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Game Rentals Even Bigger Business
Thanks to the VDSA (Video Software Dealers Association), who have released new information from its 2003 Annual Report, including the information that "Gamers spent $722 million renting video game software [in the US] in 2002." This is significantly up from the 2002 Annual Report, which gave a figure of $633.6 million for game rentals in 2001, and presents an interesting comparison to DVD rentals, which were $2.9 billion in 2002. The report also reveals that "65 million people own at least one game console", and, for what it's worth, that "the majority of console video game users prefer ultrarealism and sports competition." Now, if they could only invent an anti-scratch coating for game rental discs...
With all the 2-3 hour games out there, would YOU want to spend 50 bucks on them? Hell no. Couple that with the fact that everyone I know with at least 1 current gen console owns another (in other words, most of us own PS2s and either GC or Xbox, or all three) PLUS a PC (which we use mostly for gaming), and it equals lots of hardware, but no software.
Now, we HAVE to buy the PC games because they dont rent those, but for a weekend of fun, 5 bucks is hard to beat (and since you blockbuster and hollywood video give about 5 or so days for 5 bucks, its not THAT bad a deal).
Also, in the days of the NES, many of us got burned with games that were 50+ bucks (catridges were expensive!) that royally sucked (deadly towers anyone? Sqoon?), why the heck would we want to get burned again? IF its a good game, you go out and buy it after the rental... if it sucks, well, you've only lost 5 bucks.
This is my sig. Its pathetic.
If you spent 5 hours playing it, thats roughly 1.4 bucks an hour at 7 bucks, and since you beat it, you'll never have to play it again... please show me another activity (that costs money) where you can spend 7 bucks and get 5 hours of entertainment.
This is my sig. Its pathetic.
Read a book.
I'm on top of my game like I'm standin' on Xbox.
I'm really confused... when I go to {insert game store here} and buy a $50 game, and it sucks, and I am stuck with it, THEN I get pissed.
When I go to Blockbuster and pony up 5.99 and get a dud, I chalk it up as a "well, at least I didnt buy it"... and generally I dont rent stuff that I wouldnt have bought if there WAS no place to rent it.
Why get pissed because the rental stunk? thats GOOD, you just saved about 45 bucks from not BUYING the game.
Its just a silly waste of energy to get mad because a RENTAL blows.
This is my sig. Its pathetic.
Thats why you figure out if the game is worth your $50 by reading online reviews, talking to your friends and looking at how well done the cover of the game is (the better the back of the packaging looks, the worse the game usually is)...
http://chrono.posterous.com/