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More Video Games on Library Shelves

Posted by Zonk on from the more-you-know! dept.

Joystiq has the link to an update on a previous story we ran covering the efforts of a gentleman to add video games to library circulation stock. Since then, the program has really taken off, and Gaming Target has an update on how the project is going. From the article: "Circulation numbers have been brisk. With two week loan periods and late charges of only 25 cents a day, people are jumping at the chance to check out games, any game. I don't know why it's surprising, but people (adults and children, but mostly children) will pull stuff off the shelf and check it out without even looking at what game it is they're getting out."

8 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. The only hope for today's youth ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... is to hide books in the cases. Might work if they don't look at what they get.

    1. Re:The only hope for today's youth ... by defkkon · · Score: 3, Insightful
      One again the pompous argument that somehow reading books is beter than watching TV or playing video games. In particular, reading classics.

      I believe that playing games is far superior to watching television. Rather than sit in front of the idiot box to be entertained, I believe its better for the mind to interact with your entertainment, to have some thought (or at least reflexes?) put into your form of entertainment.

      Now as for reading, I believe that this is superior to games and television. I'm not being elitist. I have friends who haven't voluntarily read a book in their life. The result? Their ability to read, write, and speak has been crippled. They can't spell even moderately complex words. They read at the speed and comprehension level of someone 1/2 their age. When they speak, they don't make use of some our our language's more interesting adjectives, verbs, etc. It really is unfortunate. Say what you want, I still think that reading helps all these things immensely.

  2. without even looking? by syrinx · · Score: 5, Funny

    They'll start paying more attention when they realise they've brought home Daikatana...

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
  3. Probably because its free to borrow by MMaestro · · Score: 4, Informative

    Its simple as that. Its "try before you buy". Don't like it? Return the game. Like it? Write down the name, return it, and go buy a retail copy of it. You can't lose!

  4. CD/DVD Scratches by wuie · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I currently check out DVDs all the time from my public library, and some of them are of decent quality. However, there are some DVDs that have been scratched into oblivion, and are barely able to play in any of the DVD players that I have.

    If libraries start providing video games as well, I sure hope they have a way to protect the discs as much as possible and keep them running like new.

  5. Re:Impact by porcupine8 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I would imagine about the same impact they have on book, CD, and video/DVD sales? And probably similar to the impact of renting on sales - the fact that it's free will be balanced out by the fact that each library only has one, maybe two copies of each game, whereas each Blockbuster probably has dozens of the most popular ones.

    In other words, I doubt the game companies are fretting. If anything, it's free try-before-you-buy advertising.

    --
    Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
  6. When I was a kid by Pulse_Instance · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The library in my town had a list of games/software with the number of disks you needed for that software. You would drop of the disks and come back a couple days later and the game was on the disk. I am pretty sure it was all shareware/freeware but as a kid it was awesome.

  7. No Arguments over ESRB by robbway · · Score: 3, Insightful

    My library has had a policy on media-other-than-books as long as I can remember. They don't let minors check them out. The exception was the children's section, but you were limited to a total of three.

    If there was ever a good argument for keeping the original game in storage and loaning a single playable duplicate of that game (disc media, anyway), this would be it. Rental stores, too. You could replace a stolen copy (and report it), and the sale of older items (destroying the copies) would fetch a better price.