Review: RedOctane Game Rental Service

An anonymous reader writes "Are you thinking of subscribing to the RedOctane game rental service? If so, you may wish to read this review before signing up. Bottom line? Slow turnaound times make it uncompetitive with local rentals."

Comments

However...

[RyuuzakiTetsuya]

First post? I dunno.

The VARIETY can't be beat. The sheer number of import games ALONE makes it worth while. I'd like to see an import store that does rentals. or a rental store that does imports. Atleast in Las Vegas where I live.

Depends on the gamer

[Skadet]

I don't game that much, so my local video store works fine for me. They'll give you 2 games for 7 days for $10. Taking into consideration the waiting time involved with RedOctane, the store in town's a better deal.

I imagine RedOctane's main draw will be for gamers who want to play imports or other hard-to-find titles. Their selection definately can't be beat.

Yes, but...

[The Pi-Guy]

what about the DDR mats? =)

I personally want one, anyone know if the RedOctane pads are any good?

--j

Nothing new

[Wind_Walker]

This is the exact same thing as with buying games online. For about a year, I bought all my games online and had them shipped to me. I thought, "Hey, I don't have to pick up my games at the store, they're right on my doorstep!" But eventually, I got tired of waiting for terrible shipping delays, having my shipments sent back because nobody was available to pick up at 10:00 in the morning (does UPS realize that people work during the day and can't pick up packages at home?)

It's ten times simpler to buy it at a local store. They worry about shipping charges, they worry about pickups of games, and they always get the games at the earliest possible date - sometimes before. You also have the convenience of walking home with the game, and also interaction with other gamers. I originally had no clue what Serious Sam was until I went into an EB and heard people talking about it. It's one of the best FPS games I've ever played, and it's only $20.

There are only two reasons to buy something online:

• It's so unbelievably rare that you'd likely never find it in a store
• It's significantly cheaper to buy it online (after shipping) and you don't mind when you get it.

This rental service is just proving that all over again.

Former RedOctane member

[MooRogue]

As a former RedOctane member, i can attest to how their service has gone down over time. I'm virtually local to RedOctane's office, and up to a year ago, I was getting 2 day turnaround times from their service. On their G3 program, I was able to play almost 3 games a week, with 3-4 days to play each game.

However, this year, I found it increasingly hard to obtain *any* games from RedOctane. Any popular or new game would have a 2-4 week waiting period, or they would simply send you one of the games in lesser demand in your queue. Right before i cancelled my service, I would have only one, sometimes none of my 3 alloted games actually in my posession and playable.

I guess RedOctane was a victim of it's own success. As it started growing and getting more members, it did not expand it's inventory of necessary games and/or staff to keep up with demand.

If only netflix would rent games and..

[Frank of Earth]

.. pr0n. I'm too embarrased to go the back of the local video store to rent pr0n and the times I have, there was always some weird guy reading the boxes like they were Shakespeare sonnets.

I remember this one time I rented Boobie Babes or something like that and all my luck the 16 year old girl working the counter couldn't get it to scan so she had to call the manager. I'm not sure if minors are allowed to help you rent p0rn, but it should be illegal!

Anyways, nowadays I just download crappy videos from Kazza.

Re:If only netflix would rent games and..

[chrisvr]

BlueDVD.com is good. Or, er, at least that's what I hear.

Re:NetFlix was just as bad...

[Frank of Earth]

I must have joined after the depot opened in NYC because I have great turn around time. In face, the only lag I have found is with myself making time to watch the movies.

I thought I would actually run out of videos to rent after a few months but I still have 15+ in my rental queue.

A lot of people compare Netflix to the BallBuster monthly plans but the beauty of Netflix is that you don't have to go the video store with all the other morons and walk around like an idiot trying to find a video to rent. I can just sit back and relax on my laptop, read reviews and pick the videos I want to see. Since I always have three videos in my possession, I never have to worry about getting movies for a rainy day.

Not to totally bash BallBusters, but check this out:

Q: Does BLOCKBUSTER edit the movies in the store?
A: No, Blockbuster does not edit the content of its films. But whenever able, Blockbuster will order 'edited for content' versions from the studios that go light on displays of violent or sexual nature.

There is no mention of this tactic anywhere on their website, and the worst part is that most of the rentals don't mention anywhere on the packaging that the consumer is about to rent a lighter version than the one playing nationwide in theaters. We waited until movie night and tested these findings. An agent of ours rented "The Wonder Boys". This one actually said right before the movie "this film has been edited for content." Boy did we feel jilted. Naturally, we would have never rented the thing if it said on the box "edited for content." We marched back to Blockbuster and politely but firmly asked for our money back, which we received without a problem.

Re:addict?

[Frank of Earth]

Unless you want to rent a recently released game, then it's 6 bucks for 2 days. What a rip off.

Blockbuster's Freedom Pass...

[tjgrant]

I've bought a couple of them for my three sons and myself. $19.95, two games out at a time, as many games as you can get in 30 days. It's a heck of a deal, there've even been times where we got a game in the morning, decided it sucked and returned it that afternoon for something new.

I usually get one game for the kids (T rating or lower and one game for me M rated). [I have to get something that only I can play cause my kids kick my butt on anything I play with them!].

Blockbuster doesn't necessarily have the best selection, but they've generally got enough to keep us interested.

In defense of RedOctane.

[Buck2]

I've been a G3 member of RedOctane since shortly after the PS2 came out. I never hesitate to recommend it to anyone who owns or is interested in buying a console. It's not a company for everyone, though.

After looking at my last credit card statement, I see that I pay $23.76 per month to have 3 games for as long as I want. This, to me, equates to about $8 to rent a game for a month! I think the rates have gone up slightly but they haven't raised mine. I find this a nice touch.

I believe that the way that I use RedOctane's service may be significantly different than the person who wrote this review. In the early days of my membership I discussed, at some length, RedOctane's policy for the determination of the next customer to be sent a game when one is returned. They said that it's a first-come-first-served basis, meaning that from the moment you enqueue a game, you are on the list. Your place on the list is also not penalized if you are "passed over" for game shipment because you already have all of your allotted games.

The way to do best at this system is to immediately enqueue a game as soon as it becomes available. Many times you can enqueue games weeks before they are actually sold. If you do this then you ensure an early spot on the list and a copy will come to you soon enough.

I don't worry about these details anymore, though. Currently my queue consists of (please forgive the PS2 redundancy, /. won't let me post with "short lines"):

Parappa the Rapper 2 (Playstation 2)
Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance (Playstation 2)
Devil May Cry (Playstation 2)
Rez (Playstation 2)
Tony Hawk 3 (Playstation 2)
Final Fantasy X (Playstation 2)
Jak and Daxter (Playstation 2)
Deus Ex (Playstation 2)
Guilty Gear X (Playstation 2)
Mr. Mosquito (Playstation 2)
Virtua Fighter 4 (Playstation 2)
Red Faction (Playstation 2)
Ace Combat 4 (Playstation 2)
Test Drive (Playstation 2)
Way of the Samurai (Playstation 2)
Onimusha 2: Samurais Destiny (Playstation 2)
Tekken 4 (Playstation 2)
Akira Psychoball (Playstation 2)
Spiderman: The Movie (Playstation 2)
Spy Hunter (Playstation 2)
Supercar Street Challenge (Playstation 2)
Star Wars Bombad Racing (Playstation 2)
UFC Throwdown (Playstation 2)
MTV Music Generator 2 (Playstation 2)
Legend of Alon Dar (Playstation 2)
Wild Arms 3 (Playstation 2)
Summoner 2 (Playstation 2)
Kings Field: The Ancient City (Playstation 2)
Cookies and Cream (Playstation 2)
Yanya Caballista: City Skater (Playstation 2)
Smash Court Tennis (Playstation 2)
Tetris Worlds (Playstation 2)
SOCOM (Playstation 2)
Medal of Honor Frontline (Playstation 2)
Stuntman (Playstation 2)

I currently have Metal Gear, Harvest Moon, and Blood Omen 2 checked out. I've had Metal Gear since _June_ just because I kinda like playing it every once in a while but don't feel like buying it (in three more months I should have). I have two other "slots" that I've been burning through. Since I have so many games queued up, three days after I put a game in the mail I usually get two emails in the afternoon, one saying they received the returned game, and one saying they shipped a new one. Within a couple of days I'm playing a new game which I thought may have been interesting to play at some time or another.

So, what does this mean? The best way to use RedOctane is to queue up as many games as you think might be fun and kick back. Get the games you have to have for a party or for the weekend or whatever at your local rental. Otherwise, think of it as some person you know who just sends you games you yourself have said are intriguing and waits patiently to take them back whenever you feel like it.

I don't know how many games I've gone through with them, probably on the order of sixty or so, and I've only had one that was unplayable. They have twice neglected me (not shipping _anything_ for a week) and after inquiring about it they gave me a free month's membership both times. I figure that when all is said and done, if I would have rented those same games at Blockbuster or wherever I would have spent much more and not had that feeling of luxury that RedOctane gives.

I really like it. If you are not the kind of person who must have the latest game _immediately_ then it's well worth the money.