As video game development cycles get longer and their budgets grow bigger, how can your wallet keep up with the rising cost of games? Trying to keep up with the holiday glut of games can break a man. Instead of selling your legs to science, or turning to a life of crime, or, god forbid, ignoring a couple of games, perhaps an online game-rental service could help you meet your quota?
Gamefly.com
Initial Cost: $12.95/Two games out at a time
Monthly Cost: $22.95/Two games out at a time
Wii games available: 311
PS3 games available: 214
Xbox 360 games available: 338
PS2 games available: 1529
PSP games available: 403
DS games available: 630
Rarest game available: Gitaroo Man (PS2)
How many games a year you'd have to usually buy to make it worthwhile: Five
The reigning champ, Gamefly was one of the first to apply the Netflix formula to games. Games can be kept as long as you like, with no late fees and no shipping charges. With shipping centers in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Tampa, game transit usually takes two to three days, or about a week between games. Most customers are impressed with the large library of games, including many hard-to-find last-generation titles,while complaints mainly focus on unusually long shipping times.
Gameznflix.com
Initial Cost: $12.99/Two games out at a time
Monthly Cost: $12.99/Two games out at a time
Wii games available: 120
PS3 games available: 68
Xbox 360 games available: 165
PS2 games available: 591
PSP games available: n/a
DS games available: n/a
Rarest game available: Odama (GameCube)
How many games a year you'd have to usually buy to make it worthwhile: Three
The cheapest rental service comes with a twist -- you can rent games and movies on the same plan! The consolidation is nice, but let's stick to the meat and potatoes. Their game selection is sorely lacking in comparison to the competition's, and the website is a bit of a mess, with ads crammed in every corner and a logo stolen directly from Second Life. Despite nine distribution sites spread across the country, many subscribers complain about availability and shipping times. Seems to be a case of getting what you pay for.
Gamerang.com
Initial Cost: $20/Two games out at a time
Monthly Cost: $24.95/Two games out at a time
Wii games available: 240
PS3 games available: 144
Xbox 360 games available: 240
PS2 games available: 1176
PSP games available: 432
DS games available: 384
Rarest game available: Fatal Frame (PS2)
How many games a year you'd have to usually buy to make it worthwhile: Five
Something strange turned up in my research: there seems to be noticeably more positive comments for Gamerang than negative. Thanks to the internet, any irked yokel can and will shout anonymously into the ether, especially when instant satisfaction is demanded. But somehow, Gamerang just might have quelled them. Distribution centers in California, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and New Jersey seem to cover the map pretty decently, with subscribers reporting acceptable ship times. The game selection is healthy, but is still missing many niche titles found in Gamefly's epic catalogue.
Will online game rentals work for you? Much of it depends on your distance from the distribution centers. If you're stranded in the Midwest, it can be hard to get your money's worth from the service. Also, it's very possible that you won't get super-popular titles right away. If you can't treat your rental queue with a laid-back patience, sticking with retail might be better for you. If you can overcome these criteria, a cornucopia of gaming goodness awaits you.