game rental
Dish Network acquires Blockbuster Video, could challenge Netflix
Pushed out of relevance by quicker, cheaper movie rental options Netflix and Redbox, it wasn’t a surprise to see Blockbuster Video go up for auction. What did shock industry insiders was the company that ultimately purchased Blockbuster.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Dish Network purchased Blockbuster Video and its assets for $233 million in cash.
Embattled Blockbuster had a lot of debt and Dish Network will assume $87 million of Blockbuster’s obligations. Dish wouldn’t comment for the LA Times article. Industry rumors say that Dish Network is planning to use Blockbuster’s assets to compete with Netflix.
Redbox begins testing game rentals in select markets
If you are an employee or executive of Blockbuster Video, consider this a spoiler warning so you can just walk away. In 2009 kiosk rental system Redbox began testing video game rentals in a couple of markets. Now the test program is expanding to Orlando, Florida. Redbox and its $1-a-day convenience in movie renting has been a big problem for brick-and-mortar competitors. At $2 a day though, Redbox is not yet a viable competitor for the likes of Gamefly, the online rental service that charges a flat monthly rate.
How To: Find games at your local library
With console games costing $40 or more, rental services are becoming a popular option for gamers. While rental services, such as Gamefly and Blockbuster, are reliable options, many people also can’t afford monthly services fees (dern gas prices). This is where public libraries can come in quite handy.
On a whim, after purchasing a new console, I decided to check the online library search engine for my local library. After all, free is always the way to go. To my surprise, I found 78 Wii games, 53 Xbox 360 games and 35 PS3 games. Among the games were recent titles including Order Up (Wii), Soul Calibur IV (PS3) and Zoids Assault (Xbox 360). After checking out a title, I learned the lending period was 14 days, allowing enough time to really enjoy the game.
So with many libraries now catering to gamers, it is worth finding out the best way to search for and find games. You never know what kind of treasure you’ll find…
