Topic: Gaming on a budget. Rent vs. Buy?

[cardsgirl1980]

I pretty much rent everything from gamefly since I - like a lot of people these days - don't have the cash to just go out and buy everything I want to play every time the mood strikes. Gamefly ends up being way cheaper and I play a lot more than I would if I had to buy everything. It's literally the  difference between playing 4 games a year or 40 from a financial standpoint.

For me gamefly's the only way to get my hands on new releases and not go broke in the process. Renting has won out over buying for me by a long shot.

What do you think? Renting the new buying?

[Mop it up]

Renting isn't for me, mostly because it wouldn't give me enough time to play games. It took me two months to 100% complete Super Mario Galaxy which, with the regular cost of GameFly's single-game rental, would have been $32. That's actually more than what I paid to buy the game. Then there are games like Mario Kart Wii which I haven't stopped playing since its release, and Mario Party 8 which I like to have around in case a party breaks loose.

Of course, renting just to try a game might not be a bad idea. I wish I had rented Boom Blox before I bought it... *sigh*

I guess it depends on how much time you can invest into your games. If you'll be finished with them within a week then they probably aren't worth buying, but for me they are more long-term investments.

[cardsgirl1980]

I can definitely see your point. Where some games go it is worth owning them. I've still employed the strategy of renting first though as that way I can get whatever I'm buying with my gamefly discount which is a nice option. Not to mention the benefits of "try before you buy."

Still, if I'm really enjoying something and I realize it's going to take me a while to get through it or it's something I just want around (like Mario Party 8 for example) I'll just use the keep it feature. Not always but once in a while. I'm honestly trying to avoid buying games as much as possible so I use the 2 at a time plan and can have something going for a while and cycle through other stuff as well.

I hear ya on Boom Blox. Glad I rented it. When you think about it, just being able to toss it back in the mail pretty much paid for my gamefly subscription a couple times over.

[Mop it up]

The "keep it" feature is nice, though I don't know if I'd want to buy a game that was used as a rental. People don't take care of rental property, it's a proven fact, so who knows what kind of condition it'll be in. Do they send you the case, manual, and inserts too, assuming they haven't gotten lost/stolen?

The main complaint I've heard about GameFly is the transit time, that it can take up to a week to receive your next game. For a service where you pay monthly, that seems pretty dirty floors.

I managed to sell Boom Blox for close to what I paid for it, so it ended up costing me close to what a rental would have anyway. Of course, the selling process is more hassle than returning a rental, but it still allows you to buy with confidence.

I just noticed that you're a new member (despite joining three years ago. Been there myself though ). Welcome to the forum!

[cardsgirl1980]

Yeah, I'm "new" more or less but have been nosing around for a while now actually. I didn't realize it had been nearly 3 years! Yikes. Thanks for the welcome. I know I've posted stuff here before but it's been a while. I guess there's a shelf life. Anyway...

To answer your question, yes, gamefly sends along all of the original packaging and manuals if you buy a game from them. Surprisingly, their quality control is exceptional. Out of the gate I was dubious as well but I'm really impressed with the quality of everything I get from them. I don't know how they manage it but netflix could pick up a few pointers where this is concerned. If I had to guess I'd say 1 out of 5 discs I get from them are damaged in some way. I don't think I've ever had an unplayable disc from gamefly. Go figure?

A little trick I've used in the past which isn't really a big secret anymore but nonetheless... is to get new titles into my queue before they actually release. As long as there's an open slot for a game to ship and the title is at the #1 position it will ship on release day. So, you've basically got yourself a brand new game untouched by anyone but you. Then, if you decide you want to keep it you can just buy it outright for anywhere between 10% - 20% off retail. More if you've got some gamefly coupons (they send these every couple months).

I generally wait about 3 days for stuff from them and I'm fine with that. Once in a while I might wait a day or two more but all said and done it's still a bargain and I play way more than I would otherwise so I'm not complaining.

[BeautifulShy]

Welcome cardsgirl to the forums.I have been a member since January 08.Welcome.

I typically buy all my games. I tend to either play through them quickly or it takes a while. RPGs I can get through quickly.Sometimes I get distracted with recent games that I purchase.So it may take a while to beat older games.

Once again welcome.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Another good option is to wait until there's a price drop for a game or wait until there is a sale for that title in question, it works out well since you get to keep the games and you don't have to pay full price for it.

[Morari]

Modchips are also a good idea. That way, you can kind of rent the game, but also sort of own it. Win/win!

Seriously though, I don't like renting games. The time it takes me to play through most games is far beyond that of an average rental time. Besides, in an ideal situation, the games I purchase are really good and worth playing through again sometime down the road. This also fails to take into account multiplayer games, which always recieve years and years of fairly solid play.


User has been warned for promoting piracy  ~Flames_of_chaos

[cardsgirl1980]

Modchips are also a good idea. That way, you can kind of rent the game, but also sort of own it. Win/win!

Seriously though, I don't like renting games. The time it takes me to play through most games is far beyond that of an average rental time. Besides, in an ideal situation, the games I purchase are really good and worth playing through again sometime down the road. This also fails to take into account multiplayer games, which always recieve years and years of fairly solid play.

I get what you're saying. Personally, I'm kind of a junkie. I always feel like I'm missing out on something if I'm not playing the hottest new release, even if I only end up playing it for an hour it still satisfies this insatiable desire to get my hands on all things new. I think I might have a problem! There's the addiction factor and then the more logical fact that I have more than one console.

One nice benefit I've found renting over buying has been getting a hold of the random sleeper hit I probably wouldn't have otherwise even bothered with. Mario Galaxy being one. Granted, that may not fall into the "sleeper" category but I rented it sort of half heartedly and ended up loving it. I know for certain I wouldn't have ever even considered buying it so, you know, there are some happy surprises.

[DAaaMan64]

I rent what I am un sure of, everything else I will buy.  Unfortunately, I have no money really so I only buy once in a blue moon. Only game I've bought this year was madworld.

[KDR_11k]

I'm too erratric in my game playing for any rentals, never mind that rentals are too damn expensive around here. I just grab pricedropped games instead.

[Stratos]

I'm too erratric in my game playing for any rentals, never mind that rentals are too damn expensive around here. I just grab pricedropped games instead.

Amazon deals for the win!

[cardsgirl1980]

I feel like gamefly's store compares is pretty competitive compared to Amazon or Ebay. http://www.gamefly.com/store/?stp=13 (link goes directly to Wii games but you can search on all consoles) You don't have to be a member to buy games from them and shipping is free so that's a factor to add into the equation.

I really only ever buy games from them since I rent from them too.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Gamefly has some good deals sometimes, if you don't mind that those copies are rental copies. I think it's good to shop around for deals. I usually go to cheapassgamer to hunt for game sales, since that forum is usually the best place to go if you are looking for deals.

[cardsgirl1980]

Yes, cheapass gamer is a great site all around. I'm a regular lurker there.

[NWR_DrewMG]

I can't recommend Goozex.com highly enough for budget gaming.  Ever since I discovered the site last November, I've been playing tons of games that I'd meant to try before, but never got around to it, and I probably haven't dumped more than about $40 total into the site.

[cardsgirl1980]

Yeah, I've heard of Gooex. Sound great if you've got stuff to trade. That's kinda where I'm at a loss. I don't have a stock pile of stuff to trade being primarily a renter and all. What I do own I want to keep. Gamefly just started a game trade-in option not long ago. I haven't used it as, like I mentioned, I don't have much I want to part with but credits go toward the cost of your monthly membership so it's a nice way to unload stuff that's gathering dust and try out some new stuff without making any financial commitments. Theoretically, you could probably get gamefly "free" for a few months on some good trades. At least that's what I've heard other people who've used it say. Makes me wish I had more I was willing to part with.

[NWR_DrewMG]

I still keep almost all of my first party Nintendo games, and major 360 releases, but just about everything else is free game.  I've traded away:

Far Cry 2 for 360
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for DS
Halo 3 for 360
Okami for PS2
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia for DS
Animal Crossing: City Folk for Wii
GTA: San Andreas for PS2

and a bunch of others.  I guess I"m not a collector anymore.  The only games in my collection that I consider to be absolutely untradable are Mario titles, Zelda Titles, Mario Kart titles, and Smash Bros. titles.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

I'm still a collector.  I finished college to enter a career that would support my buying habits.

[vudu]

Am I really the only person here who's cynical enough to automatically assume cardsgirl1980 is a GameFly plant?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

It's a man... baby?

[ShyGuy]

www.gamefly.com is your source for game rentals. Keep the post office in business people!

[cardsgirl1980]

Am I really the only person here who's cynical enough to automatically assume cardsgirl1980 is a GameFly plant?

I suppose I ought to look into that actually seeing what a shameless advocate I am. I can see why you'd think it. I'm a cynic too. No worries.

[cardsgirl1980]

I'm still a collector.  I finished college to enter a career that would support my buying habits.

HA! I did too and I'm still paying for it! Sadly a degree doesn't guarantee financial independence. Particularly these days.

[D_Average]

I have a 2 movie/game pass at a Blockbuster right next door that works out great for me.  Just in the last week or so I was able to try Shroom Men, Wii Control Pikmin and Mario Tennis, Wario Shake it and Gran Tourismo Prologue.  The only downside to this, is I always lean going to pick out a new game rather than finish the ones I own.  But overall its my preferred method so I can at least try what everyone's raving about.