Online Video Game Rentals

Rent Video Games on the InternetThe growing popularity of online video game rentals is no surprise when you consider that the worldwide video game market is expected to reach $50 billion by 2011, and surpassed the music industry in consumer spending back in 2008. When you factor in all the advantages that online video rental services offer compared to renting or buying video games from stores, it is easy to see that the online video game rental business has no where to go but up. With the success of online movie rental companies like NetFlicks and Blockbusters, consumers have made it clear that they enjoy the convenience, practicality and selection that online entertainment rentals provide.

Economical Considerations

One of the great advantages of online video game rentals is having a chance to try a game and see if it matches your tastes and lives up to the hype. Renting video games online cost much less that most rental stores charge -- especially when you sign up for their monthly subscription plans. You also spare yourself the expense of late penalties as well as all the subtle costs involved in transporting yourself back and forth to the video game store.

Since new video games retail for an average of $40 to $60, when you buy one that you can complete in a few days or doesn't match your skill level, it can be frustrating. Not only do online video rentals provide you with the chance to 'test drive' video games, but they traditionally offer their members deep discounts if you like the game enough that you decide to purchase it for your personal video game collection. You can often buy the game that you have rented and tested for as little as $27 from an online video game rental service.

Our advice? Rent video games on the Internet first, before buying them. It's much better to rent video games before buying them because you can avoid being disappointed with a game you spent $60+ tax for.

Video game swapping is also permitted on by some online video game rentals to their subscribers. This feature allows you to deal directly with other gamers and arrange to buy used games very cheap or make an even swap with another member by mail, so all you pay is the cost of postage. As the popularity of swapping video games increases, more sites are providing video game swap forums for their members.

Another option that lowers your monthly cost is to select a service plan that gives you the option to pre-order your favorite games. You then receive one game at a time, which you keep as long as you like. When you return it, the system automatically sends out another one from your pre-selected list. The only drawback to this system is that you have no control over which game you will receive next.

There are membership perks that accumulate the longer you use an online video game rental service. Most companies offer coupons on a regular basis as well as seasonal discounts for their subscribers. Usually the option to rent three or four games at a time is not available until your account has been active and in good standing for at least 60 days.

Video Game Consoles

Choosing the right online video game rental service depends on the type of console(s) that you have, because not all sites offer games for every type of unit. You will have many more options for game rentals if you use one of the more popular video game consoles and hand held models such as:

Since the average product life cycle of video game consoles is only about 4 to 5 years, most services have just a few of the classic games available for the older models. Consequently, choices for aging Playstations, Sony PSPs or original Game Boys will be limited. Very few PC games for your computer are available as rentals, although a few sites offer the more popular selections. Some online services also offer rentals and rent-to-buy options for new and used video game consoles.

Online Video Game Rental Selection

One of the biggest advantages of using online video game rentals is having access to their search engine features so you can leisurely browse through the huge variety of video game titles that are specific to your game console(s), your skill level and your favorite genres. It can be difficult to determine from reading the packaging at the store if the game is going to appeal to you.

Ideally, the online video game rental website will be easy to navigate and search. Be sure to sign up for a trial version -- if available -- so you can test their webpage to make sure you won't be bothered by annoying pop-ups or talking commercials. Also see how efficiently their search engines work, and how quickly they can get to the type of video games you are interested in renting. Some of the more sophisticated sites can recommend other games that might appeal to you, rather like the Amazon system that refers shoppers to similar items.

Of course, finding the right video games to suit your taste is easier with a wide selection to choose from, and most online services have from 4,000 to 20,000 titles available for rent. There are even exclusive sites that specialize in certain genres like family friendly multi-player games. Others cater to more experienced gamers and some feature predominately adult themes.

Delivery Options

Of course, the convenience of having your favorite video games arrive and return via your mailbox is quite preferable to having to go to the store to get fresh video game selections or rush down to get a one back before the due date. Online video game rental plans usually include all shipping and handling charges with even their lowest monthly fees.

Regardless of how often you rent, it makes sense to sign up for online video game rental plans that have free 2-way shipping and include a self-addressed mailing sleeve for your returns, so all you have to do is slip your video game into the envelope and drop it in the mailbox when you are done and ready to try a new one. For the occasional video game renter who does not want to commit to a subscription, many sites offer a reasonable lump sum delivery and return price on single orders.

Most games arrive within one or two days after you order them online. This is, of course, dependent on the mail service available in your area, and remote locations can obviously experience up to a four day delay between the time they are ordered and when they finally arrive , and-- vice versa -- something to keep in mind when you consider what type of rental plan is best if you don't live near a major distribution center area.

Length of Use

Another reason for renting video games online is your ability to keep the game(s) as long as you like, or return it right away if it does not suit your taste and receive another selection within days. Some services offer “unlimited” rentals, but there is usually some kind of control mechanism in place so they can maintain their profit margins, so it is not wise to abuse such offers. Many online rental agencies 'profile' their client base and frequent users often receive the lowest priority.

Some monthly subscriptions allow you to order multiple games at once for at a package discount that costs less than single video game rentals, so you can have quite a few on hand to play and do not have to order as often. Of course, there are no late fees or restock charges, regardless of how long you keep it.

If you like to achieve a high level of skill on each game you rent, your turn-over will be pretty slow, so you can save money by selecting a plan that only sends out one video game a month. But someone who is more interested in trying out a lot of the newest releases can save money by picking subscription plans that give frequent users discounts for ordering more than 5 different games per month.

Ratings and Reviews

We all know that the advertisements for video games do their best to promote their product, but may not have the most objective view of their product's overall appeal. With online video game rentals, you will find customer rating systems that help you tell at a glance which games are satisfying other gamers' priorities. You can customize your searches to just show you top rated games so you avoid the ones that have posed problems for other users.

If you want to learn more about the experiences other gamers have had with certain products even before you rent it, there are often links to reviews that give detailed descriptions of the games' high – and low – points. Many services are incorporating chat forums so you can exchange opinions about games with others who have tried out your favorite games and you can share strategies and cheats.

Parental Controls

To help parents determine which games are rented through online services, all games are rated using a standard Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) system. This ranking follows the same basic guidelines that are used to rate movies, and vary according to the level of sex, violence and foul language that the user is exposed to when playing the game. Obviously, controversial games like Grand Theft Auto receive the strictest ratings.

You can even regulate what age ranking can be ordered through your account. Just search for an online company that offers users the tools to set up filters that can limit access to games rated above a certain age limit. This is an especially welcome feature in families with a wide range of ages who want to make sure younger children are not exposed to the adult level games.

Free Trials and Guarantees

Free trials are a common offering for most online video game rentals, and 10 days is the usual limit, although a few extend the trial for the first month. Be sure and read the fine print to determine if you have the ability to cancel your subscription at any time. Some of the low rate plans require you to pre-pay for services and will not cheerfully refund your money.

Since you are often renting used discs, scratches and spills can sometimes be an issue. Any reputable site will offer to exchange, at no cost to you, any defective disc you receive that will not play on your console. Some guarantees will extend to cover any damage done to your equipment due to faulty discs, so once again check the details before you sign up.

Online DVD Rentals

Major movie rental companies like Blockbuster and NetFlicks have already incorporated video games alongside their online DVD rental services. As the popularity of online video game rental sites have increased, many have begun including video rentals to their subscribers. This trend will certainly continue to grow as competition for customers increases with demand.

Highest Ranked

The following online video game rental companies have the received the best rankings as of May 2010. Included are their current monthly subscription prices along with the rate for each video game ordered. These prices are subject to change.

  1. Game Fly -Monthly rate - $8.95 Game Rentals:1 for $15.95, 2 for $22.95, 3 for $29.95, 4 for $36.95.95
  2. Gamerang - Monthly rate- -$14.95 Game Rentals: 1 for $17.95, 2 for $24.95, 3 for $49.95, 4 for $59.95
  3. GottaPlay - Monthly rate - $11.95 Game Rentals: 1 for 12.95, 2 for $20.95, 3 for $28.95
  4. RentZero - Monthly rate - $13.95 Game Rentals: 1 for 13.95, 2 for $19.95, 3 for $27.95
  5. Game Mine -Monthly rate - $14.95 Game Rentals: 1 for $12.95, 2 for $18.95, 3 for $26.95
  6. Console Classix -Monthly rate - $5.00, Prepaid plans only