Are Video Game Rentals Dead?

[Koach]

I was just thinking about how I transitioned as a consumer as I got older and started having disposable income. I thought back to I was younger and lived with my parents. I had a game rented EVERY weekend. It was part of a routine almost. Week after week, NES, SNES, Genesis, N64...I think that's where it ends. I have not "rented" a video game in at least 5 years.

Even with Gamefly now, I will go out and BUY a $50 game before going to a Blockbuster or subscribing to Gamefly. Alot of these games I will only play through once and then never again...something I clearly could have rented (i'm looking at you Mario).

What do you guys think contributed to this? Is it the fact that our social group is a majority of PC Gamers? Can't really rent PC Games. We do download lots of demo's and free stuff though. I guess that could be some form of renting.

Is it the Internet and the media that is out there now for us as consumers that intrigue us to buy? I know when I was younger, there were just magazines...thats it. If I was curious about a game, I would rent it first...then possibly ask mom and dad to buy it. Now though, I already know what games I will be buying within the next 6 months. Perhaps it is the trend of a series (I will buy every Zelda/Final Fantasy). Perhaps we get so much information from Previews and Reviews that we are actually armed with information to make purchasing decisions.

Would I be renting now if I had a next-gen system? I even think now...if I get a PS3. I can see myself going out and buying 3 - 4 games instead of renting them. I don't know why though. Is it the act of "owning" the game that fulfills me?

Is it Piracy? I know I have gotten my monies worth from my MagicSwap, thats for sure. Still using it now for Persona3 in fact.

So odd how we have transitioned from a "rental" generation to an "purchasing" generation.

[Seraph]

You have to know little kids!

No worries video game rental is still in full swing, hell I think Big Tyme is renting games weekly. In fact I was playing that new Resident Evil game (the one on rails) because Big Tyme brought the rental to the house.

I think it's just that we're all older now and we know what we want. Heck Kendra rented Lego Star Wars for over a week for me the other month.

The only reason why I rented it was because I wanted to play it but didn't want to purchase it. (Let it be known I played it for like, I dunno 3 hours total)

But our purchases are typically of the golden epic caliber. The half stinkers do not interest us as we've gone through dozens upon dozens of stinkers before. Secondly we have jobs so games we'd like to play *usually the big epic, high rating types* are within purchasing limits.

If I was younger working on allowance, I'd have to get Mario Galaxy, Smash, and if I still had a updated PC i'd have to get those games too. No way I'd have enough money for all of it, so I might rent Galaxy until Christmas or Smash until my birthday. Plus we're experimenting with games, we're looking for that new rush with each new game as youngins.

Rentals might be down the drain for us but for tons of little kids all around the US, it's still in full-swing. We're the experienced, pinnacle gamers now. We've eaten PB&J games, now we're only after caviar games. Caviar is so few and far in between, renting makes no sense because we know we want it. We just buy it, gobble it up, and move on to the next caviar game.

Perfect example...I've noticed lots of games I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole, Kendra is happily attempting to play. (Raving Rabbids DS and Pirates of the Carribean DS!!!!!! ><)

I on the other hand flip the box around look at the screens, check the UI out, look at the graphics and I'm like "stinker alert" but I think you get it from years and years of playing games, you get to know the companies, you get a feel for which games/series are going to be the triple A titles.

Personally, I have too many damn games to play with less time to play them. So renting something new is out of the question unless it's superb and if it's superb I'd just buy it and add it to my collection.

[Sanjitsu]

I definitely agree with what Israel is saying and even what you said Kocurek. It's easy to spend someone ELSES money because you didn't work for it. Now that we're older and we realize the toils of work and more importantly, the vast avenues of which to spend our money. With that in the back of our mind, we realize that we're not gonna go out and spend 7 bucks to rent a game for a week when we'll only spend full hours of playing it. Not to mention, the time it takes to drive out there and rent it and return it. Which is, also in the back of our minds that our time is precious...Ever get pissed because you have to waste time to buy toilet paper? (I know I do) Also, like you said Kocurek, we are more informed with IGN and other gaming websites show us screen shots and trailers and reviews so there isnt' really a need to "try out a game". To sum things up, like Israel said. We are EXPERIENCED gamers...We're the vets so we know what we want and what we hate. With the copious amounts of information on all the games, we can pretty much judge what we're gonna like and not like. If we like it...Then hell, why not buy?