How to Rent Video Games

Guide Note

The video game industry has exploded in recent years, hand in hand with the burgeoning rental industry. Games have gone from the back corner to being featured in your local video store. Massive warehouse and distribution centers now support online game rental giants. It's sort of like the hero of a role-playing game, rising up from humble beginnings to become the king of a vast empire. But renting games isn't much different from renting movies. And with the tips presented here, you'll soon know all you need to know about renting video games, on and off-line.

Table of Contents

Introduction

PlayStation Video Games. (Creative Commons photo by Valerie Everett)
PlayStation Video Games. (Creative Commons photo by Valerie Everett)
  • It used to be that the only way to rent video games was to trudge down to the local video mart, hope that what you wanted was in stock, dash home, play through it as fast as you could, and then get the game back to the store before it was due. That's a lot of hassle just to sample the latest Super Mario Bros. game! Now local stores offer more games, and more ways to rent them, than ever before.
  • And the advent of the Internet—and online DVD rental houses like Netflix and Blockbuster Online—made it inevitable that companies would spring up specializing in video game rentals. The online game-rental biz has exploded in popularity. These services are just as easy to use as the local video rental store, and you can get the latest titles without even going outside (except to check the mailbox).


Online vs. Offline

  • When renting video games, as with movies, you have the choice of using an online service, or going to a store and checking the game out in person. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Renting From a Physical Store

  • There are several advantages to renting from a brick-and-mortar store:
  1. Instant gratification. No waiting for your games to arrive in the mail.
  2. You don't need a computer or access to the Internet.
  3. There's no question about what you're getting, and you don't have to worry about getting the wrong disk (like Devil May Cry 3 when you wanted Devil May Cry 4).
  4. If you do get the wrong game or a malfunctioning disk, you can replace it quickly.
  5. You're not tied to a schedule and can rent whenever you want. Most online rental stores have a monthly payment plan. If you rent from a physical store, you're only renting what you want, when you want it.

TIP: If you're not after the latest, hottest game, you may be able to rent from your local library. While you're not likely to find Grand Theft Auto on its shelves, other general interest titles are often stocked.

Renting Online

  • Then again, renting online has its share of benefits, too:
  1. No late fees. Most plans let you keep each game for as long as you like and return it when you're ready.
  2. No travel required. When you're done with a game just drop it in your mailbox and wait for the next game to arrive.
  3. A bricks and mortar store has limited retail space. Online rental stores typically have a much wider selection of both old and new games for more platforms.
  4. Most online rental stores offer free shipping. And some have a free trial period.
  5. If you plan to rent games frequently — say, three or more titles per month — the monthly fee would probably be cheaper than renting the games individually.
  • No matter which type of service you pick, renting video games is a great way to sample all the newest releases before plunking down 50 or 60 bucks for a game you might not enjoy (or beat in a handful of days).

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Renting Online

Online Game Rental. (Creative Commons photo by Robotpolisher)
Online Game Rental. (Creative Commons photo by Robotpolisher)
  • Thanks to the Internet, renting movies online is as easy (if not easier) than doing it in person. And, like any kind of shopping, browsing can be just as much fun as the actual purchase!

Choose a Rental Company

  • If you decide to rent online, you have several choices. In this section, we'll just present the facts about some of the leading renters and let you make your own decisions about which plan may be right for you.
  1. Launched in 2002, GameFly was the first online rental service for video games. It offers four membership plans, starting at $15.95 per month for one game at a time to $36.95 per month for four games. It also offers a rewards system, granting customers free rentals and discounts on purchases.
  2. Gamerang also offers four membership plans, from $17.95 (one game) to $59.95 (four games) per month, though the higher levels of service require security deposits of up to $100.
  3. Gottaplay has five shipping centers (though only one in the western half of the U.S.) and plans at $12.95, $20.95, and $28.95 monthly for one, two, or three games.
  4. RentZero has monthly subscriptions for one, two, or three games at $13.95, $19.95, and $27.95, as well as offering yearly plans that will save you $4 to $6 per month. If you refer a friend who stays with the service for at least one month, you'll also get $10 credited to your account.
  5. GPlay offers plans starting at $14.95 per month, has over 4,000 titles in stock across all major platforms, and offers a free trial.
  6. NumbThumb offers multiple options for membership, with monthly plans (starting at $11.95), a lower introductory price for new accounts, and discounted plans on three-game rentals when you sign up for three, six, or 12 months. They only have one distribution center, however, in Washington state, which could lead to longer delays for customers on the East Coast.
  7. GameznFlix rents both video games and movies on DVDs and is one of the cheapest options on the market, with membership plans starting at $8.99 monthly. The game selection is rather small, however, and does not include any titles for portable systems, like the Sony PSP.
  • Before picking an online store, however, there are a few things you should do:
  1. Familiarize yourself with the terms associated with online rental stores.
  2. Look for reviews and discussion threads.
    • Use common sense when you read reviews and messageboards: one negative review may be the result of an unusual occurrence; multiple complaints are a sign you should be cautious.
  3. Make sure the site stocks games for your consoles. This isn't an issue with most of the newer consoles, but if you have an older system, you might have a hard time finding someone who rents games for it.
  4. Finally, spend some time searching the site to see if they have some of the individual games you want.

NOTE: Turnaround time is a major issue for some online game renters and can vary widely depending on how far you live from the company's distribution centers. Put simply, the longer it takes for games to get from them to you (and vice versa), the longer your wait between receiving games. Before choosing a service, you might want to learn where its distribution centers are and go with a company close to home.

Sign Up for an Account

  • No matter how or where you decide to rent your video games, the first step is to open an account with the rental service. Fortunately, most companies make this the easiest part of the process — after all, they want to get you their games just as quickly as you want to receive them!
  1. You'll usually need to be at least 18 years old and possess a credit card to rent games online.
  2. Go to the web site and find the "Sign Up" or "Start Now" button or something similar. Enter your name, address, phone number, e-mail, membership plan, and payment options (you'll typically need a credit or debit card).
  3. Make sure to take advantage of any free trial or special offer the site is offering.
  4. Changing your membership plan is typically a simple process; just follow the instructions in your account profile.

Rent Games

  • When using an online service, this is the fun part: picking out games and adding them to your queue (list). It's like shopping for geeks!
  1. Use the site's search function to find the games you're interested in. You can typically search by title, platform, or a combination of both.
  2. If you're in less of a hurry, or don't have a particular title in mind, you can browse the selection by platform (such as PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360).
  3. Once you've found a game, click on the "Add to Queue" (or something similar) to add it to the list of games you want.
  4. Once you've added a few games to your queue (it's suggested you have at least 10), spend some time reorganizing and reordering your queue so that the games you want most are at the top and so on, all the way down the list. Usually, you can just click-and-drag your selections or use up and down arrow buttons to move them around.
  5. To delete a game from your queue, simply choose the "Delete" or "Remove from Queue" option. Any games below it will automatically slide up one spot.
  6. You should get your first game(s) in less than a week. The game(s) on the top of your queue will be sent to you, if available. If they're not available, you'll get the next game down, and so on until an available game is found.
  7. The number of games you receive (typically one to three) will be based on the plan you've chosen.
  8. If you like a particular game and want to keep it, most rental stores will give you the option to buy the game at a reduced price.
  9. When you're done with a game, just put it in the return envelope provided and drop it in your mailbox.
  10. Your next game will arrive a few days later, depending on the store's turnaround time, typically three to seven days.

TIP: If you signed up to rent games during a free trial period and decide to quit, remember to do so before the trial period is over.

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Renting Offline

Video Games at the Store. (Creative Commons photo by Wlodi)
Video Games at the Store. (Creative Commons photo by Wlodi)
  • You might find it more convenient to rent offline (from a physical store), especially if you don't rent frequently or there's a store near where you live. Many rental outfits know the market for video games is growing, and are expanding their selections accordingly.

Choose a Rental Store

  • Choosing a store is, in a sense, easier than choosing an online service, since you'll be limited by what stores are in your area and how far you're willing to travel. Of course, you'll actually have to travel to those stores, which will almost certainly take more time than searching via the Internet.
  1. Start with what you know. Chances are, you walk or drive past a rental store every day. Take a few minutes to check out your local venues.
  2. Ask the store you buy games from if they offer game rentals, or know a store that does.
  3. If you can't find a store near you, hop online and check out some major companies' store locators (such as Blockbuster or Hollywood Video).
    • Blockbuster now offers a Game Pass for clients who'd like to rent games from its stores. For $21.99 a month you take a game for as long as you'd like; simply exchange your rental for a new game when you're ready.
  4. Many grocery stores also have, at the least, movie rentals; some may also offer games.
  5. Other than location, there are a number of things to consider when choosing a rental store: price per rental, length of rental, availability of new releases, and selection are some of the most important.
    • Most major chains have roughly the same qualities and terms, so you're probably safe going with the store that's most convenient for you.

Sign Up for an Account

  • Signing up for an account at a store is easy. Just ask the clerk for an application, fill it out, and return it, and you'll be given a card to begin renting immediately.

NOTE: You will typically need some form of ID, as well as a credit card. Also, many stores will not grant accounts to minors, though a parent can "attach" one or more minors to his or her account, letting them rent from the same account.

Rent Games

  • Now that you've got your account, it's time to pick out your games!
  1. Most stores' game rental sections are broken down by system, and then alphabetically by title.
  2. Simply browse the aisles and pick out the games you want. Bring them (or the boxes, as most stores will simply have empty boxes on the shelves) to the clerk, show him or her your membership card and pay for your game(s).
  3. A typical store will rent a game out for five days for about $5-$7, though some offer shorter (such as two-night) rentals as well.
  4. Even at $7 for five days, you can beat a shorter game for just a fraction of what it would have cost to buy the game outright (even used), even if you have to rent it more than once.
  5. Always return the game before its due date (typically before the store closes the day it's due back). You don't want to be hit with any late fees!
  6. Alternatively, you can re-rent the game for the same price and same length if you want to keep playing. Again, it's better do go to the store to do this, as opposed to simply letting late fees accumulate.

Conclusion

  • Whether you choose to rent online from a web site or offline from a physical store, renting video games is a cost-efficient way to check out the latest releases or catch up with a game you might have missed when it was new. Just like any shopping experience, it pays to do your homework, shop around, and find the deal that's right for you!

Resources for How to Rent Video Games

Popular Video Game Rental Companies

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