So, I'm an avid Netflix user and I'm an avid gamer - it finally clicked that I should give GameFly a chance. That said, I'd like to get some opinions on the service. How is it? How easy is it to get recent games?
yeah its way over priced and depending on where you live the service fucking blows.
it took up to two weeks, if not never, for games to arrive for me. sometimes when they didn't arrive, and they would re-ship the games, about two weeks later the game would arrive along with the original copy that i requested. i always kept that one since they didn't know. lol.
its a shit service.
i have netflix and it is great. the movies come fast, and when they say they will. and the price aint that bad.
I had a Gamefly account for about 3 years. I canceled it and have not looked back. As long as I was keeping games (buying them) it was worth it because of the discount and accumulated gamefly dollars, but as the company grew so did the wait times to receive games. If a new release was coming out , and I had it in the top of my Q I would always get it a few days after release. That stopped happening. it would be two maybe three weeks before I would get the game. Netflix does the service right, gamefly does not.
Netflix is great cause of what they offer, 14 bucks a month nets you about 20 dvds a month, AND you get to watch as many movies and tv shows streaming as you want. GameFly, does not have as many buildings out there, so it dos take a bit longer for the games to get to you depending on where you live. But its a cheaper way to rent games if you do find your self renting games a lot. The price is not TOO bad if you rent 3 or more games a month from a brick store.
I was just going to post how much money it has saved me. Between renting games that weren't available at my local blockbuster and used game prices that are cheaper than the game stop or game crazy i've saved a bunch.
I don't know what these guys are talking about. The games take about 3 days to get to me, and I live in Colorado. I'm playing more games than ever in my life because 60 dollars for a new game is paying for 3 months of 2 games at a time. I highly enjoy the service, thought I will probably cancel once my que gets real low. I was late to the next-gen game so there are a lot of games I still need to play. They have quick turnaround and I get 2 games every week consistently.
I've had it for two years and I do believe it's more expensive than it has to be but I understand the reasoning behind the price. Unlike movies, Gamefly can't return any of the products they rent out and so subscribers have to pay a little more than Netflix (I also get that) because of this. To begin with you're chances of getting new games is very low unless you are lucky, live near a distribution point, and figure out how to time your returns so they arrive the same day that new releases come to their offices. There have been a lot of threads on this subject so if you do a forum search you'll find many more detailed responses.
You have to know how to use it properly. You can't just throw every game you want up on your queue and expect to get the top game. Generally my queue is empty except for 2-3 games I KNOW I want to play ASAP.
If you have 20 games on your list, you will likely never get exactly what you want.
I just canceled my account about a week or two ago. I had it for just under a year. It's a good service if you play games a TON. I did get to play a few games that I normally wouldn't have bothered with otherwise and was able to pick up a couple games at a good discount, but in the end, I wasn't really getting my money's worth. It's certainly cheaper than buying all those games, but if you're like me, you'll buy the games you really want anyway. Do the free trial, and see how you like it. I did have some issues with shipping early on, but they were pretty good by the time I canceled (I do live relatively close to one of the distribution centers though). The most annoying part about the service is having to wait for popular new games. They never seem to stock enough copies of the bigger games. When this does happen, they'll move down to the next game on your queue, and send that out instead. That's nice, but if I'd rather just wait a week, and get that game as soon as possible, I have to remove every other game from my queue. It's not a perfect service, but it's far from terrible. It just depends on what you want.
@TwoOneFive:@Willy105: What in the world are you guys talking about ?
The biggest advantage of GameFly is that it saves you a lot of money. Most of the games are incredibly short these days (10-15 hours) and I usually end up playing 4-5 games in a month for just $25 (2 game plan). On top of this, their used game prices are also very competitive. I'll give you an example - Batman:AA is on SALE for $27 on Amazon right now. But GameFly has been offering the game at $21 for quite a while now. I live in Los Angeles and the service is usually very quick. I get the next game within 3-4 days after my initial mail.
I'd recommend GameFly to anyone who likes to play a lot of games. Especially if you're into experimenting with various niche titles you're not sure about.
I think they send games to the newest customers first. The longer I had the service the worse wait times got. I live in NC and before I quit the service they had just opened up a new distributor in Pennsylvania. Still got progressively worse. You will get your first few games quickly. They want to take care of new customers but wait and see how it goes. If you are going to do it you must do at least the 2 game plan or you will be going weeks without a game.
" The biggest advantage of GameFly is that it saves you a lot of money. Most of the games are incredibly short these days (10-15 hours) and I usually end up playing 4-5 games in a month for just $25 (2 game plan). On top of this, their used game prices are also very competitive. I'll give you an example - Batman:AA is on SALE for $27 on Amazon right now. But GameFly has been offering the game at $21 for quite a while now. I live in Los Angeles and the service is usually very quick. I get the next game within 3-4 days after my initial mail. I'd recommend GameFly to anyone who likes to play a lot of games. Especially if you're into experimenting with various niche titles you're not sure about. "
This!
but you should check to see how close to a distribution center you are before anything, use the free trial, see how long games take to get to you.
Also if you do end up joining, a protip, if you want to get a new game, make a note of the usual time it takes for a game to get back to them. Time it so that that game is arriving on release date of whatever game you want to get. Make sure that game is at the top of your list, and WHAMMO you get it, its always worked for me, and i've never had to take games off my "Q" to get a popular game using that method.
I guess it depends what region you're in. It isn't something anybody could know. I say try the service out, they've got trial deals out there. If it works for you keep it, if not don't waste the money. I've been using it for several years now and can't imagine the money I've saved not renting from BlockBuster($8+ for five nights).
@Phished0ne: Thanks. Yeah, I live in Washington DC, so I'd assume there's a distribution center not too far away - it's a major metropolitan area. I figure it is cheaper considering that games tend to run $60 now, I don't tend to be a multiplayer guy, and there are only a handful of games that I ever feel compelled to play more than once in a short span of time.
I've signed up for the free trial and am going to test it out. If I cancel after a month or two, not much lost anyway.
@ztiworoh: I hate to break this to you, but the closes Distrib center to you would probably be mine (Pittsburgh PA) or Tampa, that being said, the delivery times will probably be in the higher range for you, maybe 4-6 days. Its a shame Gamefly isnt doing better business, its a horrible cyclical thing, people complain about poor delivery times, but they need to do business to open more distribution centers.
But none the less, i hope you have a pleasant experience with good ol GameFly its surely a useful(and very divisive) service.
@Phished0ne: Well to be honest, 4 days wouldn't be so bad. Whereas with Netflix I'm returning a movie every other day practically, I don't really game much more than a couple hours a week and then on weekends (oh the joys being an adult and having a 45+ hour a week job). So it's not like a need a new game the day or so after I finished the last.
The turnaround time sucks. I found myself waiting for games as much as I actually had the games. I didn't have a problem getting the games I wanted. But keep in mind I had only 1-2 games in my queue, and was a new member (new members are given priority.)
They've had plenty of time to address the price concerns / open new shipping centers / change the policy of throttling veteran members. I canceled my sub and went with Blockbuster total access. It works well for me cause I have a BB not even a minute from my house.
Think about it. If you return two games a month at 4-7 days turnaround you are essentially paying to not even have a game for roughly 50% of the month.
I've singed up two different occasions and on both accounts I would get my first couple of orders in about 3 days. Then it seems like since I was an older customer, my games took longer and longer to arrive despite the amount of stock they claim to have. The service is totally overpriced. I have a local place called Family Video that always has what I want for about a dollar a day, and I don't have to wait on the game to be delivered. I live in Cincinnati if that means anything.
I also have two friends that have tried the service and had the same issues, thus canceling and going to the local video store. Netflix, however, is great aside from the lack of instant streaming options.
" I've singed up two different occasions and on both accounts I would get my first couple of orders in about 3 days. Then it seems like since I was an older customer, my games took longer and longer to arrive despite the amount of stock they claim to have. The service is totally overpriced. I have a local place called Family Video that always has what I want for about a dollar a day, and I don't have to wait on the game to be delivered. I live in Cincinnati if that means anything. "
Ha! I was just thinking about Cincinnati when you said that. That's the only place I know that had those Family Video places.
I've been using GameFly for about three months and it's been awesome. I have no trouble getting new releases (for games that go on sale on Tuesday, I've been getting my copy on Wednesday). I have the two game plan, so I make sure to always have a slot open on the day a new game in my queue releases, and it's worked perfectly. Plus, it's saving me a ton of money. So far this year I've played over $400 worth of games for $70.
" I've singed up two different occasions and on both accounts I would get my first couple of orders in about 3 days. Then it seems like since I was an older customer, my games took longer and longer to arrive despite the amount of stock they claim to have. The service is totally overpriced. I have a local place called Family Video that always has what I want for about a dollar a day, and I don't have to wait on the game to be delivered. I live in Cincinnati if that means anything. "
Ha! I was just thinking about Cincinnati when you said that. That's the only place I know that had those Family Video places. "
They're really awesome. All their non-new releases are $1.00 and newly released movies are about $2.50. It's A LOT cheaper than blockbuster, and kids movies are free if you got a younger one in the house. Fantastic store, didn't know how wide-spread they were. Family Video is constantly giving me free game rentals as a random customer awards program.
I'm thinking of posting a blog that will answer many questions and give the pros and cons to elimate the assload of threads like this. I love it and hate it at the same time, so I could post up a pretty intensive review.
It's pretty good if you rent a lot, or you buy a lot of games and think "damn I should have rented afterwards." Also of importance is whether or not you are close to one of their shipping centers.
I'm surprised they managed to keep going as long as they have. The operating costs to stock that many games and all the assholes that steal from them is what kept Netflix and Blockbuster from bothering with it. Between postal workers and asshole members, they must lose games to theft daily, how they stay in business is beyond me.
I've been using the service for two years now and HIGHLY recommend it, while it is a bit expensive, it does save you money especially if you play ALOT of games. I used two buy a game a month or every two months so 18$ a month is way cheaper than 60$ a month. Anyway, it is a great service when used correctly, you HAVE to ship in a game over the weekend if you want a new release, for example I was renting Street Fighter 4(took 2 days to get) and sent it back on friday so that I could get Splinter cell conviction. Splinter Cell shipped on Monday and is in fact here in my hands today on release day so that's proof that the service does indeed work. Also the keep a game feature saves you about 15-20 bucks or even more off the game depending on the discount they give you for being a member for a long time. To sum it up, GAMEFLY IS WORTH IT!
I'm in the UK so I use LoveFilm.com which is very similar. It's £15 per month which translates to about $25. I get 2 disks out at a time and an unlimited amount a month. I absolutely love it, I can play pretty much every game that comes out these days.
It looks pretty expensive, and I've heard shipping is a hassle at times, with problems like losing games in the mail. But I would save money if I rented games with GameFly, rather than Family Video.
Really guys? Overpriced? Lets break this down. Netflix= $9 a month for 1 disc out at a time. Avg new release DVD = $15-20. Gamefly= $14-16 a month for 1 game at a time. Avg new release game = $60. Make a bit more since? Anyway. Ive been using it for about a year and have never had a problem.
" Really guys? Overpriced? Lets break this down. Netflix= $9 a month for 1 disc out at a time. Avg new release DVD = $15-20. Gamefly= $14-16 a month for 1 game at a time. Avg new release game = $60. Make a bit more since? Anyway. Ive been using it for about a year and have never had a problem. "
The 1 game plan means a lot of down time, sometimes 1-2 weeks without a game.. at that point, what are you even paying for. Personally I've been more successful with a service like Goozex.
" I'm surprised they managed to keep going as long as they have. The operating costs to stock that many games and all the assholes that steal from them is what kept Netflix and Blockbuster from bothering with it. Between postal workers and asshole members, they must lose games to theft daily, how they stay in business is beyond me. "
Yeah that always surprised me too, considering you can just send them an email and tell them "oh my game got lost in the mail or stolen from my mailbox" and they just go "oh okay..well..we'll send you another game". Almost considered doing it and just keeping my copy of beatles rock band, but i didn't want to be that asshole. But, My clinching factor for getting GF was late fees though, with my busy, school --->work --->school projects lifestyle i really had trouble getting games back in time.
@EpicSteve: Yeah, Family Video is a nice little store...that was the place i rented from before i got gamefly. One opened up in my town about a month before i joined up for GF. Previously i had went to a locally owned rental business, which is always preferable, i went there so much they would just wipe out any late fees i had on the spot..man i miss that place. Plus they would still give me coupons for free rentals on my birhday even though i was an "adult".
" yeah its way over priced and depending on where you live the service fucking blows. it took up to two weeks, if not never, for games to arrive for me. sometimes when they didn't arrive, and they would re-ship the games, about two weeks later the game would arrive along with the original copy that i requested. i always kept that one since they didn't know. lol. its a shit service. i have netflix and it is great. the movies come fast, and when they say they will. and the price aint that bad. "
Free games.... That's the kind of "shit service" I like.
I used GameAccess (Canadian) for a while and the service was pretty good, But I stopped simply because I hate renting. I always end up going to my games and thinking "Hmmm... I want to play "X game"...... FUCK!!! I sent it back already"
If you do decide to use a service like gamefly I would HIGHLY recommend getting a "2 game out" membership, That way you can always have one game in your console and 1 in the mail.
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