Gaming Signal: Gamefly and Demo Downloads

Gamefly and Demo Downloads

Given that so many new-gen console games have downloadable demos, how useful are services like Gamefly? I used to subscribe to Gamefly to try out new console games before plunking down the major bucks to buy them. Now I can simply spend time with the demo. Maybe to test PSP games before buying...

The only other reason I used Gamefly was to get used games really cheap. But to pay $15/month to get games cheaper isn't, in itself, all that useful.

What do you think?

I use Gamefly just like I do Netflix. I get a game, play it until I'm bored or done, then send it back for the next one. Like movies, I don't want to own these games. I don't need a library of games I don't play, and I don't want the storage problem. And while I suppose I could buy and then sell-back games, that's a hassle I don't like (because of how much I hate Gamestop) and I feel it would be a losing proposition in terms of dollars (although I admit I haven't done the math on that.)

And if I happen to find a game that I love enough to want to keep and play over the long haul I can just pay for it online immediately and there is another rental on the way. How cool is that?

One thing I do notice though, is that Gamefly encourages me to decide quickly if I want to spend time on a game or not. I try to play 2 games a month and make my rental costs about $7/game. That means I pretty much have 2 weeks to decide if I that game is for me. What is unfortunate is when I keep a game for 2 months - that's a losing proposition in terms of dollars (which is what I did for Dragon Quest VIII.)

As for game demos - they are a mixed bag. Some of them are good enough for you to decide if you want to buy a game or not, but several I played recently have been so bad I can't imagine the game is really like that. Madden NFL 08 for the 360 is the latest example - what a terrible game demo, full of bugs and strange behavior. And some games show enough for me to decide. Eternal Sonata is like that for me, as was Stuntman: Ignition.

Posted by scottsh on Tuesday October 02, 2007 at 9:07 AM

If you can play games quickly enough, then it's probably worth it. I found that my play model doesn't work that way, though. It can take me 6-9 months to get through a game, or play it enough that I don't want to anymore.

I went wild two weekends ago and bought a couple games on a whim (always a bad move). It turns out I didn't like either one of them, and so put them on eBay. I got back what I paid for one of the games, and for the other game I got a lot more than what GameSptopt would have given me. With my game company I'm set up to easily ship stuff, but I think I'm done trading games in at local stores.

Posted by Kevin on Tuesday October 02, 2007 at 10:43 AM

Personally, signing up for a gamefly account was the smartest move I've made when it comes to finances and gaming. Like scottsh said in his post, I really don't feel the need to own with the exception of a rare few and don't want a shelf full of unplayed games. While demos are certainly nice I tend to agree that they leave vast room for improvement. The nice thing about renting from gamefly is that you generally know pretty quick if a game sucks or not. I mean, I've gotten games, played them for an hour and stuck them right back in the mail the same day I got them. On the other side of the coin, I've rented several games I probably would have overlooked that I ended up really liking so all in all it's been worth it for me. It's paid for itself in what it's saved me in cash, not to mention hassle.

Sure, you can trade games in at Gamestop but for pennies on the dollar. Sure you can hawk games you don't want on ebay but that requires an investment of time and energy as well. Gamefly makes it easy on all fronts. Plus you earn credits toward discounted purchases and I think they're one of the only online game rental services that lets you buy games you rent, either by using their "keep it" feature or directly from their online store. Either way you save big bucks if you end up actually want to own something. Personally, I've used most all of mine to buy gifts for people so it helps around holidays and birthdays if you've got kids or gamers in the family. Doesn't hurt that they're doing a big promo right now for their 5 year anniversary on that front. They're giving away a DS Lite a day (members can register to win every day) and each time you enter they throw your name in the pot for the grand $25k gaming setup giveaway. The grand daddy prize is one thing but the DS Lite giveaway is pretty awesome. It sounds like everyone here is probably already on board and knows about this but here's the contest link all the same.
http://www.gamefly.com/5yearsweeps/

Posted by Stewart on Saturday October 06, 2007 at 7:07 PM