PSA: Redbox kiosks packing games, starting tomorrow

by Christopher Grant on Jun 16th 2011 9:42PM

As promised, video rental kiosk outfit Redbox is expanding its operation to include other things that appear on optical discs, beginning tomorrow. It's a simple idea, we know, but considering the market GameFly has been able to build up with its over-the-mail service, ala Netflix, we're surprised it took Redbox this long to leverage its omnipresent kiosk army to dispense something besides movies.

Unlike GameFly, selection will be limited to what actually fits inside a 'box. Tomorrow's selection spans all three home console platforms and will include major new releases like Duke Nukem Forever, LA Noire, Red Faction: Armageddon, and Infamous 2, while also including some notable evergreens, like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Just Dance 2. Game rentals will run $2 each day, compared to $1 a day for DVDs, $1.50 a day for Blu-ray discs, and $10 a day for Laserdiscs.

Show full PR text

GET READY TO PLAY! REDBOX ROLLS OUT VIDEO GAME RENTALS NATIONWIDE
Redbox Now America's Destination for Movies and Games

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – June 16, 2011 – Beginning Friday, June 17, video game rentals launch at more than 21,000 redbox® locations nationwide. Featuring video game titles across three platforms, PLAYSTATION® 3, Nintendo Wii™ and Xbox 360®, redbox will rent games for $2 a day, DVDs for as low as $1 a day and Blu-ray™ Discs for $1.50 a day. Redbox is the convenient one-stop shop for entertainment.

"From your local grocery, convenience or drug store straight to your family room, the next dance off, face off or family night just got more affordable and fun," said Joel Resnik, vice president of video games, redbox.

Looking for fun this weekend? Video game titles available to rent this Friday include:

· Brink (PS3, X360)
· Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3, X360, Wii)
· Duke Nukem Forever (PS3, X360)
· Family Party: 90 Great Games (Wii)
· Infamous 2 (PS3)
· Just Dance 2 (Wii)
· LA Noire (PS3)
· Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (X360, Wii)
· Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii)
· Red Faction: Armageddon (PS3, X360)
· Rio (Wii)
· Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PS3, X360, Wii)
· You Don't Know Jack (X360)

Movie and game fans can visit redbox.com or the free redbox iPhone® app to reserve the titles of their choice and pick it up at the location of their choice.

"America's destination for movies is now giving consumers access to the latest DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and a selection of today's top video games," said Mitch Lowe, president, redbox. "Redbox is now America's one-stop shop for entertainment."

The roll out of video game rentals at redbox gives consumers thousands of new locations to discover and rent the latest games. According to a 2010 report by the Entertainment Software Association, 67 percent of American households now play video games.

More coverage: Redbox games

Tags: microsoft, nintendo, playstation, ps3, Redbox, rentals, wii, xbox

Reader Comments (71)

Uh, my redboxes have had games for the past couple days.

@Robborboy
This a national rollout.

@Robborboy I've had them for the past couple of months. I love Redbox for games, sure you can't get everything, but thanks to Redbox I bought Killzone 3, and avoided Brink like the plague.

@Robborboy
Redbox here in Portland has had games for nearly a year (maybe longer) now.

@Bryangst

Yeah, I can confirm that its been about a year. Its great for games that you want to play for a day or two, especially something with local multiplayer. WWE All-stars is a perfect example, if you end up in a situation where you're wanting local multiplayer-goodness.

@Robborboy
Would you like a cookie?

I rented one in Fresno, CA a couple a weeks ago 9 (Homefront) not really worth it in my opinion for $2 a day.

@NUMBER7777777 haha random 9

@NUMBER7777777
You spent $2 on Homefront...of course it wasn't worth it

They've had them here in Houston since at least yesterday. I rented Brink last night (it's not that bad so far, the movement is fun).

@Everyone going "LOLZ I ALREADY CAN RENT GAEMZ AT DA KIOZK"

They've been available in test markets for a very long time, the article is simply stating that the rest of the country will get games in their kiosks starting tomorrow.

@xJimmeh I find it hard to believe that BFE Kentucky is a test site.
More likely they have been filling them already, it's just that by tomorrow they ALL will have them.

@Robborboy

Their HQ is Illinois. That's two whole states away from you! Impossible to believe!

@xJimmeh Houston was NOT a test market, they've literally just become available within the past 48-72 hours.

@Jenks Yea, a city with less than 26k people in it. Mostly rural. Has nothing to offer in ways of anything.

Sure sounds like a GOLDEN test site.

And as seeming confirmed above, test sites have had games on the scale of moths to year.

@Robborboy
Oh, you live in kentucky? That explains a lot, nevermind.

Yep mine have had then since January I believe.

Mine got some today..buy two dollars a day? I'm trying to decide what game would be worth it..

@Crimsic - The one you can finish in a day, obviously. I rented Duke Nukem Forever and played through it the other day. $2 wasn't a bad price for that, and it was easily beaten in a single sitting. I wouldn't rent an RPG using the service, but for most 8-10 hour games, it is great (assuming you have all day to play).

Cool, but luckily there is still one store in my town that does game rentals(Hastings), and that is $7.99 for 7 days.

They even leave the codes in the cases on the shelf for the games that have download content or online play registration.

Best value for me currently, but I still think $2 a day seems steep.

Not to sound like a noob, but whats a lazerdisk O_o?

@Nint3ndofr34k

Aren't laserdiscs those things that came out in the Kate '80s/early'90z that were basically vinyl records with movies on them?
You needed a special player and they ended up only barely having a tiny bit better quality than VHS?

@Nint3ndofr34k

Obviously the best video format EVER!

@Nint3ndofr34k
They were large optical discs holding analog video recordings. I have several anime laserdiscs but have never had a laserdisc player.

They were also briefly used in a number of arcade video games, most notably titles that had full motion video, such as Dragon's Lair.

@Captaindrek1 - Much better quality than VHS actually (unless we're talking HD-VHS), but unwieldy and incredibly expensive. I had a friend with a laserdisc player and a bunch of anime discs, and they looked great, but cost a fortune. My elementary and middle schools also had laser disc players with various nature and science programs on them, which makes me weep for all that misspent taxpayer money.

For anyone trying to get a visual, think vinyl record sized DVD.

@Captaindrek1 They actually came out in the 70s believe it or not, originally marketed as Discovision.

To this day, it is the only format I watch the original trilogy on. It's the highest quality, unedited version

@LucerinRed I still have my laserdisc player, there are a few things (Ministry - So You Didn't Feel like Showing Up and the original unbastardized Star Wars trilogy, to name a couple) that have never showed up on DVD.

I could definitely get into this. But I'll probably use this for judging if certain games are for me. Other games I usually like to stash in a collection of sweet ownership.

Red box might have solved my prolem of renting games. $2 dollar isnt expensive for a day.

I know some redboxes have had this for quite some time, as I've checked on their website to see where games are stocked. There aren't any games at any of the kiosks around here though, so hopefully this will expand into more markets.

@bensmith91 that is the whole point of this, it says games will be available in red box nation wide.

$10 a day for laserdiscs??
Who has laserdiscs? Who even has a laserdisc player?
I wonder how big the slot has to be to fit a laserdisc??

LaserDisks?! Never mind the rental cost~ Laserdisks?! Where in America will somebody rent a Dead format?

@EEdocSnitthu If you're too stupid for a joke/sarcasm then you should probably head back over to IGN or something.

@ EEdocSnitthu

Do you really think that this thing will spit out a Laserdisc? lol really. ;)

And actually there are a lot of people that still own and buy LD. Some are worth a lot.

I wonder when people will realize that the lazerdisc plug is a joke :P

@(Unverified)

Probably not for awhile lol.

@(Unverified)

And here I thought it was obvious >.>

Schweet. Now I can play all those campaign only games. I beat RDR in 7 days and Infamous in 2 nights. This is gonna be great!

Guys, the $10 a day laserdiscs was a joke - it's a dead media format that no longer is in mass production.

@atarii / must be some young people on here to not know what a laser disc is! I had a Pionner Laser disc player in 1991, it was awesome for the time, just HATED having to get up and flip the disc half way into the movie.

I hope that they'll start renting 8-tracks!

Laserdiscs? $10?

Do people really still have those these days? Ahhh... they play Space Ace still right?

this will be a great way to play games and save money. i would rather spend 8 or 10 bucks instead of 60

Bah. I was expecting $1 a day rentals.

I wonder if they have Child of Eden. A 90 minute game for $2... sure!

@GuardianLegend I was thinking along those same lines. May have to check that out....

@Hoops - Redbox doesn't have Child of Eden. It's new though, so maybe they'll have it at some point.

I wonder if they have the lawnmower man special director's cut on laserdisc? That is something worth getting to rent

Laserdiscs have the best Anime.

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PSA: Redbox kiosks packing games, starting tomorrow

Reader Comments (71)

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:47PM Robborboy said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:57PM The Cole Train said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:56PM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 11:22PM Bryangst said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 1:36AM SisypheanLife said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 10:41AM Klearwater Killer said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:47PM NUMBER7777777 said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:48PM NUMBER7777777 said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:44PM BtheCarp said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:48PM seclusion said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:50PM xJimmeh said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:10PM Robborboy said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:24PM Jenks said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:27PM seclusion said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 9:27AM Robborboy said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 11:48AM Klearwater Killer said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:51PM EazySCT said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:52PM Crimsic said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 2:43AM BananaBoat said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:52PM DericLee said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:55PM Nint3ndofr34k said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:01PM Captaindrek1 said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:10PM TheMichaelJackson said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 2:04AM killdash9 said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 2:47AM BananaBoat said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 10:47AM LucerinRed said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:06PM Cranky Penguin said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:55PM Shadowbender said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:59PM BULLETBOI said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 9:59PM bensmith91 said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 1:45PM Shameful Sinner said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:00PM XC4L1 said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:09PM EEdocSnitthu said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:30PM NewEraBlood said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:11PM neosxtc said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:15PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:23PM neosxtc said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:36PM Xiegfried said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:26PM DarkPinoy said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:31PM atarii said

Posted: Jun 16th 2011 10:37PM monkey1paw said

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Posted: Jun 16th 2011 11:12PM endgamer77 said

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Posted: Jun 16th 2011 11:57PM GuardianLegend said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:18AM Hoops said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 2:50AM BananaBoat said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:25AM Dance Mofo said

Posted: Jun 17th 2011 12:42AM Arsenal said

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