Video game rental – GameFly

With the explosion of online movie rental, internet-based video game rental services began to spring up, offering monthly subscription plans and unlimited game rental for all the good little boys and girls around. I’ve tried out several of these services and had some very mixed results with each of them. Long shipping delays, poor pricing schemes and horrible game availability were just a few of the problems I encountered. In the end, one service stood on top of the pack: GameFly.

With all its greatness, GameFly has one drawback: long shipping times. There’s only one GameFly warehouse in the United States and it’s in California. Great if you live in L.A., but bad if you’re anywhere else. Turnaround time is often eight to ten days. With that said, GameFly does have the best selection of games from all systems and is the only online rental service that consistently stocks Nintendo DS games, my lifeblood of gaming bliss. Is it worth the wait to have unlimited access to all those games? I think so. And with the addition of great programs such as GameFly Rewards and the surprisingly low-priced store (with free shipping), the extras really add up to something nice.

If traditional console gaming is more your style, there are faster alternatives to GameFly such as GameLender. Don’t expect the same game availability, however. Most online video game rental services offer a trial period, so take advantage of it and find the one that’s right for you. Check out this online video game rental comparison chart for at-a-glance information, then head over to LoveToKnow Video Games for a slew of rental site reviews.