GameFly
Latest
GameFly summer PC sale includes super-cheap BioShock Infinite, Mass Effect Trilogy, Walking Dead
GameFly has a pretty legit sale going on right now for PC games on Steam and Origin -- deals that, when coupled with this 20-percent off coupon, can lead to some decidedly redonk savings. BioShock Infinite, for instance, can be yours for $28 after using the coupon code. Meanwhile, The Walking Dead, Hitman: Absolution, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Torchlight 2 and Sleeping Dogs are all available for less than $10, and that's before the coupon. Borderlands 2, Mass Effect Trilogy, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and a whole mess of others are in there as well at varyingly steep discounts. This may be the excuse you've been waiting for to finally justify Euro Truck Simulator 2.
GameFly opens Kansas City distribution center
GameFly has opened a distribution center in Kansas City, Missouri, which we believe qualifies as the by-mail game rental services' first location in "the middle." This is the company's sixth distribution center, with other locations in (most recently) Seattle, Austin (not "the middle," but TEXAS!), Tampa, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.GameFly recently went through a restructuring, laying off approximately 15 percent of its staff. GameFly members can check the distribution center servicing them by looking at the address on their return mailer.[Thanks, Reggie]
GameFly PC sale: cheap Mass Effect Trilogy, Hitman Absolution, more
GameFly is running a special on select Windows PC downloads, offering up Hitman: Absolution for $12.49, Max Payne 3 for $14.99, Deus Ex: Human Revolution for $4.99, Mass Effect Trilogy for $24.99, Anno 2070 for $17.49 and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City for $12.49.Late last year, GameFly introduced its standalone PC client, a digital storefront to purchase and rent PC games for subscribers and non-subscribers alike. Subscribers gain access to the Unlimited PC Play section, where they can persistently sample from hundreds of PC games.
Dead Space 3 price sliced to $32 on PC from GameFly
Despite only arriving on store shelves a month ago, Dead Space 3's price has been dismembered down to just $31.99, thanks to GameFly. Currently marked down to $39.99 on the retailer's site, using the coupon code "GFDMAR20" – which earns you 20% off PC titles – will slice off an additional $8 off at checkout.Because this is a digital PC version, remember that you'll need an EA Origin account and your PC will need to be connected to the Internet as you play. Still, there's no cheaper way to get into the game our reviewer called "an exciting, shocking and mammoth adventure through the ghostly, unvarnished segments of space."
GameFly restructuring causes layoffs
By-mail and PC on-demand video game rental service GameFly went through a round of layoffs today as part of a restructuring plan. GameFly CEO Dave Hodess expressed the business is aligning itself better to existing console and digital games markets."We studied our business and determined that we could operate with a smaller team while continuing to provide the same high level of service to our customers," said Hodess in a prepared statement provided to Joystiq. "Aside from a greater focus in our software development efforts, we're not making any significant changes in our console subscription or digital download businesses. GameFly remains profitable with a strong balance sheet."The company did not mention the extent of the layoffs, but sources tell us it was 35 employees in total, with another mentioning it was a third of the Los Angeles-based company's staff. Much like GameStop's used games business, a digitally distributed future of one-time-use watermarked games isn't likely to be kind to the by-mail rental service. The fact that GameFly also owns Direct2Drive (now GF Digital) may soften the blow.Update: "The layoffs represented approximately 15 percent of [GameFly] staff," a spokesperson for the company informs Joystiq.
GameFly deals: Tomb Raider PC for $36, Civ 5 for $6, 20% off PC downloads
Not unlike an ancient conqueror, GameFly has slashed and burned the price of its Civilization V PC download. Usually $30, the game can now be had for a mere $7.49. The deal expires at midnight PT on February 14, a day when you should probably pay attention to your significant other and not global diplomacy.But wait, there's more! Using another GameFly deal, you can actually knock the price down to only six bucks. All you have to do is use the coupon code GFDFEB20, which takes an additional 20 percent off the price of PC downloads. Of course, if you're not in the mood for Civilization, you could always apply it to a different PC download, say, a pre-order of Tomb Raider. Already discounted to $45, the coupon drops it down to $36.
Court rules Netflix receives unfair advantage in GameFly postal dispute
The US Court of Appeals ruled today that Netflix does receive an unfair advantage from the U.S. Postal Service in how it handles DVDs shipped through the system. Reuters reports the court is leaving it up to the Postal Regulatory Commission to create an equitable solution.Netflix receives preferential treatment and specially designated containers due to the volume of mail it sends through the system. Judge David Sentelle noted, "Rather obviously, this is not without cost to the postal service. Nonetheless, the service provides it to Netflix free of charge."The latest ruling is a continuation of the multi-year dispute by GameFly, which claims it's had to make adjustments that cost millions because the postal service won't give the game rental service the same treatment.Update: GameFly has sent us an official statement regarding today's ruling. Posted in full after break.
GameFly enters the world of mobile game publishing with Writer Rumble
GameFly is a company that works like Netflix for video games -- you give them a subscription fee every month, and in return, they send you out a video game at a time, which you can send back when you're done to get another. It's a very popular service among gamers, and so the company has had extra cash to explore a few other pastimes lately (including in the game editorial arena with the popular site Shacknews). GameFly's also released an iOS app called GameCenter (no relation to Apple's Game Center service), and that app also has a very strong following, bringing GameFly's news and game information to a very large audience on Apple's iOS platform. A little while ago, GameFly announced that it would use this expertise with a mobile audience to get into publishing iOS games of its own, and on November 28, the company's first game arrived on the App Store. Writer Rumble is a game that was previously known as Wordfighter, and in that incarnation was actually awarded recognition as a PAX 10 title. But Garnett Lee (a former 1up and Shacknews editor who is now serving as GameFly's new director of publishing -- "the publishing side of the house is me and me alone," he told TUAW recently) believed the title had more potential than the two developers, Gian Cruz and Kris Zambala, were able to give it on their own. Due to their real-world jobs and other pressures, the two delayed development on the original title, and so when GameFly agreed to support development, the two got a chance to hammer out their game into something better equipped to rise through the App Store's charts. The end result does look good -- the title is a word game where characters (all based on famous authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Jane Austen) spell words to use fighting game-style attacks, either against other characters or against monsters in an endless mode. The spelling action is fast and furious, and while there are powerups to mix up the battle a little bit (with boosted attacks, special healing or double points), the real innovation here is in the fighting game. Half the time, you'll need to watch what your enemy is sending at you to know how to deal with it. Even for a first-time publisher, GameFly's polish is evident, and the US$0.99 game has more content coming, in the form of other characters, and eventually an online, asynchronous multiplayer mode. Lee says that GameFly's goal with publishing (at least at first) is more about spotlighting great games and developers rather than trying to grow franchises. "The indie spirit is really alive in mobile development," he says, and GameFly's goal is to find developers who have great games and great talent, and give them the helping hand needed to find an audience on iOS. Lee says "discoverability really is bad on the App Store," and the idea is to use GameFly's reach into the gaming world to get these apps some players. Lee wants GameFly to start as a sort of "boutique movie studio," releasing only one or two games every few months, and working directly with developers to make those all solid releases. Lee's got lots of experience covering video games, but not so much experience publishing them, and he says that he's learned publishers often have to "make some tough decisions" about game funding and features. But he's up to the task and says GameFly is ready to make a go of releasing these games -- the company has set aside "a very comfortable amount of funding" for the publishing program. There are a few more titles in the pipeline already, said Lee, so it'll be interesting to see what else "GameFly Games" has decided to put together, and what the reaction to these titles by GameFly's users turns out to be. In the meantime, though, Writer Rumble is the debut title, and it's out on the App Store right now for 99 cents.
Writer Rumble is first title from GameFly Games, available now on iOS
Writer Rumble, a word fighting game featuring literary titans beating the thesaurus out of each other, is available now of iOS at $0.99. The game is the first from GameFly Games, the publishing arm of the multifaceted game service.Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and SVP of business development and content said, "Mobile gaming is an ever growing part of the gaming experience, and publishing high quality games is an important part of our digital strategy at GameFly."Android users will be able to partake in the Writer Rumble in "early 2013." Downloadable content packs are also planned for the game over 2013. We imagine Chaucer will tell "The Whoopass Tale".
GameFly offers 20% off Black Friday discounted digital PC titles this weekend
GameFly has posted its sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday on digital PC games, and there are quite a few healthy discounts in there, on big PC titles from this year and last. And even beyond the prices on the website, you can use the code NOV20OFF for an extra 20 percent off these already discounted titles. We've got deals on deals here, people!You can look through the whole list of prices on GamerDeals, but the standouts are probably XCOM: Enemy Unknown for just $37.49, Dishonored for $29.99, Torchlight 2 for just $14.99, and Spec Ops: The Line and The Darkness 2 for $7.49 each.Only on Black Friday, you can grab Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning also for $7.49, and Hotline Miami is that same price on Saturday. And on Friday and Monday only, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is $24.99. All those prices are before the code discount, too, so if you need to stock up on PC titles, GameFly seems like one of the best ways to do so.
GameFly's digital distribution client officially exits beta, celebrates with free copies of Bioshock
After nearly a year of testing, GameFly is ready to pull the beta qualifier off of its PC game distribution client. The desktop software serves not only as a digital storefront for PC games, but also as a queue management program for subscribers to GameFly's game-by-mail service. Active members get free access to a few hundred "Unlimited PC Play" titles as well -- offering subscribers a wide range of games from Diner Dash to Assassin's Creed. The official release doesn't differ from the beta in any significant way, but GameFly and 2K games is celebrating its launch by doling out free copies of Bioshock to anyone willing to give the platform a test drive. Crash on down to the source link below for a free ticket to Rapture, or read on for GameFly's official press release.
GameFly PC client officially launches today
GameFly's digital PC client is now out of open beta and launches today. Available to all, not just GameFly subscribers, the GameFly PC client is a storefront for over 1,500 Windows and Mac titles, all available for purchase and rental.GameFly members can enjoy Unlimited PC Play, which allows them to play any of hundreds of downloadable games available through the GameFly PC client for as long as they desire. And to celebrate the final version of the GameFly PC client's launch today, 2K Games is giving everyone who downloads the thing a free copy of BioShock, a deal we're sure Andrew Ryan himself wouldn't dare scoff at.
GameFly to publish iOS and Android games, launch 'GameStore' for Android
GameFly is moving forward with its plan to "help good games get made" by not only publishing said games on both iOS and Android platforms, but by opening its own "expertly curated" marketplace on Google's mobile operating system.GameFly's "GameStore" for Android is set to debut sometime this holiday season and will cater to both smartphone and tablet Android users, supplying games for both formats. The app will also support social discovery mechanisms such as friend recommendations and ratings/reviews from other users. Whether GameStore will exclusively stock GameFly-published titles is still unknown, but considering that the app will reportedly house "thousands of the best games," we expect content from other publishers to be present.As far as GameFly's in-house publishing prospects are concerned, the company expects to release its first game sometime this summer. Mobile developers interested in being published by GameFly should send an email to GameDev at GameFly dawt com.
GameFly wants to get into iOS publishing, create an Android App Store
Game rental service GameFly has decided to go all-in on mobile publishing for some reason. The service, which rents out console games in the Netflix style, and runs the Shacknews gaming news outlet, has had a pretty popular GameCenter app out on the App Store for a while now. But now it's getting into the App Store even deeper: A few weeks back, GameFly said it would team up with developers to spotlight "Game of the Day" titles on its app, and now the company is planning to outright publish some iOS games itself. GameFly is also looking to set up its own Android App Store. Very interesting move by a company that's traditionally been mostly involved with console titles -- clearly, GameFly is reaching out to add a few new tunes to its repertoire. The Android Store is set to be released by the end of the year, while GameFly says we'll see some iOS titles published later on this summer.
GameFly to begin publishing smartphone apps, will launch its own Android game store
Having already made headway into the digital frontier last year, video game subscription service GameFly is now ready to expand its sphere of influence into the world of mobile. The company's aspiring for greatness, announcing this morning that it plans to begin publishing iOS and Android titles as early as this summer. And that's not all, folks: we can expect to see the GameFly GameStore, a gaming-oriented competitor to the Play Store and Amazon AppStore, sometime this fall. In addition to its goal of being the biggest and baddest kid on the block, GameFly intends to don the role of philanthropist, setting aside a fund to assist struggling devs who might just need a few extra bucks to finish the next mobile masterpiece. If you fall in this category, the company's already accepting submissions, so read through the press release below to get all the necessary details.
Skullgirls boppin' to PC digital distribution later this year
Reverge Labs' debut fighter Skullgirls is coming to major digital distribution channels later this year. The Windows PC port will be available on Steam, Origin, GameFly, GamersGate and GameStop PC Downloads.The PC version will ship with several updates built in – updates that will eventually be patched into the console versions. These include "in-game movelists, additional tutorials, retuned single player AI, enhanced leaderboards, in-game name display for online matches, and additional multi-player regions."
GameFly adds 'Game of the Day' to mobile app, features free and discounted iOS games
GameFly now has a "Game of the Day" section in its free mobile app, which partners with some of the largest publishers in on-the-go (and on-the-potty) gaming. Curated by GameFly, the section will feature iOS titles -- some new and others "missed by the masses" -- for free or at discounted prices. Games mentioned include Gameloft's The Oregon Trail, and Siege Hero from Armor Games.The "Game of the Day" section is available now in the updated GameFly app. To access the "Game of the Day" section, tap on the "more" tab at the bottom of the screen and you'll find "GOTD" staring back at you. Going to the "games" tab will just get you lost in a maze of menus for hours.
GameFly adds BioShock, Civ 4 and X-Com: Enforcer to unlimited PC service
GameFly and publisher 2K Games have expanded their partnership for the rental services' "Unlimited PC Play," adding several titles that have high-profile sequels or expansions launching this year. BioShock, Civilization 4 and X-Com: Enforcer are available now for free to members."With our upcoming releases of BioShock Infinite, Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings and XCOM: Enemy Unknown on the horizon, we're taking this opportunity to introduce or re-introduce fans to these beloved franchises," said 2K Games marketing senior VP Sarah Anderson.Here's a chance for GameFly members with PCs to check out some of the best PC games available... along with X-Com: Enforcer.
GameFly looking to 'help good games get made' via mobile publishing
GameFly, which stopped being a mere rental portal ages ago, is expanding once again into mobile publishing. On the most recent edition of the company's Weekend Confirmed podcast, GameFly editorial director Garnett Lee said, "We're going to be doing some pub-funding."Lee mentions he wants to "help good games get made" and requested iOS and Android developers get in touch.GameFly tells us it has no further comment on the project at this time.
Xenoblade Chronicles available on GameFly
Xenoblade Chronicles is available for rent on Gamefly, a reader informs Joystiq. We checked and, sure enough, it's there. "But it's supposed to be exclusive to the Nintendo Store and GameStop!" you say. To that ... well, we don't really have a snappy retort because we're just as flummoxed as everyone else. Whatever the cause, it seems being able to rent the game has created an exception.Regardless, if you don't feel like paying a premium to try out the excellent RPG, and you happen to have a GameFly account, give it a rent. As of this writing, Xenoblade Chronicles is listed as "available now."[Thanks, Matthew!]
