Should You Rent Games Online? What Are the Benefits of Renting Video Games Vs Buying Video Games?

Should You Rent Games Online? What Are the Benefits of Renting Video Games Vs Buying Video Games?

By Jay Cooper


I've been renting movies online for several years now, but I had never thought to rent games online. Not until I took a good look at all my console games and realized that I waste a lot of money on games that have barely been played and will probably never be played again. The idea of using an online video game rental service was now starting to make sense. So I setup up trial accounts with the top 3 online video game rental companies and gave it a try. I wish I had done this years ago, as I found out there are several benefits to renting video games online.

My favorite benefit of renting video games is having the option of trying out a game to see if I like it before buying it. With so many games to choose from, it can sometimes be difficult to decide on what game to buy. Some games might look and sound great on the box cover, but when you plug it into your console, it's a major disappointment. By renting the games first, you'll be able to find out if it's worthy of being added to your gaming library. If you buy a lot of games, this can be a real money saver.

There are some video gamers that like to take a new game and play it from start to finish over several days. Once they're done with the game, it just sits on the shelf collecting dust as they move on to the next game. For these type of players, renting video games can save them a ton of money. You could knock out 3 or 4 games a month for less than $20, compared to spending $150 to $200 or more buying the games. Even if you only rented and played one game a month, it is still cheaper to rent than to buy.

Game selection is another big advantage with online video game rental companies. The largest game rental service has over 6,000 titles available to rent for Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. You won't find a selection anywhere close to that size in rental stores like Blockbuster. New releases are available as well as all the older games.

Having the games delivered right to your mailbox is another plus. No more driving back and forth to rent and return video games. This might not be a problem if you have a rental store around the corner, but for many gamers, the closest place to rent video games is a 30 minute drive or longer.

You can also forget about having to worry about returning the game on time to avoid getting hit for late fees. Most online video game rental companies allow you to keep the game as long as you like. It doesn't matter if you go through the game in a couple of days, or a couple of weeks. Return it when you are ready and they will send out your next game.

If you go through a lot of games, or are just tired of paying the high cost of buying games, renting games might be a great option for you to consider. If you would like more information, I've written a detailed review of my experience with the top 3 online video game rental services here.
If you are thinking about using an online video game rental service, then you need to read my reviews here: Rent Games Online.
Also, make sure you check out our video games review blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Cooper

Video game voice actor shot in real life by terrorist!

Splinter Cell Voice Actor Shot By Terrorists
The Canadian actor and videogame voice specialist Michael Rudder was among the unfortunate victims of a real life terrorist attack in a terrorist attack that took place in Mumbai yesterday. The actor was dining at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai when militants opened fire. He (Rudder) was hit by three bullets from the terrorist attack of yesterday but survived after being rushed to hospital where he successfully underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery soon.

If you ask me I would say that was a narrow escape, but again the heros never die. They live to fight another day. Right, atleast in the fiction world.

Forget the bad economy Video games are doing well

The recent economic downtimes all around the globe is a thing of serious concern but the truth is the Video games software sales shows they are not feeling the effect that much, Sony Playstation 3 console have had set backs in the past but look what games have sold over a million so far:

Grand Theft Auto IV, Take-Two Interactive — 4.8
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision — 3.7
Motorstorm, Sony Computer Entertainment — 3.6
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Konami — 3.4
Resistance: Fall of Man, Sony Computer Entertainment — 3.2
Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft — 2.9
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Sony Computer Entertainment — 2.2
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Sony Computer Entertainment– 1.9
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Konami — 1.6
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, RedOctane — 1.6
FIFA 08, Electronic Arts — 1.6
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Sony Computer Entertainment — 1.4
Need for Speed: ProStreet, Electronic Arts — 1.4
Devil May Cry 4, Capcom — 1.3
Heavenly Sword, Sony Computer Entertainment — 1.2
FIFA 09, Electronic Arts — 1.1
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008, THQ — 1.0


Isn't that a reason to smile?!!

GEARS OF WAR 2: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WORST--A BLOGGER'S VIEW

With the game fully launched and the hype dying down the critics have done their job and trully GEARS OF WAR 2 is really a great game. But is it going to last on that gory? Oh! i mean glory. I bet it wont last that long. Why? Because the best games are just warming up for their own glorious release--Think Killzone 2, yes the game is currently at the stage where all and every one who bashed Sony for showing a preredered game demo in 2005 and calling it in-game are now whispering in their closet saying: so the Guerilla game guys are actually going to pull it off!!! Over a million copies of Gears of War 2 games have been sold across the globe and played by its fans but over all the needling feeling of some thing more creeps in after playing a game like this. For one every successful Horde match completed, there are Matchmaking sessions so painful, that they make the gamer so restless they feel like watching a TV Soap. And for a game coming from a well respected Game engine designer and game developer as EPIC GAMES it's sad to say that the Character animation of Gears 2 didn't do much to showcase the strenght of the Unreal Engine--remerber there was so much talk about the engine working with Natural motion early this year. Obviously, the Guerilla guys have done a better job with the Killzone 2 character animation system.

Graphic wise: the graphic is bleedingly cool--I love it!!!

Gameplay wise: I think the game was cool, but I believe can be done to improve the next instalment.

Story wise : I think it was better than Gears one. And I think many will agree with me on that.

Color: the colors were not too bad the grays, browns and combinations of the same, Yes I liked it but I will like to see something better come the next instalment. So that is all from me for now-- with this little criticism of mine I hope the all combined voice of every one who loved to play the game enough to write something about it will help shape the way the game will look like and play like come the next instalment--GEARS OF WAR 3.

Count down to LittleBigPlanet: Sackboy's Victory is nearly upon us!!

LittleBigPlanet?! For those who don't know what it is it is a Videogame which is coming out on October 21 this year 2008 exclusively for the Playstation 3 console. The Sackboy as it is popularly called is going to take over the planet.
You may not know him yet, but if you know Mario then you should be able to figure out what I am talking about. But this time around imagine adding--user created content', multi-player, platform etc--to it and there you have your Sack boy or Sack girl. LittleBigPlanet is beautiful as it has got level creation tools and virtual worlds online. What you get to do is to is to guide your little sack-avatar around worlds filled with platforms and ramps and obstacles and puzzles, collecting baubles and prizes along the way. Running, climbing, swinging, riding and jet-packing around different user created enviroments and more stuffs from the developer.

The developer: Media Molecule, who are based in the U.K promised to include in its set of creation tools easy-to-use set of creation tools that will allow anyone to design, customize and share their own worlds with other players online. And when that happens it's gonna be a lovely day for all gamers around the world who care enough to buy this game. It has been said that talented gamers who sampled the game during its betta (test) were able to 'build castles that look like -- or even feature photos of -- giant phalluses.' And others are even coming up with brilliant environments, puzzles, clockwork creatures and even ways of telling stories that the game's developers 'likely never envisioned.'

Without doubt this game is going to be fun so go grab your own copy when it comes out--remember it's only less than a week from now (October 21).

Videogame shooters spree!

The game
The gaming world has been in a turmoil ever since shooter genre came into the scene: First Person Shooter, RPG-shooter and so on, many genre that had been before had to bow out just so that investors can be assured they will get back their money in one piece. The effect this kind of games have had in our real world can not be overemphasized: you probably must have heard something on the violent college shooters who claimed to have something to do with the game 'DOOM' (I am talking about the columbine shootings). The debate whether violent games make people violent is still on, in some countries some of these games have been banned but yet more are produced each year and they come out as number one sellers even grossing more money than some Hollywood blockbuster movie titles.

Video game violence: is it good or not good?
I think violence is good in a game so long as it is not being over done and the object of the violence is not a human character. What I am trying to say is that so long as the object
(character) the violence is being vested on is not a human being (character) but a beast, an evil Alien specie trying trying to take over our planet, a demon, etc then it is good. But when it is a human character that is on a good side then such violence is not necessary.

As games get edgier
The gaming industry is growing and new technologies to foster it are coming so rapidly that is hard to keep up with. As games get edgier reality is foreseeable before the next decade. Gamers are itching for more by every seconds that passes by and the game developers are always ready to whet their appetite. It is so had to conclude on any thing right now but one thing is sure: things will get better with time, but don't count on the violence in games getting down any time soon-it will get worst and scarier.