Gamefly To Begin PC digital Downloading rentals, more - Polidicks

[url]http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/08/video-game-rental-service-gamefly-to-offer-pc-game-downloads-new-features/1[/url] [QUOTE]Video game rental company GameFly is looking to evolve into a one-stop online destination for video games -- like Netflix is for movies and TV. Later this year, in time for the holiday shopping season, the online video game rental service will launch a new online client that incorporates direct downloading of more than 100 computer games along with its current 8,000 console titles available on disc. The computer game downloading feature follows the company's acquisition three months ago of IGN's PC download service Direct2Drive. That service continues to offer more than 1,500 PC and Macintosh games. A closed beta trial of the new GameFly software begins next month (stay tuned to Game Hunters for invites). "Now Gamefly subscribers will have access to a library of PC catalog titles to play as often as they want and as long as long as they are a member," says GameFly co-founder Sean Spector. Subscribers will be able to download unlimited computer games -- initially, only Windows PC games will be featured, Macintosh games will follow. "It's kind of like a Spotify or Rhapsody or a Napster," he says. "You have access to the content as long as you are a subscriber but when you are no longer a member, the content then disappears." While the PC game library will be surpass 100 titles initially, "that is going to grow," he says. "We are in discussion with all the major publishers. You have the physical and now you are going to have access to the digital as well. GameFly subscribers will truly get a benefit for no extra cost." Started nine years ago, GameFly has largely targeted men aged 18-34, but this year it has aimed to attract families who might have several gamers in the household. "There is a huge benefit with GameFly for a family with a couple of kids and we have been really successful with that," Spector says. "So this client will be filled with PC games for kids, with casual games and indie games. It will run the gamut of content. We want to be accessible to all gamers, whether you are a 14-year-old boy or a 17-year-old girl or a 35-year-old gamer." Users of Apple's iTunes Store will have no problem navigating the made-over GameFly. (The service's GameFly.com remains open to subscribers and non-subscribers alike, as does its apps for iPhone and Android). The Home page has top service features tiled across it, with areas such as Main, Games and Collections organized via a list on the left-hand side of the interface. Current headlines from ShackNews, which the company acquired two years ago, are posted. (Additional news sources are planned.) Also included: lists of top videos including HD trailers, games purchased and rented, and top game downloads. Subscribers can create collections that they will be able share with others -- just as Spotify users share playlists. As part of the client's upgraded online features, GameFly is also adding several social networking features -- available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike -- including the ability to follow other subscribers' comments and what games they are playing. And each week, GameFly will suggest members worthy of following. Users can also share the "shelves" they create that can be as generic as "My Shooter games" to a media library of YouTube videos, screen shots and other media devoted to an individual game such as Red Dead Redemption. "We are letting people who are passionate about games really create these kind of shrines," Spector says. "Someone who is not familiar with that game sees all this content about this game and gets interested and we give them the access to check it out." One of GameFly's best features -- the ability to try games before you commit to buying them -- remains unchanged. "That's a big component of our service and that's the number one reason people join GameFly," Spector says. GameFly plans to launch the closed beta Sept. 8 at a private event for current members in Los Angeles. Attendees get beta codes; others interested in checking out the private beta -- including non-subscribers, too -- can visit [url]www.gamefly.com/beta[/url] and for a look at the beta, watch the video below or go to GameFly's YouTube channel.[/URL]. [/QUOTE] [video=youtube;Ow1VANCmrnA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow1VANCmrnA[/video]

Woohoo!

I hope the rental rates are dirt cheap.

Waiiit, you can't rent downloadable games, that means the game will have to be on the persons PC at one point, which means it'll be cracked so quickly the service won't last a week. Why would people pay to have a game temporarily when they can buy it from the service for a day and then crack the files which are now stored on their PC forever?

[QUOTE=Wam;31626335]Waiiit, you can't rent downloadable games, that means the game will have to be on the persons PC at one point, which means it'll be cracked so quickly the service won't last a week. Why would people pay to have a game temporarily when they can buy it from the service for a day and then crack the files which are now stored on their PC forever?[/QUOTE] Anyone who wants to pirate a game is just going to torrent it instead of getting it from Gamefly's rental service and then cracking it.

This will fit right in with those bandwidth caps that our biggest ISPs all have.

WOAH this is this is good. Hopefully it'll be better than that piece of shit OnLive.

Yeah, how do you rent a game, unless its encrypted and decrypted by the download client, which still means you can just copy it and start cracking.

Shit I was wondering why this hasn't been done already yesterday, I must be fucking psychic. I hope they do it right.

Woah I might actually use this instead of doing what I usually do to play games.

but this would be like a kid in a candy store, because while the pirates are busy cracking the encryption, you can be renting the game.

So they're pretty much making another gametap? At least its free if you have gamefly already.

and guess what game joins gamefly's library? [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/yuVMf.jpg[/IMG] :v:

[QUOTE=Wii60;31627447]and guess what game joins gamefly's library? [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/yuVMf.jpg[/IMG] :v:[/QUOTE] Holy fuck they've got Red Faction Armageddon?! Sign me up for the beta!

Shame that GameFly is US only. Would've been nice to have a good place to rent games here in Sweden. The best place seems to be the fucking library here in Sweden. :v: And since it is free all games are always rented so you can never play anything good. Or so I've heard.

I really hope the whole run-around that EA is giving Steam ends up biting EA in the ass.

Steams got a sort of that thing going on where they do free weekends. (such and such hours left) They could adapt that and BAM! Game rental service. But why would anyone want to rent a game when they can buy it for DIRT CHEAP

I loooove GameFly... Since they closed down all the Blockbusters around here, this is the way I rent my 360 games. This only makes it better. :)

[QUOTE=Wam;31626335]Waiiit, you can't rent downloadable games, that means the game will have to be on the persons PC at one point, which means it'll be cracked so quickly the service won't last a week. Why would people pay to have a game temporarily when they can buy it from the service for a day and then crack the files which are now stored on their PC forever?[/QUOTE] Its really quite simple, Do what Ubisoft did and make it so you have to be online at all times to play, its a pain in the ass for some but its completely understandable for a service like this.

Awesome, I'm a member.

So, rent a PC game and you get it forever, you just need to pay your monthly fee? So when you are done with the game you can just rent another? Is it Cloud based like OnLive or what? I really don- [img]http://gyazo.com/8c2757f15c4aac1411fe59d254bb0743.png[/img] Sign me the fuck up. [editline]9th August 2011[/editline] (But answer my questions, also is save data saved after you end your rental?)

That's nothing new. There's Metaboli: [url]http://www.metaboli.co.uk/[/url] I tried it years ago. It's nice for games with no replay-value or games which are not worth the money. But GameFly seems to have a better selection of games. Also Metaboli uses encrypted files, so no modding and not compatible with patches and other files.

Too bad I spend weeks and weeks on short simple player games I have not completed fallout 3 after owning it for at least a year and a half And restarting 4 times. I get caught up in the sandbox or achievments or fucking around :v:

I signed up. Glad I just renewed my Gamefly subscription! :D [editline]9th August 2011[/editline] I actually saw this as an advert when I was renewing.

Interesting, I wonder how Valve will react, I never rent games though.

[QUOTE=LordCrypto;31626413]Yeah, how do you rent a game, unless its encrypted and decrypted by the download client, which still means you can just copy it and start cracking.[/QUOTE] Steam is a perfect example of how it could work (in technical terms), sure people can pirate it but you would have to download the stuff through their service which sounds like it will cost.

Awesome! As a user of Gamefly, this is amazing news that came out of the fucking blue.

I bet they reuse game keys, which means if someone uses hacks in BF3 someone else is gonna get fucked over :V

Nice

[QUOTE=doonbugie2;31641518]I bet they reuse game keys, which means if someone uses hacks in BF3 someone else is gonna get fucked over :V[/QUOTE] Nope, i'm pretty sure they'll have no keys or temporary keys that expire when your rent is over.