Online Video Game Rentals-How do They Work?

Jay Moncliff asked:


Tired of going to the video store with the kids to rent those ever-popular video games? Many new services have cropped up in the last few years that make this parental ritual, and the late fees that go along with it, a thing of the past.

Going online to rent a video game is a great way to eliminate another errand and keep the kids happy. You never have to go any further than your mailbox, and you can keep the games until the kids are tired of them or beat them (whichever comes first).

Several services like Gamefly, Numbthumb and RentZero have begun serving this lucrative market, and the number of companies joining them is growing monthly. The concept is simple and convenient.

The services work more like a subscription than a video rental store. You select several games (up to 50 at Gamefly) that you would like to rent sometime in the future. These are placed in a lineup, or queue, that you will receive. Then, you'll consult the kids and see how many at a time they want to receive. With this information, you'll choose the subscription plan that you want. You can choose to receive one, two or three games at a time, with monthly fees that depend on the number selected. Most range from about $15.00 per month to $35.00 per month.

Your service will send the game(s) out to you along with prepaid envelopes for their return. They'll arrive in your mailbox and you'll need to carry them into the house. That's it! No arguments at the video store, no chasing kids up and down the halls, no "out of stock" problems.

Once the kids (or significant other) has enjoyed the game, you simply drop it into the postage paid envelope and put it in a mailbox. When the company receives it, they send out the next game on the list. You keep the game as long as you want.

The queue is flexible as well. Game selection can be updated on the internet, and changes to the list take effect right away. The kids can make as many modifications as they want.

All of the plans have options to purchase a game that the kids just can't seem to get enough of, and most charge pre-played game prices. However, most folks seem to enjoy trying as many games as possible each month, and you can always re-queue a game that you love.

Turnaround time is a factor, so consider where the game rental company is located. The closer you are to the mailing center, the sooner they'll receive your returns and you'll get your new games. Most of the plans average about 6-7 days from the time you mail your game back to when the new one is received, but that means you could try 4 games a month for each game subscription you get. If you don't like investing hundreds of dollars on games that you haven't tried, or if you're just too lazy to trudge to the video store each week, online video game rental services may be for you.



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Why Online Video Game Rental Services are Better

Mawe Barrios asked:


If you have ever wondered why subscribing to a video game rental service online is a better choice rather than your local storefront, then wonder no more. In this article, I will present to you three major factors that will hopefully convince you which one is better. Specifically, I'm going to talk about convenience, games in stock, and customer service. These are important factors that need to be considered. After reading this article, you will now be able to make a good decision on which choice is better for you.

CONVENIENCE – What are your choices if you happen to live in a rural area? Have you ever tried hopping in your car and driving downtown just to rent a few games for the week? That's something that you won't have to endure again when you subscribe to an online video game rental service. The games you want to play are delivered straight to your door, so you don't have to drive to a local store yourself.

Even if you live in the city, it's more convenient to use an online video game rental service. What are the odds of you living next door to a video game rental shop? Let's not forget the fact that there's nothing to beat the pleasure of having your games delivered to you everyday. You won't ever have to go out and walk (or drive) to your local store just to rent some games, plus imagine the luxury of getting your games even while just being dressed in your bathrobe or pajamas.

GAMES IN STOCK – Have you tried renting video games in your local store? How many game titles did you see, around 50 or a hundred? Even the biggest stores like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video only carry stocks of 50 to 100 games at a time, on average. You might think that that's not bad, except when you hear that online video game rentals can offer you thousands of games to choose from.

The smallest online store in the industry carries an approximate 2,000 games, with the biggest companies carrying around 6,000 titles. These online stores are also stocked up better on both old and new games, so you are more likely to find the exact game you want, as compared to your local storefront.

CUSTOMER SERVICE – How about irritable employees, crowds, and long lines? Would you like to experience that? When you sign up for a subscription at an online video game rental store, you practically eliminate all of these nasty problems at once. There will be no more irritable employees to deal with. No crowds to jostle and fight, plus no more waiting in lines! You get to browse and order your favorite games in the comfort and privacy of your own home, without ever having to endure the experience mentioned above.

If ever you have a problem with your games or with deliveries, a quick email to their customer service department will fix that problem. And you know what? Some of the bigger sites in the industry are now offering phone support, too! Try to beat that with having to go out and travel to your local store to complain about a problem.



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