Topic: Do people even rent games anymore?

[S-U-P-E-R]

I mean, now it's like 5 bucks or more to rent a game, pretty much, where it used to be 2. I mean, for a price of a few rentals, we could just buy a game, jeez. Are the days of renting a game "to see if you like it" long since over? I mean, lord knows we and everyone else sometimes mention renting a game in our reviews and whatnot; are we just being silly anymore?

[Ocarina Blue]

Nope. But it's only because all the video stores don't have GC games. Except for one, which is half an hour's dive away, and it's in the same city. The funny thing is, all the stock there is almost permanently rented. I'd like to swear at them quite alot right now, but I think I'd like less being banned.

[Mario]

I haven't rented a game for over year now, despite my rental store having a good selection of GCN titles, i used to rent something like once a week, but i just stopped renting games for some reason. There are no games that i don't own, that interest me enough to want to pay $8 to play them for a day, meh.  

[KDR_11k]

5? 8? Man, 'round here the most they demand is one Euro a day!
Nothing intersting to rent, though. I wanted to rent Wario World, but that was already rented out. Maybe after the big boom I should check back...

[Bloodworth]

Yeah, selection is what screws me over.  I was just going to rent Prince of Persia.  Several stores I went to didn't have the GC version, and the Louie Awards were coming up, so I just said screw it and bought the freaking game.

[DrZoidberg]

now that's commitment

i've not rented games since the n64 generation, where i'd rent a game pretty much every weekend, but er now nothing has Cube games that are worth renting that i don't allready own, i should check again now i have a ps2..

i had the most fun playing Pokemon Snap when i was really sick for a week, a quality rental that.

[Termin8Anakin]

I've only ever rented SNES and N64 games, cause the video stores i went to loved them so much
This gen though with the GC, no video store I go to has them. I went to the Civic Video near my place and they had two GC games!
WOW! Such a selection!
They were Universal Studios and Turok Evolution - they sure know games don't they =/

I can't understand why no one has them. It's like the video stores and retail stores are all in league against Nintendo.

And where I rent games and new release movies, it's only 3 aussie bucks
Sucks to anyone who rents from Blockbuster, Civic or Video Ezy  and their stupid 8-10 bucks for games and new release movies

[KnowsNothing]

The price and selection are poo. =/

The stores around here have a mediocre selection, but they always seem to not carry the game *I* want.  Besides, the closest rental place charges $5 for 2 days.  I mean come on!  What the hell is up wiht that?  The closest Blockbust has $5 for 5 days so that's a bit better.

But really, the days of renting or over........

[darknight06]

I really don't rent games anymore either.  My local Blockbusters have just completely went to crap.  I was renting games last year when they bothered to keep a selection up, but as of late they'd put cube games out of plain view and whenever I have gone there they wouldn't really put anything new in there.  As a matter of fact, this weekend I went to rent Beyond Good and Evil and Prince of Persia from them, only to find out they don't have them at all.  Both locations didn't have them, and both cut the selection tenfold.  Back during NES, SNES and N64 days I used to rent games like crazy, but now it's like they don't want to keep a game around unless it's for PS2.  Even X-Box somewhat gets the shaft around here.  

[Ian Sane]

"Nope. But it's only because all the video stores don't have GC games."

Bullseye.  That's exactly the reason I rarely rent games.  Now most of the video stores in my area do rent GC games but they don't get the games I want to rent.  Most of the games they have available are major titles like Mario and Zelda but I don't rent those games, I buy them because I know they'll be good.  I like to rent games that get a decent rating but are only like 10 hours long or are criticized for being too easy, or are from a genre I normally don't care for.  Pop, Luigi's Mansion, Burnout 2, and WWE games are all examples of game I rent.  Most stores don't have games like that.  Everything is either a major title or a hyped up title that I KNOW sucks and I have no desire to play (Enter the Matrix).  Cost is an issue too.  Blockbuster charges more for a weekly game rental than a weekly movie rental and that seems a little pricey to me.  Should I pay $10 to play a game for a week or risk it and pay $20 for a used copy that I have forever?

One thing worth noting though is that I've been thinking of getting a PS2 and if I get one I'll be renting games for it fairly often because there's no trouble with finding PS2 games to rent.  If Nintendo made a deal with a major video store chain to get good selections of Nintendo console titles in their stores I would rent far more often.  My friends and I used to rent NES and SNES games all the time because every game we were even remotely interested in was in every video store in town.

[vudu]

i haven't rented a game since the days of the super nintendo.  i've been thinking about trackind down prince of persia--i just can't see dropping $50 on a game that i can beat in a weekend and offers little incentive to replay it.  but if my luck is as good as bloodworth's, i won't be able to find the gamecube version of it.

[Jale]

I rent loads of games! I rarly have the £40 needed to buy a game and I can usually get a lot of enjoyment out of a game in a weekend. If it is a game that I really want then I will pre-order it from GAME or something but if it is just one I want to try (True Crime for example) I will rent it.  

[nitsu niflheim]

I think the last game I rented was Chrono Trigger, because the blockbuster had it before the store had it, and this was just a few days before my birthday, which I got the game then.  I don't remember the year Chrono Trigger came out, but I know the SNES was the last system I rented a game for.  I haven't even rented a movie in I don't know how long.  I just buy the game or movie.  In the end it is more convienent for me.

[Polemistis]

Man, sucks to be most of you guys lol. The video store I go to has this deal when you rent one get a second free from Sunday to Wednesday. And for 4 day rental its only $5 lol! O ya, there is also a great selection of games. So, yes, I still rent video games  

[SearanoX]

I sure don't rent anything.  I can always return and/or exchange something if I don't like it.  I'm generally pretty careful to not buy anything I know that I won't like, either.  I'm usually pretty picky about getting anything that's rated under 8.5/10 on average.

Plus, we've no place to rent games that's close enough to my house...I don't want to walk out half an hour there and half an hour back all the time.

[Infernal Monkey]

I still rent the odd PS2 game here and there, if I have a coupon for say, two for one or something. It's about $6.50 to rent a new release game for one night at Blockbuster now. I remember paying like, $7 for three new releases on N64 and stuff. Now it's nearly that much for one game. Bleh.

Oh yeah, I can't rent GC games. Not enough demand or something, so Blockbuster stopped getting new stuff in.

[Bill Aurion]

I haven't rented a game in years...None this gen...I just happen to know what I want, and I just happen to like everything I get...Must be luck...

[Ghost_of_a_Flea]

For me it depends on the replay value of the game.  Usually anything put out by Nintendo I always pick up; it never fails, I beat Metroid: Prime and Zelda: The Wind Waker a couple of times and put them aside... a few months later I started playing them again.  Sports games I buy, but platformers that I can beat in a few days, I rent.  The Movie Gallery here is nice, $3 for a week rental (on anything, not just games).  There's close to equal shelf space for Xbox, GameCube, and PS2, so it works out well.  

Another good thing is that if you're late it automatically rolls over, they charge you $3 again, but you get it for another week.  So it's cheaper for me to play games I don't want to shell out $50 for.  I still have a good selection of games (22 GameCube and 16 PS2 games), but why pay $50 for a game I'll only play for a few days?

[Fluke Worm]

It doesn't seem quite worth it to me anymore, now that CDs have replaced cartridges it seems almost ever game you rent skips or some sh!t, besides one reson for renting to try a game out is pretty mutch obsolete with all the easy access game reviews. And WTF is up with thoughs sh!tty B&W photo copied manuals that looks like some stoner from middle school made, you better hope the game you just dropped money on is intuitive.

[Berny]

I don't even glance at the video game section when I go to Blockbuster. Ok that's not entirely true. Everybody's favorite Hylian Hero was above the Gamecube sign. I think it was Link from OOT though.

Even renting movies isn't as good. Especially if you are renting a DVD. Its like the first people who rent it have a sudden urge to practice sandpapering on the DVD. Stupid people need to die.

[Uncle Rich AiAi]

My local Blockbuster has a good range of GC games.

They are fairly expensive (being Blockbuster that is), but I have no other choice.  I mostly rent games that I am not sure if I'll enjoy before buying.

I should thankful that I can rent GC games in a country where it is treated like sh*t....

[Metaphysical Spirit]

Hah. Can't say that I rent anymore. Blockbuster is a rip off, and the runner-up for me is Hollywood Video. When it comes down to it, neither have the games I'm looking for. Last time I rented a game, ehhh?? About the time of N64 when I rented Bond so many times, I bought it from Blockbuster at a discount price.

[nolimit19]

i do when i have time to play. my stores have plenty in the gc section, but i usually do just buy the game...unless i know i dont want it.

[Draygaia]

Maybe if the renting time was longer and the price was cheaper and the selection of GCN games was good I'd rent somemore.  My renting money is more deserving towards Persisten/MMO games.  They say GCN isn't doing well yet they take out games like Dark Alliance and put games like Finding Nemo which fill up like 50% of the space.  

[ThePerm]

i rented games in the last generation...however im a gamecube owner and that means im not cool enough for their business....

you know its funny...i can go onto a forum and relate to several thouand people who are having the same problem as far as renting goes and have outright quit renting...see this is one fo the problems with the industry....and man i only laugh a the rental stores because they lost a TON of customers. If anyone remembered correctly n64 had the best rental charts in the last generation..now i bet game rtentals dont make nearly as much money as they used to.