Video games are a very costly form of entertainment. Games usually range in price from $29.99 to $59.99, arcade and PSN games not withstanding. Purchasing just two games for your Xbox 360 or Ps3 can lead to a cost of over $120. With new releases coming each week around the holidays people buying games need ways to figure out which games are worth their time and which games might disappoint. There are a couple of easy ways to get your hands on games before you make the large investment of procuring a game. There are also multiple ways to get the best games that are being offered without ever paying a sizable amount to your local gaming store.
Probably the easiest and most popular way to get games without spending a ton of money is using a rental service. While Blockbuster allows some quick pickups of new releases if you time your trip to the store right, I have often found that Blockbuster's stock is far from diverse. There are often too few games or not enough copies of the games they do have to ever service more than two lucky customers. I find that Blockbuster is best used when you are looking for a game that has been out for a few months and you may have missed or have not had the time to play. But when it comes to renting games in a timely manor I have found no better service than Gamefly.
Gamefly allows its subscribers to rent one game a month for fifteen dollars a month. Subscribers are allowed to hold that game in their possession for as long as they want and send it back to Gamefly when they want a new game. I have found it very simple to time it so the game I send back is received right before a new game is released so that the new game is shipped to me right away. Gamefly also has a large catalog of older games and these games seem to always be in stock, or highly available, at all times. What I have found so useful about Gamefly is that I am able to completely finish a game on my own time and send it back once I finished. I never feel like I need to make time just to play a game because it needs to be returned in five days. If you are willing to drop some extra cash you can upgrade to Gamefly's two game plan, and eventually qualify for their three game plan as well. If you have the small amount of cash to spend each month and want to be able to play games on your own time go for Gamefly.
Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network are also great ways to get your hands on some games before they are even released. The often overlooked demo feature of both systems allows gamers to play a level or two of an upcoming release before the game hits shelves. The demo feature also allows for great opportunities like playing in the Uncharted 2 Beta which was immensely popular among PS3 owners. If you have internet access and one of the two aforementioned consoles do yourself a favor and check out the demo section once in a while. But wait there's more!
One of the most overlooked features of all three current generation consoles is the great ability to buy full fledged games for minimal prices. Whether it is the Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network Shop, WiiWare or the Wii's online catalog there are tons of fantastic games you can buy for prices as low as $5. Games like Shadow Complex, Trials HD, World of Goo, and classics like Marvel vs Capcom 2 are all up for your pleasure on their respective consoles. Games like Shadow Complex push the boundaries for what qualifies as a downloadable game. With its slick visuals, masterful gameplay, and great throwback mechanics Shadow Complex is one of the best downloadable games that has come out for the Xbox 360's Live Arcade and it only costs $15. With cheap prices and often unique gameplay there is no reason to not be checking out your console's online catalog for the next great game, especially since many of them allow for a free trial of the game. I will get into what games to look at for which consoles in my upcoming posts but for now boot up your console and take a peek into its more than extensive catalog of online titles that may provide more enjoyment for a fraction of the price of a standard game.
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