Going on 2.5 years with them and haven't been happier. People need to realize that, unlike Netflix, people tend to keep games a lot longer than movies. And games are much more expensive so Gamefly doesn't have the resources to buy as many games as Netflix does DVDs.
I had GameFly for maybe six to eight months or so a few years back, and I really liked it. I'm in NJ and I believe they had just opened the PA distribution center, and my turnaround time was pretty decent (five to seven days or so from mailing out the old game to getting the new one). I guess I'm a lot more patient than other people, though, and I wasn't always using it to get new releases.
For new games, it makes sense that there will be availability issues since they're going to be more popular for the period just past release. "Gaming" the system so that you get a new release isn't something unique to Gamefly. Back in the day, if you weren't the first to get to Blockbuster, every copy of the latest GTA would be swept off the shelves, sometimes for a week or more. At least with the Gamefly model, you can control this a bit better from your computer monitor.
I mean if you don't want to "play tricks" to get your rentals, that's fine, but I think it's a little much to demand that five days after the release of Halo ODST that Gamefly have a big-enough surplus of titles to send out every person who suddenly put it on their GameQ that day, in addition to the people who swept up the initial copies in the preceeding five days.
This is a sound perspective. I remember having to camp out the mom-and-pop rental place by my house for weeks to try and acquire Super Mario Bros. 3. That shit was harder to find than a unicorn.
I like how they magically send me the game I want the least. I highly recommend maintaining an extremely short queue unless you're really willing to play anything in your queue.
I like how they magically send me the game I want the least. I highly recommend maintaining an extremely short queue unless you're really willing to play anything in your queue.
They send a game after 24 hours that is available at that very moment. That way you get a game. If it's the least wanted game, that's your fault for having it in your queue. :P
I've subbed with Gamefly twice. The first time, before they opened their Austin shipping center my experience was horrible. It would take almost two weeks between sending a game back and getting a new one, and that's if they shipped it right away. I subbed again after the Austin one opened and had a much more positive experience (until I ran out of stuff I wanted to play).
My best hint: If there is a game you really want to play it needs to be the only thing in your queue.
I would be more inclined to compare Gamefly to Netflix if Netflix actually carried games. As it stands, the only thing I can compare GF to is B&M rental stores. At Blockbuster and Hollywood, I have to pay $9. That fee doubles if I don't have it back by the due date. After about 3 years of Gamefly, I did the math, and the average I spent per game was around $5. Some games I only kept for a few days, and some I kept for a few weeks.
The only other option besides GF/BB/HW, is to buy all the games I would otherwise rent, then sell them when I'm done. On the rare occasion where I can do that for a net loss of $5, I do it.
I do agree that having to fuck with my queue every time I send a game back is a pain.
I've had it for over a year and a half, and love it. I got MUA 2 the day it came out, but Batman took 2 weeks - the latter was because I already had 2 games out on its release date, and after that you're usually SOL for a little while on new releases.
Sir CarcassI have been shown the end of my worldRound Rock, TXRegistered Userregular
edited October 2009
My gaming the system consists of: if there's a game I really want, I only have that in my queue, otherwise having games I wouldn't mind playing in the meantime. It works pretty well.
IceBurnerIt's cold and there are penguins.Registered Userregular
edited October 2009
My method: I keep a plain .txt file with my full "queue" in it, and my top 2-3 wants from it in my Gamefly queue. I keep the file on a flash drive with a backup copy on my home PC, so that I have it accessible anywhere.
I don't even need to retype anything, I just cut and paste the titles from the txt doc into Gamefly's search bar, click twice, and then it's in my queue. It's that easy. :P
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And they fucked up and mistakenly sent me an extra copy of Mercs 2 and wouldn't let me return it. So that's cool.
This is a sound perspective. I remember having to camp out the mom-and-pop rental place by my house for weeks to try and acquire Super Mario Bros. 3. That shit was harder to find than a unicorn.
They send a game after 24 hours that is available at that very moment. That way you get a game. If it's the least wanted game, that's your fault for having it in your queue. :P
My best hint: If there is a game you really want to play it needs to be the only thing in your queue.
I hate their queue system.
The only other option besides GF/BB/HW, is to buy all the games I would otherwise rent, then sell them when I'm done. On the rare occasion where I can do that for a net loss of $5, I do it.
I do agree that having to fuck with my queue every time I send a game back is a pain.
Steam Support is the worst. Seriously, the worst
I don't even need to retype anything, I just cut and paste the titles from the txt doc into Gamefly's search bar, click twice, and then it's in my queue. It's that easy. :P
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