Store rentals had been the only dominant market for more than 12 years when I wanted to rent video games, since the inception of the VCR. Many companies have taken their business online due to the fact that the start-up costs are remarkably lower compared to store costs and they can virtually expand their business to an entire nation or the world in a few months. Why not expand the same concept to movie and game rentals? It was only a matter of time.
Depending on where you live and the geography of that area, I can definitely say that this will have a big influence on where you choose to rent video games. Many rental companies can be found within a few miles of your home, but others are at distances that you may not want to travel every time you need to return a game.
Fast and reliable service is a very important factor for most people living in the information age. Everything has to be now and fast these days. So let’s take a look at some factors that will help make your decision a little easier. Convenience, games in stock, game formats, availability, pricing, and customer service are the general factors we consider for any movie or game rental company. Let’s see each one:
CONVENIENCE: If you live in a rural area, then online game rental is definitely your best option. Traveling more than 8 miles out of your way to rent anything is more than most people have time to do. Being able to have your rentals delivered to your doorstep, in the country, is a huge benefit to online game rentals.
If you live in a more urban or suburban neighborhood, your nearest branch locations will determine this for you, but you can never really beat games delivered to your door every day, even if you have a mile to travel. . Being able to pick up your game in your pajamas or bathrobe without getting dressed to go to your local store is laziness and convenience at its finest. WINNER: ONLINE RENTALS!
IN STOCK GAMES – This can vary from store to store, but for the most part they are about the same. Most of the larger stores (Hollywood Video and Blockbuster) can stock 50-100 games at a time. This number is not even close to the stock of games offered by online rental clubs. We’re looking at 2,000 games at the bottom tier to over 3,500 games at the top end of the table. You’re also more likely to find more old and new games available to rent at any given time. WINNER: ONLINE RENTALS!
AVAILABILITY – I never felt like I had too many options when it comes to renting in stores. It was more of a deduction of what was left to choose from by the time you got there. When it comes to online rentals, you can pretty much play any game you’ve ever wanted to play at any time. There are, of course, some games from time to time that may have a short wait attached to them, but during those times, you’ll easily be able to choose another game from the thousands listed. Once that particular searched game is available, you will know it every time you log into your account, instantly. WINNER: ONLINE RENTALS!
GAME FORMATS – While I always thought having PS2, Xbox and Gamecube games available was a great selection at local rental stores, I didn’t even know how good it could be until online rentals introduced their selection. Online rentals not only contain the top 3 consoles but also have portable game rentals like Game Boy Advance, PSP and Nintendo DS. Many of the biggest online stores also offer XBOX 360 and PS3 games for the next generation as soon as the consoles come out. WINNER: ONLINE RENTALS!
PRICES- Renting games has always been a bit cheap ($5-$8), but it can definitely add up depending on how often you rent. If you are renting more than 5-6 per month, plus late fees, which will happen from time to time, you may have to pay out of pocket sooner than expected. Online rentals make it easy for you. Rent X amount of games and keep them for as long as you want for only X amount. Game prices fluctuate from game plan to game plan, but these prices are still much lower than what you’ll find at your local store. Check the prices here. WINNER: ONLINE RENTALS!
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Waiting in lines and dealing with crowds and irritable video game rental employees is enough to drive anyone crazy. This in itself can make you not want to deal with your local rental shop at all costs. On the other hand, online rentals have no lines, crowded stores, or irritable employees to deal with, so the experience is completely eliminated! Just select a movie from your browser and allow 1-3 business days for delivery and that’s it. If you ever have trouble receiving or returning games, please email customer support and your query will be answered within 24 hours. Some of these online rental companies even have phone support! WINNER: ONLINE RENTALS!
