Do you still use video game rental services?

[Chary]

For the longest time, I've disregarded the idea of renting a video game. Mostly due to the fact that there's no more Hollywood Video or Blockbuster near me, let alone in existence. But then I actually for the first time ever, had an ad that was relevant. I got an email from GameFly saying it'd been years since I'd last used their service (2012, to be exact) and they'd like me to come back and see what's new for a free month trial.

And it's pretty great! Games I was wishlisting on PSN and considering paying $30 each during a good sale are way better suited to renting. $30 is a lot to gamble on something like Deathloop, and who's to say I'd like it enough to be happy paying for it? Now I've got Life is Strange True Colors and Deathloop coming right to my house, effortlessly, free, and even if I kept the sub, it'd be like the cost of a netflix sub monthly.

Do you still rent games?

 

[CallmeBerto]

Not something I've ever considered doing but that GameFly deal sounds great. I supposed my biggest issue to playing the newest games is the lack of time and not the money part. Example; The main story and a few side quest in Tales of Arise took me over a month to complete.

 

[Goku1992A]

Video Games no... but I need to find a reliable Anime Renting service

 

[DudderButter]

I remember seeing GameFly commercials all the time when I was younger. I thought they went out of business, honestly. Glad to see others using it when I couldn't.

 

[godreborn]

No, gamefly is too expensive for me when it usually takes me months to go through a new game. I did buy ratchet and clank for the ps5 from them though for $34, and it was in perfect condition. Didn't need a subscription for that either.

 

[FAST6191]

My experience with game rentals ended in the PS1 era *shifty eyes* but for most practical purposes did not make it out of the 16 bit era. With the subsequent demise of the rental chains then have not done it in years, though I did use the DVD rental by post services for a while when I had no internet/TV. Second hand games usually make up the difference (most of those drop down to prices I am content to pay) but I am intrigued here, or would be if there were games I am likely to want to play/dismiss in short order which is rare these days and most of those are download only.

 

[hippy dave]

I did use one for a few PS4 games before the 5.05 hack came out.

 

[subcon959]

I've got news for you, all games are rented these days

 

[The Catboy]

I used to rent games back in the day but I either buy them or pirate them these days.

 

[Marc_LFD]

Blockbuster when it existed.

Still, games to rent exist. Stadia? GamePass? Digital format games? You borrow them, some more than others.

I don't get the logic in buying a game on Stadia because once the service is discontinued, it's gone.

 

[Kioku]

If you're using a service like Gamepass you're renting games. So, yes.. I do rent games.

 

[Deleted member 568892]

I've never rented a game before. I've only heard of Blockbuster, never been there.

 

[Caleck]

I remember renting a couple games from Blockbuster, but never was a huge fan of it.

I'm honestly surprised game rental services are even still around since games have gotten so much longer.

 

[mr_switch]

Isn't going digital a form of game rental?

 

[Jayinem]

No because they don't exist anymore. A gamefly subscription is not a rental. A rental is where you go into a local store grab a game and pay a small sum of money and agree to return it on a certain date. Gamefly is a subscription where you can keep the game as long as you want, as long as you keep paying the subscription. Not even close to the same thing.

When I was a kid I rented NES games, and the only way you had to judge if the game you were going to rent was going to be good or not was the cover. Covers can be deceiving, but it was still cool somehow.

 

[MikaDubbz]

I use the public library, you just use the computer system and you can rent video games from any of the libraries in the district, and they have current stuff too. Everything you rent is for at least 2 weeks, sometimes a full month, completely free. Can not tell you how great it has been for playing through Switch games I want to play but had no interest in ever paying full price for. Sure the downside is you have to make reservations and you don't get your games right away, but you reserve a bunch at once, and throughout the year you'll get random alerts that a new game is available to pick up, and it's pretty fun, as you're never sure what game you'll be playing next. Genuinely can't believe what a great and underutilized resource the library can be.

 

[AkikoKumagara]

Other than a couple very specific instances since, last time I regularly rented video games was over 20 years ago.

 

[Jayinem]

I use the public library, you just use the computer system and you can rent video games from any of the libraries in the district, and they have current stuff too. Everything you rent is for at least 2 weeks, sometimes a full month, completely free. Can not tell you how great it has been for playing through Switch games I want to play but had no interest in ever paying full price for. Sure the downside is you have to make reservations and you don't get your games right away, but you reserve a bunch at once, and throughout the year you'll get random alerts that a new game is available to pick up, and it's pretty fun, as you're never sure what game you'll be playing next. Genuinely can't believe what a great and underutilized resource the library can be.

That's pretty cool, I'll have to check on that locally but I'm going to assume my shitty libraries don't have Switch games.

 

[rusty shackleford]

I've used Gamefly off and on for the past maybe 12 years for both renting and buying games. I think i only had 2 games that didnt work and had to send back which isnt bad. I also never had a problem with availability with certain games that i wanted to rent either. And I really didnt want to pay more than $30 for Last of Us 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and other single player games so i just rented them instead. There's nothing really good coming out now so i cancelled my sub. Overall i'd recommend them. Might resub if i get a coupon code for $1 for the first month.

 

[MikaDubbz]

That's pretty cool, I'll have to check on that locally but I'm going to assume my shitty libraries don't have Switch games.

To be fair my local local library doesn't carry any video games I don't believe, but many of the libraries within the county or district or whatever that the library is a part of do, so you just look through their computer system (I'm doing it right now since we were talking about it lol) which you can even do from home and just place your holds and they'll send you an email or text or whatever you prefer when it arrives from one of the other libraries. I love it.