxManage internalcommands converthd -srcformat VDI -dstformat VMDK file.vdi file.vmdk 

But converting the same file to raw and then converting into vmdk produces good images.

# VBoxManage internalcommands  converttoraw file.vdi file.raw
# VBoxManage convertfromraw  -format VMDK file.raw file.vmdk