GameFly releases 'GameCenter' iPhone app

by Alexander Sliwinski on Oct 22nd 2009 9:00PM

GameFly has released its free "GameCenter" iPhone app, allowing customers of the video game rental service to adjust their queue on the go. However, GameFly co-founder Sean Spector wants the app to be used by a much broader audience than just GameFly subscribers. Speaking with Joystiq, the executive told us that the company has put a lot more functionality into the app and the "GameFly" tab is only one part of the program.

The "Games" tab is essentially a database, with specs, controller details (pretty handy), Achievements, Trophies and reviews. The "News" tab, which can be divided to show specific platforms, is currently a feed from the company's recently acquired Shacknews. Spector plans on future app updates featuring community functionality, trailers and more news sources.

Spector tells us that he expects "all the functionality that's in GameFly on the app" in the future. Meaning that users will have access to the full GameFly store and easier queue rearrangement (slide functionality, rather than inputting numbers). For subscribers, the commerce and "Keep It" functionality work just like on the main site, with properly applied discounts and coupons. Spector also noted that those without a GameFly subscription who download the app receive a 15-day free trial.

GameFly seems serious about making the app as useful as possible and is asking for feedback. If there's anything you want to see after trying it out, send the company an email or leave feedback through the app, which can be found under "Settings" tab.

GameFly GameCenter (free)

Source

Tags: Apple, DS, gamecenter, gamefly, gamefly-gamecenter, iPod, Microsoft, Nintendo, sean-spector, Wii, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (55)

Hm... Won't let me download on the ipod touch. Is this an iPhone ONLY app? The error message says that "This app requires a microphone."

That means you've got a first-gen iPod Touch, which means Apple is determined to screw you and force you to buy new hardware. I'm in the same boat.

Must not work for 1st gen iPod Touches.. I'm hoping they'll fix that with the quickness.

no WebOS love?

...aww, who am I kidding.

No Wii Controller on the image? How Racist!

that guy lost it when he hit the TV with it...

It's nice to know they are working hard on stuff like this when I go day after day without a game being shipped.

I have been having the same issue. I am just waiting for Blockbuster to release their game rental service and then I am jumping ship and never looking back.

i on the otherhand got borderlands today

I went a full month, no games, 3 games in queue. That's when I canceled and told them to go f themselves.

"3 games in queue"

Dumbass, it's your own fault you didn't get any games. I would bet ANYTHING there are more than 3 games you want to play on ANY system.

Dumbass.

Ironically enough, there is an ad under my 2 games out saying "For less than 25¢ a day you could have a fourth game out!"

Gamefly certainly needs competition from SOMEONE. I've lived an hour and a half from a Gamefly distribution center and Netflix still outclassed them on service every day out of the week. You can't entirely blame the USPS when games, available games, are sitting in my queue for three or four days without shipping.

Once the holiday season is over, I'm cancelling and hoping a better alternative eventually pops up.

I found it to be cheaper just to walk into my local video store and rent a game for $5 and return it a week later. For an average month, I'd get four games out of my local store for $20 versus the $22 I paid for the monthly subscription to get fewer games. Plus, I was more likely to find a game released within the past year. The only thing I could get sent to me from GameFly were games at least a year old.

How about they spend less time making iPhone apps and more time improving their service so I don't go 2 weeks between games.

Where's the app that will get my games to me in under 3 days, as well as getting them back there? I mean, I've got a damn Tampa distribution center like an hour away!!!

Hahaha. Just yesterday I cancelled my account from my iPhone web browser.

Sounds like everyone is saying the very reason I just left the service after nearly 3 years. I was tired of paying a monthly fee and waiting 7-10 business days to get my games.

Gamefly is the shiznit when it comes to buying used games. Just picked up WWE Legends and Godfather 2 for around 20 bones total. I love them guys.

I'd like to see them release an Android app alongside this.

As for all the comments about long wait times, I must be the only one getting their games received earlier than normal and shipped off with Fast Return.

Wish that the USPS would work with GameFly to help speed up the return process, it wouldn't be that difficult. Too bad there are workers that are stealing games.

Yeah, I'll be getting the Android and would welcome an app as well. Check it out here. CANT WAIT!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vd7SglA91A

its not the usps' fault. im a mailman. we arent required to seperate gamefly envelopes like netflix, but most of us do anyway. if gamefly had more distro centers, itd be a lot better.

and i demand an android app!

please???

I'm not saying it's the USPS' fault, but if GameFly and USPS would work together on it, game return and send times would probably be much lower. Then there was that one worker who had stolen 2200 games in under a few months... it doesn't help customers when that happens.

@ Acrobat

If it's not the USPS' fault, whose is it? Did Gamefly lose games in a void for days? Is it Gamefly that can't get mail across 390 miles (Louisville to Pittsburgh) any faster than 2000 miles (Louisville to LA)? Is it Gamefly that gives priority to other mailings? is it Gamefly that won't work with Gamefly to improve shipping?

Gamefly's problems aren't all linked to the USPS, but to sit there and act like the USPS isn't complicit in many of their problems (if not by far their most glaring problem) is ludicrous.

My opinion of the USPS is forever affected by Newman...

Burns, I can send a game cross-country via first class mail in 3 days consistently (sent over 600 ebay items that way in the last year). 2 days if it's in the same region, 1 day if it's in the same state.

Yet, when I ship a gamefly game back, it's often as much as a week before it shows up as returned in their system. Now, I highly doubt the USPS is intentionally pulling aside Gamefly games to make them go slower, so either Gamefly uses media mail (slow as hell), or they're getting the games in a reasonable amount of time and taking several days to process them. I'm guessing the latter.

Yay, conspiracy theories.

Gamefly sends games first class (read the envelope) and they have no reason to hold games like that (use some common sense, if they were going to hold games, they would hold them rather than set a game as returned but with another unshipped).

At any rate, if this was all some conspiracy why even have the fastreturn stuff, which DOES work when the USPS bothers to properly handle the games? It took me a week of calls with the USPS to finally get my post office to properly handle the games so they would get scanned and it worked flawlessly until there was a personnel change at the post office and magically my games were no longer scanned (it's not worth the calls to try and get it straightened out again). You going to try and put that on gamefly as well?

@ burns

you sir, are a jackass. you have no idea what its actually like in a post office. games arent scanned at local post offices. "properly handling" them is just separating them, along with netflix and blockbuster envelopes. it's to avoid damage, not speed up delivery.

@ Acrobat

Thanks for the insult. It's not my fault the USPS is to blame for some of this, and I get the feeling your incompetence isn't helping given your overly defensive nature.

Did you miss the part where I said I was on the phone for a week with USPS (my local office and others)? I know full and well it's not scanned here, but if it's not handled correctly here it's not going to get scanned. This isn't me saying this, it's the half dozen or so supervisors I had to talk to before getting things worked out. Once my carrier was told what to do, games were magically scanned, then when he left my route they magically weren't. When I called, the local supervisor had left and I didn't feel like jumping through hoops like a trained poodle to get something done correctly.

Does it show coming soon release dates?

Yep

would the app work with iPod touch as well? I may be getting one.

Sometimes my games get the FAST RETURN scan and sometimes they don't, My distribution center unfortunately is Austin and my mom says it takes forever for mail to be received there and that's why sometimes they don't receive games for several days.

It works with second generation Touches and newer.

That sucks. I have a first generation iPod touch.

It won't let me download it, saying it requires a microphone.

Why the hell does it require a microphone?

wow judging by your comments the Canadian service i have gameaccess.ca is by far superior. But State side users can only Buy

Great, now I find out what games I'm NOT getting while on the go.

Just downloaded it and at first glance I'm going to say it's probably the most thorough, well designed video game related app available to date. I'm a gamefly subscriber but I like that it extends beyond gamefly functionality. Think I'll be tinkering with this one quite a bit. It pretty much covers the spectrum. Cheats, reviews, codes, controller details (sweet!), achievements and on and on.

@shagittarius: it does have coming soon dates (under the gamefly tab).

@jedi_liz: if it works on the iPhone it'll work on the Touch too.

Except...you know...you can't actually RENT games with it.

Yes you can.

@shagittarius: actually, it's got "coming soon" dates right on the front page. Didn't realize that out of the gate, I'm still playing around with it.

I just cancelled Gamefly and started using GameMine instead.

nice.....I wanted this for a while now....

@Baxter
I am going with the Greater Internet Dickwad Theory.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

why dont you make an app not for the POS iphone and its yuppy, moron users?

oh wait, because you are all brainwashed retards who think anything put out by apple is awesome.

NEWSFLASH. APPLE AND ALL OF THEIR PRODUCTS ARE NOT THAT GREAT.

now go die.

Calm down...they're going after the easiest userbase with this app. Don't forget, the newer Touch models can run this too.

@saleen4971
you first moron

Wow, do you behave like that in person or just behind the internet veil?

@kal326 I think you're on to something

Nice! The ability to browse games in the PALM OF MY HAND!

And come on saleen even if you hate apple, you know an app for this in windows mobile would suck

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

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GameFly releases 'GameCenter' iPhone app

Reader Comments (55)

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