Red Box Offers More Game Rental Kiosks, More Gross Stains

[allistairp]

Red Box Offers More Game Rental Kiosks, More Gross Stains

Red Box, the movie rental machine stationed outside U.S. supermarkets and convenience stores, will continue to expand its stake in the videogame rental market with 21,000 new machines in June.

Red Box, the overnight movie rental kiosk (DVDXpress is its European equivalent), tested game rentals, two years ago. The company decided that it was a success [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104307-Rent-Videogames-At-Your-Supermarket-with-Red-Box], opening 5,000 game rental stations across the U.S. last October.

In a recent press release, Red Box President Mitch Lowe said it has rented more than a million games (priced at $2 a night) since starting the experiment in August 2009.

With a focus on family releases, Red Box caters to parents in need of a distraction to throw at their kids for a night rather than offer an alternative for gamers who are too poor to buy a game and too impatient to wait on Gamefly. Maybe a dedicated gamer can beat Portal 2 in a day, but L.A. Noire?

Then there are the general issues that come with Red Box machines. Such as questionable stains on kiosks, old ladies who mistake it for a Coinstar machine, indecisive couples who hold up the line and kids who think they are the chosen one who can reach into the slot and pull out a title.

As a gamer who grew up with Blockbuster (who currently charge $8.99 a game) and has been a subscriber to Gamefly for the past year ($15.95 for unlimited time with one game), I'm not sure what Red Box has to offer me.

Let us know how your Red Box game rental experience has been. Were you able to get past the greasy LCD screen, dripping moisture from the last guy's sweaty palm? Could you read title's names between the powdered sugar and Dorito dust stuck to the screen?


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[ShadowKatt]

Man, Fuck Redbox. Blockbuster Express FTW!

(this shameless plug brought to you by a Blockbuster Express service technition and in no way represents the NCR corperation)

 

[Crowser]

Pretty much agreed with the OP.
Redbox is cool and all for movies... not so much with games.
Maybe if I just want to try a title as a trial or something but I can't see myself actually using it for serious gaming unless I wanted a REALLY short single player game.
Works for 2 hour movies.
Does not work for 15 hour games.

 

[beema]

Is it just me, or are more and more headlines on The Escapist starting to look like The Onion?
Is this just a reflection of the absurdity of the games industry?

as a germ-a-phobe, I'm totally with you on the gross public kiosk thing.
The proliferation of touch screens is really starting to gross me out.

 

[BrunDeign]

Wait what? 8.99 at Blockbuster for a RENTAL?

The most Family Video charges is 7.00 for five nights! And that's new releases!

Hopefully Family Video is doing much better than Blockbuster.

 

[krychek57]

I use Redbox all the time, at least once a week.
I NEVER come across these "general" issues you state. I use it for movies, games I buy or don't play.


Edit: I lie, I do get the undecided couples occasionally but normally there are two box's available

 

[Echo136]

I wish I could actually find a Redbox renting video games. Theres probably a dozen of them within a few miles of where I live and I havent found one yet with games.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I didn't even know Redbox rented games... Then again i never use the service since I have onDemand movies pretty much anywhere in my house. Blockbuster has closed its doors almost every location in town (and I haven't rented there since 2001 anyway).
Really, I don't rent things anymore, I look for DVD's on sale at target ($5 a pop works for me) and buy games on clearance or used unless its something I really want. Then I steal it from walmart (j/k all)

 

[Sartan0]

I have never seen a filthy redbox machine. (All the ones I have seen have been clean unlike the crappy machines I have seen in Safeway) Then again I have not gone out of my way to use one either. They seem like they fill a different niche.

 

[bombadilillo]

I kinda like the idea. Like a 2 dollar demo, but with the whole game! And If you want to go buy it your save still exists so superior to a demo. Plus if its a modern game ifs probably only 5 hours long so yeah easily beatable for 2 dollars. Im looking at you Medal of honor and Homefront.

 

[ace_of_something]

Red Box is catered to families? What are they serious? Every time I walk by the thing at my local grocery I see it has like 20 horror movies in it.

 

[allistairp]

Clean Red Box machines!? I must live on the wrong side of town. But, then again, it's up to the store owner to keep the machine in good condition. Red Box kiosks in front of fast food restaurants are the worst, though.

 

[bombadilillo]

Red Box is catered to families? What are they serious? Every time I walk by the thing at my local grocery I see it has like 20 horror movies in it.

Their independently stocked. So your area will dictate whats on them, theres one near my moms house in suberbia that had all kids movies with a few exeptions. Had hidden gems like the old Mario tv show. Rediculous.

 

[ace_of_something]

Red Box is catered to families? What are they serious? Every time I walk by the thing at my local grocery I see it has like 20 horror movies in it.

Their independently stocked. So your area will dictate whats on them, theres one near my moms house in suberbia that had all kids movies with a few exeptions. Had hidden gems like the old Mario tv show. Rediculous.

Well that's really unexpected than the one I see most often is on the edge of the suburbs most frequented by my fellow neighbors who live on acreages and are like 95% Bible thumpers.

Edit: Now that I think about it I KNOW most of them rent movies off a website that edits them so they're like movies when aired on television (no naughty words, sex scenes or blood... I once watched the Two Towers like that it was weird) So I imagine it's only the white-trash fringe that also live around here using the 'red box'

 

[bombadilillo]

That is wierd. There must be a market for it if it keeps getting stocked like that... Maybe teens saying screw this I'm spending a buck on a real movie?

 

[ionveau]

Oh my if this EVER becomes big around the world the game giants are DEAD

Its like piracy without stealing
Its like buying a game for $2
Its guilt free.

I predict new laws will come out claiming that sharing CDs is against the law, typical company protecting governments.

 

[Steve Butts]

The story doesn't mention my own pet peeve with the service: waiting in line to return a movie while the mouth-breathers in front of you scan through the entire library.

Still, I think Redbox games is a great idea. It's certainly a solid option to try a full version of a game when there's no demo, and it's nice to pick up a party game when you have friends or family coming over who don't share your tastes. Or if you get to your hotel at the beach and realize there's a PS3 but no games. Gamefly seems like a better option, but Redbox has that instant appeal that I think people life.