Gamerang Online Video Game Rental Service Review

As online rental services become more and more popular, the options us consumers have are ever growing. As more and more Ntflix and Gamefly wannabes pop up, it may be hard to choose the service that is right for you. I personally, have tried to services for game rentals, the infamous Gamefly, and the lesser known, yet more reliable, Gamerang. After having extensive experiences with both services, I believe that I can provide some good information and help for those deciding which game rental service is right for them. In this review, I will be rating the service of Gamerang.

Gamerang launched in 2003, not far from the time Gamefly came into existence, which, means it isn’t a newbie in the online video game rental party. The choices for subscription Gamerang offers is very nice, with services going from 1 game at a time all the way to 5 games at a time, for the hardcore gamer. For my personal subscription, I chose to be able to rent 2 games at a time, just like my Gamefly subscription. Pricing between the two different companies is similar, with 2 game subscriptions being only a few cents apart between either service.

The Gamerang website’s interface is very simple, but not as intuitive or eye-catching as Gamerang’s. The standard categories are there, one for each system you can rent for. This includes all Microsoft Xbox’s, Sony Playstation 2 and 3 games, Nintendo Gamecube and Wii games, and others. Much like Gamefly, there is an order list in which you line up your games in the order you want to rent them. Placing a game on your list is as simple as clicking “Rent Game” once you have found your desirable selection. Once a game is in your Choice List, you can place a number next to each game to signify the order you would like to rent them in. Once you have a game rented, you can click the “Keep” button next to it on the Choice List, and for a nominal fee, you can keep the game, receive the case and instructions free, and then receive the next fame on your list. Like I said before, the site is not eye catching, but is very simple and efficient to use, and that’s what I like about it.

In my experience with both Gamefly and Gamerang, I can say that Gamerang’s service was faster and more customer friendly. Unlike Gamefly one shipping service in California when I was a member, Gamerang has four shipping centers around the United States. One on the East Coast, West Coast, North, and South. This ensures that no matter where you leave, your games will arrive in about 3-4 days after they ship to you, and your returns will make it back to the nearest distribution center in around the same timeframe. Compare this to Gamefly’s service which left me waiting anywhere from 4-10 for my newest selection, and it is easy for me to say that Gamerang is better. Another thing I noticed is that Gamerang’s discs seem to be clean, with minor scratches, while some of the games I received from Gamefly looked like they had been run through a sander. Waiting times for popular games are shorter with Gamefly, as they order more copies to rent because they are a larger company, but the difference is usually a mere couple of days. One thing I did notice is that Gamerang charges almost full price to keep games, why Gamefly prices to keep are almost 40% off retail price. But a little extra dough to keep games is a small price to pay for a faster, more reliable service.

Overall, I have to recommend Gamerang hands down over Gamefly. The game selections are very similar, the prices are nearly identical, and the way each works is virtually the same. The big difference comes in the speed of service, which is the most important thing for a gamer looking to crank out as many games a year as possible. Because Gamerang’s rental turnaround is much faster than Gamefly’s, it is, in my eyes, a better online rental service, and one that is worth any penny.