GameFly - Good or Bad

[Duke Psychology]

recently, i realized that this Netflix stuff is a good thing. i've caught up on so many movies thanks to it, without making two grueling* trips to the video store every week (renting and returning). but Netflix only covers movies. so i'm thinking: does such a sweet deal exist for video games?

X-Play is constantly promoting Gamefly so i'm wondering if that place is as great as they say. so how is their selection? do they function similarly to Netflix? does anyone here use Gamefly and if so, how is their service?

*=okay so maybe it isn't "grueling", but really, who has the time these days? :p

[Sigma]

Gamefly is exactly like Netflix, but with video games. They have every game currently out for current gen consoles as well.

[Ickis]

Gamefly's stupid,X-play only advertises it because G4 forces them to do so,trust me I'm getting tired of the dumb Gamefly crud,if I wanted to rent a game I'd go to Blockbuster or Hollywood video,not some dumb website thats advertised by a perverted "Game network,I doubt G4 is really a gaming network.Need proof the G4 guys are perverted? PM me! Sorry if I sound grumpy I'm just not feeling well today.:(

[MrBananagrabber]

The only thing that makes me wary about Gamefly is that, since games are usually pretty long, unless you split the account with a roommate or blow through games really quickly, it'd be more expensive than going to a local video store. Then again, if there's a good selection and you think you'd play the games, go for it. These sort of things usually have free 1 month trials, give that a try.

[Noukon]

Gamefly's stupid,X-play only advertises it because G4 forces them to do so,trust me I'm getting tired of the dumb Gamefly crud,if I wanted to rent a game I'd go to Blockbuster or Hollywood video,not some dumb website thats advertised by a perverted "Game network,I doubt G4 is really a gaming network.Need proof the G4 guys are perverted? PM me! Sorry if I sound grumpy I'm just not feeling well today.:(
Do you have a specific complaint about GameFly, or do you just dislike the concept?

I used GameFly for a while, and it was great. It works just as well as NetFlix, and provides a really convenient way to buy used games (you can easily inspect the game disc before buying, since you're already in possession of it, and the case/manual is always going to be intact and in perfect condition).

[EscaflownePilot]

The only thing that makes me wary about Gamefly is that, since games are usually pretty long, unless you split the account with a roommate or blow through games really quickly, it'd be more expensive than going to a local video store.Actually, I was kind of figuring it the other way around.

Assuming it takes about 3-4 weeks to finish a game (which is about what it takes me, barring any holiday breaks where I have tons of free time) that's 3-4 weeks of a game rental, which at my local Blockbuster is just under $5 for a 7-day period. So, even if you stick with the same game for a month, it would cost about four rental periods at $5 at Blockbuster ($20 total) which is the same thing you'd get at GameFly for $20, only with two games out at a time.

Of course, this doesn't factor in the time it takes to ship a game back and receive the next, but I figure if you keep one out while you send back the other, then you'll never be without a game and thus not really have the downtime to factor in.

I myself am pretty certain, if it works out, that I'll use GameFly almost exclusively once I buy an Xbox 360 (hopefully at launch) since most 360 games are at the $60 mark. I'll probably buy the occasional killer-app online title (such as PGR3 or Perfect Dark 0 at launch) but for the most part I'll probably stick to GameFly rentals.

But, I haven't used GameFly at all yet, and my only real concern is the availability of new releases. If that turns out to be really bad, then I probably won't.

Also, FYI, GameFly DOES have a 15-day free trial (I think) but if you're fairly sure you'll like it, there's also the pre-paid Best Buy cards that are basically $21.95 for the first two months, so it's about one month free.

[Mynd Hed]

I've been using Gamefly for the last little while, and I've been very happy with it. The selection is excellent (just TRY finding Katamari Damacy or Digital Devil Saga at Blockbuster), the availability of even the newest and most popular games has been very good, and in the long run it saves me money over paying eight bucks per game rental at a brick-and-mortar store or, worse, fiddy bones for a game that takes me four days to beat.
The only downside has been the ship times, which are significantly worse than Netflix in my area due to the nearest warehouse being in California rather than Phoenix (I'm in Tucson). For the most part it's not a big deal-- a four day shipping period is nothing if you keep a game for three or four weeks-- but it does definitely blow when I rent a game that winds up being a real stinker and end up mailing it back the day after I got it.

[Zyzzybalubah]

I really want to try this out. I mean, any game available on current consoles? Is that really so? If it is... count me in! (when I get my lazy butt up to sign up for it. :))

[Stickman]

I had Gamefly for a while. I enjoyed it, but the games kept getting lost in the mail, so they blamed it on me and cut off my account. Suffice to say, I was fumed.

I'm thinking about trying http://www.rentzero.com. Maybe.

(Off track: I can't help but say out loud "Wow, that's blatant!" each time there's a plug for Gamefly on X-Play.)

[PRdude]

I've tried GameFly before and I thought it was okay, even if the games took a few days to get to me. I only stuck around for the trial though, and then bailed once my trial was going to finish.

Other video game rental sites: intelliflix.com and gameznflix.com

Actually, they're not limited to video games. I'd say the latter one should be obvious though.

[TnAdct1]

I'm currently a Gamefly user, and I highly reccommend it for two reasons:

1. Better selection. Some video stores may not carry the video game that you're looking for (i.e. my local Blockbuster didn't have X-Men Legends and Viewtiful Joe when they were released last year). On the other hand, as Sigma mentioned, Gamefly has almost every game that's currently out.

2. More copies of the games. As much as I hate those ads for Gamefly, they do have a point: when some video stores get new releases, their quanity is limited. As a result, some good games end up being rented out quickly, with some games not being rentable again until A WHOLE MONTH or later. On the other hand, Gamefly has a huge quanity of most of the current releases.

The only bad part is the mailing structure, since that means you'll not only be renting less games per month, but also you have to put your trust with in the US Postal Service (with me now having to put delivery confirmation tags on my returns after three games either took a long time to be returned or never got back to Gamefly at all).

[Shnay]

I tried it for awhile, and I had the same experience as most people here. They have a great selection, and financially it works out really well for the customer in the end. Shipping times vary, and occassionally they can get pretty bad (like a week or more both ways). Overall, though, I'd definitely recommend it.

[Noukon]

I've tried GameFly before and I thought it was okay, even if the games took a few days to get to me. I only stuck around for the trial though, and then bailed once my trial was going to finish.

Other video game rental sites: intelliflix.com and gameznflix.com

Actually, they're not limited to video games. I'd say the latter one should be obvious though.
I tried a free trial of gameznflix.com, and their service was absolutely terrible. It took about 10-12 days to get a new disc.

[Sigma]

I tried a free trial of gameznflix.com, and their service was absolutely terrible. It took about 10-12 days to get a new disc. Gamefly is the only really decent service.

[PRdude]

recently, i realized that this Netflix stuff is a good thing. i've caught up on so many movies thanks to it, without making two grueling* trips to the video store every week (renting and returning). but Netflix only covers movies.
I should have responded to this particular comment a long time ago, but I just wanted to say I agree with you about Netflix. I once had a long list of DVDs I wanted to rent, but without much money, or time to take a trip to the video store. It's just too bad that the video game rental services didn't get video games to me as fast.

[Noukon]

Gamefly is the only really decent service.Yeah. A combination of Netflix and Gamefly subscriptions will serve all rental needs well.

[PRdude]

Yeah. A combination of Netflix and Gamefly subscriptions will serve all rental needs well.
That would be great. At least Netflix has a shipping facility in my exact city. Thus I'd be more likely to get video game rentals the day after they're shipped to me.