NumbThumb online video game rental

Online video game rental is a fairly new concept that’s gaining popularity at breakneck speeds. Several companies have stepped up to try and provide the best experience, but choosing between them is a lot like trying to decide which kind of pie to have for dessert: you can’t possibly have them all, and each one offers something slightly different.

GameFly has been my service of choice for a while, largely because they were the only company that reliably stocked DS games. Their shipping times were atrocious, however, and I was never thrilled with paying them over $25 a month to rent three or four games total.

Along came NumbThumb, the new guy on the block. I’ve had the chance to try out NumbThumb’s online video game rental service for the last month or so, browsing their library and charting shipping times with superhuman accuracy. Here are the results of my highly scientific trial.

NumbThumb at a glance

• Shipping time (from WA to NC): 4-7 days (average of 5)

• Systems: PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, Wii, DS, PSP and GameCube
• Game library: ~5,000

Rental plans
NumbThumb offers a 14-day free trial that lets you get a feel for the service. You’ll get your games in just a few days, so you might be able to squeeze several rentals out of that fortnight.

• 1 Game out – $6.95 First month, $12.95 thereafter
• 2 Games out – $11.95 First month, $17.95 thereafter
• 3 Games out – $16.95 First month $22.95 thereafter

Prepaid memberships offer up to 30% discounts off montly subscriptions, allowing you to score a 3 games out membership for just over $16 a month.

Game Selection

NumbThumb doesn’t have the most extensive library of games in the online rental community. It has what counts, though, and most of the newer titles are there. All the major systems are represented: PS3, Xbox, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS and GameCube. The PSP and DS are also supported (not to mention the GBA), which is something few of the other services can claim. Availability is also good and I only saw one “Short Wait” notice for a game and never saw a “Long Wait” note, even for new releases.

Shipping Times

Shipping speed can make or break an online video game rental service. Unfortunately for renters, this is due to the speed of the U.S. Postal Service, not the game companies themselves. Turnaround time, however, is where most online rental services drop the ball. Most places (GameFly, I’m looking at you) usually took one to three days to send out my next game. That’s… not so good. But NumbThumb consistently pulled through with an almost instant turnaround. Often my next game was sent out the very day the old one was received, setting the average time between games (barring weekend and holiday delays) at just over 4 days. Keep in mind that’s a transit from Washington to North Carolina. Not bad at all!

Customer Service

It may not be important to everyone, but NumbThumb’s customer service was so good, I just had to mention it. I decided it was time to give God of War a try, so I added it to my queue, received it several days later, and dove right in. In a few places the cinemas were choppy, so I pulled the disc out and saw tiny scratches on the bottom. The last renter must have been Edward Scissorhands. A few hours later, the game froze when trying to load a cinema.

I tried every trick in the book: blow-n-polish, spit-n-polish, burning incense and sacrificing roses to a deity of my choosing. Nothing worked, so I hopped on my NumbThumb queue to see what my options were. Finding the “damaged disc” link was tricky, seeing as how it didn’t exist. To report a problem, just click the customer service link and contact them from there.

I got an extremely fast (and friendly) response from a real human being within a few hours. Before the day was over, I was informed that a fresh copy of the game was on the way. My pasty white bald Spartan stabby-chain-whipping could continue as fast as the USPS could get the game to me. Thanks, NumbThumb!

On the other hand…

Fast shipping and a good game selection, but NumbThumb isn’t without its flaws. The service isn’t as full-featured as, say, GameFly, so don’t expect a rewards program or anything fancy like that. I was glad to see they offer a “Want to Keep It?” option, yet every game I received said “Not Available”. To be implemented in the future, perhaps? Also, the reviews and screenshots under each game’s profile aren’t always complete, forcing me to hit Google for game information and images. Not a deal-breaker by far, but worth throwing into the pot.

Bottom Line

In my experience, NumbThumb has been the fastest online video game rental service, and I’ve tried a dozen or more sites over the years. Their rental plans are more competitively priced than other services, and you’ll be impressed with how many games you can try during your free 14-day trial. Their game selection could use some fluffing out, but they have the biggest games and that’s what really counts. An all-around excellent game rental service.