GameFly
Latest
GameFly rate increasing by $1 due to mail and game cost
GameFly announced today that they'll be increasing their subscription fee by $1 across all plans. It was bound to happen, and after five years it isn't so bad. GameFly says the increase is due to the postal rate hike and higher cost of console games ... and we're sure the new distribution center had a little something to do with it.A $1 hike isn't really something we can complain about, considering the service saves us, at least, $120 to $200 in game purchases per month. They've even updated the GameQ to more efficiently order your games -- and if you want to just buy, their store deals are the best. There's also a silver lining in the understandable, but still bad, news. GameFly is offering loyal customers the option to lock in discounted rates at 3, 6 and 12 month increments. That way, if you pay upfront, you can get a subscription for cheaper than what it costs now. A good deal if you know you're gonna stick with the service.We've placed the new billing structure after the break.
Bribe your friends, get a cheap Wii from Gamefly
Gamefly, the online video game rental service that takes forever to ship games to our apartment, is offering a compelling deal to current members who have yet to pick up a Wii. By referring five friends to Gamefly, you can earn either a console or one year of rental service. Unfortunately, the site is down at the moment, so we can't check the terms too closely.The Last Boss concocted a devilishly devious plan for a not-quite-free-but-still-pretty-dang-cheap system: give five of your friends the $8.95 for the lowest tier of Gamefly membership, and have them all say you referred them. It's a lot easier than convincing five people to spend their own money!Try as we might, we can't think of a way to interpret this practice as immoral or "cheating." Your friends all get a month of game rentals on your dime, Gamefly gets that same dime, and you get a Wii. Of course, Gamefly's side of it-- in which they're bribing you and indirectly motivating you to bribe others-- is more questionable. But who are we to argue ethics in the face of discount video game consoles?[Via The Last Boss]
GameFly East Coast distribution center opens
On the heels of revamping their system, making it easier to understand for customers, GameFly announces the official opening of their East Coast distribution center today. We reported last month that Gamefly was planning on opening an East Coast distribution center in the next couple months to cut down on the week-long turnaround for East Coast members.The new center is located in Pittsburgh and is intended to "serve East Coast and midwest members." This means that members within three states of Pittsburgh,PA can probably look forward to Netflix-style turnaround now. It's also worth repeating that GameFly really does have some of the most ridiculously good deals in used games on the market. Nothing wrong with good service and reasonable game prices.
Wii Warm Up: Be kind, rewind
You may have noticed in your dealings with retail establishments: things are expensive. This is especially true in the category of things we deal with (video games). Sometimes it is very difficult to get enough cans recycled, change rolled, or lawns mowed to be able to keep up with the latest Wii releases-- despite the money we saved on hardware relative to others. There is a solution! There are places out there that let you pay a little money and play a game for a little while. Some of them even deliver the games right to you. Rentals can be a lifesaver for those of us who are strapped for cash. But they don't really let you take your time with a game, and they definitely do nothing for the collector instinct.Do you ever take advantage of rentals? Or do you find the idea of playing scratched discs that have been who knows where too distasteful to consider?
Gamefly opening East Coast distribution center ... finally!
In a move that should bring much rejoicing by Gamefly members, compounded by their distance from Inglewood, Calif., Gamefly is finally opening up an East Coast distribution center. The site is located in Pittsburgh, PA. An official announcement has not been made by Gamefly about this new hub because they are working out the kinks to "supply the best experience possible."Part of the email sent to certain members read, "Initially, we are launching this new distribution center for only a small subset of our members so we can complete our testing and training efforts. Over the next several weeks, we'll broaden the reach of this new distribution center to more members." Gamefly says the official announcement of this new center is not expected for a month or two.East Coast members of the service have become accustomed to week and a half long waits in receiving their next game. Gamefly's fast return, which was meant to recognize when a member dropped a game back in the mail and then send out the next title on the queue, has been a hit or miss system. This new distribution site should cut down shipping times and alleviate traffic in the West Coast center, meaning faster turnaround there. All good consumer news. Gamefly also has some of the best deals in used games, they'll even ship the buyer the "new" case and manual.
More fodder for the Katamari rumor fire
While there's still no official, announcement-style confirmation that Beautiful Katamari is coming to the Wii, we're tentatively jumping up and down with glee around the Wii Fanboy offices. The rumors have been glomming together into a beautiful, spherical whole, we're almost convinced that the King of All Cosmos will be decrying our lack of rolling skill this winter. Several sites are reporting that references to the Wii title are popping up everywhere -- most recently on GameFly, showing a release date in November. Blogosphere detectives also stumbled across a listing for Namco Museum Remix on the Wii, a title that seems somewhat superfluous considering we have the Virtual Console ... unless something special is done to update the collection. That's definitely something to watch.On the Katamari front, however, and we must stress this "however" quite strongly -- this latest "confirmation" could simply be a matter of GameFly picking up other rumors. We've seen retail slip-ups and placeholders spawn rumors before, and they often come to naught. But with so much buzz around it, we hope to hear something one way or another from Namco on the possibility of a Wii Katamari title. Creator Keita Takahashi hasn't hesitated to speak up before ... but perhaps the smashing success of the Wii has changed a few minds? We'll keep you posted.
GameFly's most recent request/rental charts
We continue the weekly request/rental chart with a sigh. The lineup has more or less remained the same: Crackdown tops the list, seconded by NBA Street Homecourt. But what's this? The 360 doesn't monopolize the top three spots! God of War 2 takes third place with an "ungodly" amount of requests. Har, har... yeah, that was pretty bad. Our apologies. Here's the rest of the list.XBox 360 Crackdown NBA Street Homecourt Lost Planet Wii Sonic and the Secret Rings SSX: Blur Wario Ware: Smooth Moves PlayStation 3 Virtua Fighter 5 Major League Baseball 2k7 Formula 1 PlayStation 2 God of War II Rogue Galaxy Ghost Rider That's it. There are little shifts here and there, but we'd really like to smack the crack outta Crackdown. Let something else reign supreme for a little while. Whatever. A good game is a good game. Or is there something about Halo 3 involved? Either way, it's a winner in GameFly's eyes.
Gamefly top 10: carjacked by GTAIV
Peter Moore's tattoo must be burning this week, as Grand Theft Auto IV (specifically the 360 version) has landed on Gamefly's top ten most requested games list. Landing at #8, GTAIV, along with Rogue Galaxy (PS2, #6) and NBA Street Homecourt (#9), has pushed God of War II, Viva Pinata, and Project 8 out of the top ten. The top 5 remain unchanged with Lost Planet, Crackdown, Battlestations Midway, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii) taking spots 1-5 respectively. Rounding out the list is Call of Duty 3 at #7 and F.E.A.R. at #10. Check out the top ten after the break.
Gamefly top ten: attack of the PS2
It had to happen sooner or later, but the Xbox 360's dominance on the Gamefly top ten is starting to fade, cracks appearing on its pristine shell of superiority. This week, we have not only the remaining -- though dwindling -- presence of Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (#5), but also the appearance of one of the PS2's remaining juggernauts, God of War II (#8). Kratos' second outing gets to make a special claim, too, as its presence in the top ten is enough to push Gears of War off the list entirely. Meanwhile, the rest of the list is filled with current favorites like Lost Planet, Rainbow Six Vegas, and the joyful return of Viva Piñata. Ingest the entire list after the break.
Gamefly top ten: Crackdown leaps upward
It's time for the latest installment of the Gamefly top ten. We have to say though, it's not really that interesting, because the Xbox 360 is dominating again. While the only non-360 game on the list, Wario Ware: Smooth Mooves, has jumped up a spot to claim #3, the rest are mostly familiar titles with a few notable exceptions. Battlestations: Midway debuts this week at #5, and NBA Street Homecourt debuts at #8. Crackdown uses its super strength to leap up another spot, claiming #2, while Lost Planet maintains the coveted top spot. The rest is a merely a shifting amorphous mass of titles that were on there last week, but we must report that Gears of War must still be selling really well, because it has almost dropped from the top ten entirely. See the full list after the break.
Gamefly top 10: 360 still rocks the charts
The latest Gamefly numbers are in and the Xbox 360 once again dominates the top ten most requested games, though not as completely as last week. Lost Planet again tops the list and is again followed by Vegas in the #2 slot. But what's this? Crackdown, previously missing from the top ten entirely, has jumped all the way to number three. Hmmm ... what could have possibly made it so popular in only a week's time? More importantly -- and less sarcastically -- will a rental copy of Crackdown grant players access to the Halo 3 beta? Saints Row and Dead Rising have both been pushed from top ten. The rest of the list -- with the exception of Wario Ware: Smooth Moves for the Wii at #4 -- is a reshuffling of the 360 titles that were there last week. How long can the 360's wave of Gamefly popularity last? Full list after the break.
Better on PSP
Sony requires any game ported to the PSP to have extra content not found in other versions of that same title, but that's not what this post is about. A strange thing has happened to game franchises on the PSP, sometimes their best showing is on the portable. Can a franchise that you loathe be loved on the PSP? Well it has happened to me ...twice already. Syphon Filter is a gaming series that I just couldn't stand on the Playstation or Playstation 2. I disliked the graphics, animation and gameplay of every version I tried. Even fams of Syphon Filter seemed to hate the last one that came out on PS2. So when a Syphon Filter game was announced on PSP, I was as interested in it as I was about castration. When reviews started to pour out that stating the game was incredible I lost respect for every reviewer that enjoyed it. Then one day while adding games to my Gamefly Q I decided to put Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror on the list. I didn't do it because I expected to enjoy the game, but rather so I could validate my hatred for the franchise. Continued after the jump...
Gamefly top ten: nothin' but 360
The list of Gamefly's top ten most requested games for this is out, and the results look good for Microsoft. The top ten most requested games on any platform are all 360 titles. While the 360 has been dominating the Gamefly charts for some time, maintaining the top ten spots in the wake of holiday PS3 and Wii surges is impressive. The entire top ten is as follows:Most requested titles for the week ending 1/1/071. Lost Planet2. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas3. Call of Duty 34. F.E.A.R. First Encounter Assault Recon5. Gears of War6. Tony Hawk's Project 87. Saints Row8. Dead Rising9. Viva Pinata10. Marvel: Ultimate AllianceAnticipation for Lost Planet appears to be riding high as it has managed to top the charts. It's somewhat surprising that Gears of War lands in fifth place, considering its consistent popularity on Xbox Live. It's also interesting to note the presence of Saints Row and Dead Rising, both of which have been available since late summer. Do you have any of these games in your rental queue?[Via Digg]
360 dominates Gamefly rental charts
The 360 and Gamefly have had something of an up and down relationship so far. Back in July, we reported that 360 games were topping the charts at Gamefly. In September, it seemed like Gamefly hadn't ordered enough 360 games to meet demand. Now, the 360 positively rules the Gamefly charts. 360 Fanboy reader, LunarDuality, took the time to break down the 120 most popular titles. The list below sorts each console in order of popularity, followed by how many games that console has on the list, the system's highest ranked game, and where that game sits in the overall charts. (Keep in mind these numbers may have shifted slightly by the time you read this).Xbox 360: 50, Call of Duty 3, #1PS2: 36, Bully, #12Wii: 14, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, #19Xbox: 13, Call of Duty 3, #36DS: 3, Final Fantasy III, #42PSP: 3, Killzone: Liberation, #83PS3: 1, Resistance: Fall of Man, #100As you can see, the Xbox 360 occupies nearly half of the 120 most popular titles and also maintains the #1 game, Call of Duty 3. The fanboy in us must also point out that the PS3 has exactly one title in the 100 most popular games, Resistance: Fall of Man, which sits comfortably at #100. Some will be quick to point out that the PS3 just launched and thus has few eligible renters out there, but still, it's pretty shocking to see only one PS3 game on the list. Even the Wii, which also launched recently, has 14 titles in the mix. Of course, this could also be indicative of rental habits for consumers. It's very possible that 360 owners, who already use Live on a daily basis, are more aware of online rental services -- of course, that doesn't explain why the PS2 is in second. However you look at it, the 360 is cleaning up at Gamefly, and Microsoft has got to be happy about that.[Thanks, LunarDuality]
GameFly gets in on the Wii giveaway madness
Yesterday, Paula R. from Columbus, Ohio clicked a button at GameFly and won a Nintendo Wii. Tomorrow, it could be you! Sadly, today it wasn't any of us. Sigh. But GameFly is giving away a Wii every day until the end of November. That's a lot of Wiis, and one of them could be yours. Don't use GameFly? That's okay, you can still enter. Here's hoping one of our readers snags a free console!
Deal of the Day: Tomb Raider Legend for $20
I really believe Tomb Raider: Legend is going to be looked at as the game that got the series back on track. Sure, it had its fair share of problems, like being too short, but the game looks so pretty and plays so well, it's definitely worthy of being in any gamer's library.And now, you can get a used copy of Legend for only $20 at Gamefly.com. Yeah, Gamefly is that online video-game rental site, but they do sell their stock every now and then. And, if you're a Gamefly member, you get an extra 5 percent knocked off your total.Get 'em while the gettin's good![Via Cheapassgamer - Registration required]
GameFly underestimating 360 demand?
Reader Paul thinks GameFly is underestimating the demand for Xbox 360 titles:Hey guys, I'm a big fan of GameFly, the Netflix-like service for video games. But, looking at their selection of new release 360 games shows something disturbing. Of the 16 games released since August, 15 are not currently available (hope you want to play Test Drive!). Did GameFly underestimate 360 demand? Has 360 sales increased of late? Or perhaps GameFly is in financial trouble, and isn't ordering enough inventory to meet demand.GameFly now has three week old Test Drive listed as "short wait, while brand new releases NBA 2K7 and Just Cause appear to be available -- for now. I don't use Gamefly or similar businesses, preferring the pride (and crippling expense) of ownership. Have you been satisfied with this service when it comes to the availability of 360 games? Any GameFly employees care to comment?
Gamefly's most anticipated PS3 and Wii titles
The online video game rental house Gamefly has some data on what titles are the most anticipated by their users for the PlayStation 3 and Wii. Tops for the PS3 is Assassin's Creed and for the Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the most wanted. Have a look at the list and tell use what title you want the most for each console:PlayStation 3: Assassin's Creed Resistance: Fall of Man Call of Duty 3 Need for Speed: Carbon Warhawk Wii: Super Smash Bros. Brawl The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Super Mario Galaxy Metroid Prime 3 Corruption Red Steel
Wii games pop up on Gamefly
Gamefly, the popular alternative to brick-and-mortar outlets everywhere, has finally gotten around to adding a Wii section to their web site. Proclaiming the console's release to be November 2006, the web site lists a total of 29 games available, all with ranging release dates as early as 11/14 and as late as TBD. Check out the list of games, some of them are just odd.[Thanks Brandon!]
7 minutes in undead heaven
Xboxyde delivers again with another video from the Japan Expo in Paris. This one shows us the first seven minutes of Capcom's Dead Rising. In case your world view is hindered by the rock you live under, Dead Rising is basically Dawn of the Dead the videogame -- and currently a big favorite at Gamefly. You play a photojournalist who winds up inside a shopping mall full of zombies. Lucky for you, the mall is full of all kinds of stuff to kill zombies with: guns, lawn mowers, chainsaws, bowling balls, and even the kitchen sink for all we know. You won't see any of that in this video, though. It's mostly introduction. And like the Sonic videos yesterday, there is no sound and some dude's face keeps popping in and out of the frame. I will say one thing: it's damned pretty (the game, not the face). Enjoy!
