Gamefly starts kiosk program

[Queasy]

Link

GameFly, an online video game rental service, launched its G-Box Kiosk on Wednesday in the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore located in the Student Union Building - the first of its kind at colleges and universities across the nation.

"The kiosk program is a way to extend the GameFly universe into the physical world," said Sean Spector, co-founder and senior vice president of business development and content for GameFly.

The kiosk, a machine where video games can be rented, allows people to walk up and browse games by genre, click to choose one, swipe a card, and walk away with a newly-released game, he said. Each machine holds several hundred games and the number of games available will grow in the future.

GameFly will install similar machines across the country, Spector said, but Tech was the first to have one installed.

The G-Box will come stocked with games for several platforms, including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, he said. Also, renters can keep the games as long as they want and will not be given due dates or late fees.

John Creed, general manager at the campus bookstore, said GameFly worked with Barnes and Noble campus bookstores across the country to offer its service to students.

"I think it'll allow students who don't have the ability to get out to a Blockbuster to rent games," he said. "Students who live in dorms or are on campus more often will have the ability to get recent releases."

It will cost $1.99 for Wii games and $2.49 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 games, Spector said. The G-Box also will offer a rent-to-buy option.

"Gamers want to play a new game in the first couple of days," Spector said, "and daily rental allows people to try a game out."

I'm confused by a couple of statements here. In one paragraph, they say that renters can keep the games for as long as they want with no late fees. In another paragraph, the program is called a daily rental. Something doesn't add up here. I imagine that there won't be any due dates or late fees because the kiosk will charge your credit/debit card $1.99 or $2.49 for every day that you hold on to the game.

Anyways, interesting new thing to keep an eye out for.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Queasy
I'm confused by a couple of statements here. In one paragraph, they say that renters can keep the games for as long as they want with no late fees. In another paragraph, the program is called a daily rental. Something doesn't add up here. I imagine that there won't be any due dates or late fees because the kiosk will charge your credit/debit card $1.99 or $2.49 for every day that hold on to the game.

Anyways, interesting new thing to keep an eye out for.

Sounds right. It's not a late fee, it's another rental fee.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Queasy
I'm confused by a couple of statements here. In one paragraph, they say that renters can keep the games for as long as they want with no late fees. In another paragraph, the program is called a daily rental. Something doesn't add up here. I imagine that there won't be any due dates or late fees because the kiosk will charge your credit/debit card $1.99 or $2.49 for every day that hold on to the game.

Anyways, interesting new thing to keep an eye out for.

Sounds right. It's not a late fee, it's another rental fee.

But if you're not under any obligation to bring it back as long as you keep it, it's a rental fee. I don't think the comparison is valid here.

 

[Kabob]

This was bound to happen. Kinda cool, once again another hit against Blockbuster and such. I went to rent GTA IV when it first came out and couldn't believe that it cost me something like $7 for 5 days...ripoff. I'd rather pay $2.49 for 3 days at a time or whatever the rate is.

If they can get enough of said boxes out then cool, although I'm not sure Gamefly can afford to put a ton out right now.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Queasy
I'm confused by a couple of statements here. In one paragraph, they say that renters can keep the games for as long as they want with no late fees. In another paragraph, the program is called a daily rental. Something doesn't add up here. I imagine that there won't be any due dates or late fees because the kiosk will charge your credit/debit card $1.99 or $2.49 for every day that hold on to the game.

Anyways, interesting new thing to keep an eye out for.

Sounds right. It's not a late fee, it's another rental fee.

Ya, sounds like RedBox. You pay a daily fee for as long as you want to rent it. When you don't want to pay anymore, simply take it back, end of story.

 

[ric1287]

don't know how they deal with scratched games and shit then.

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: ric1287
don't know how they deal with scratched games and shit then.

There's a DVD dispensing kiosk at a local grocery store and I thought the same thing, but I've yet to get a DVD out of there that's not played perfectly...

If a disc is damaged they've got your CC #, but I dunno how they determine who the damager is.

 

[A5]

It'd be awesome if GF subscribers could use them to swap games, but I guess that won't happen.