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Redbox reveals top rentals of 2011

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 14th 2011 10:40AM

Ubiquitous disc kiosk dispensary Redbox has shared its top game rentals of 2011, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for Xbox 360 commanding the top spot. It's no surprise that Modern Warfare 3, which earned $775 million at retail in a week, would also find itself again in fifth place with the PS3 version. It was, like, the biggest game launch ever.

Ubisoft has two members of its successful Just Dance franchise on the Redbox list, with Just Dance 3 and Smurfs Dance Party in fifth and seventh spots, respectively.

Surprise summer hit Dead Island rounds out the top three. The game's rocky launch may have scared off some purchases, but that didn't stop Deep Silver (and Square Enix) from shipping millions of copies of the game.

This was Redbox's first "official" year of game rentals, expanding its test market of 5,000 last year to nearly 27,000 kiosks nationwide over the summer. Check out the full top ten after the break.

Tags: call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3, Dead-Island, Just-Dance-3, modern-warfare-3, Redbox

Reader Comments (29)

oh look, it's... Brink, there is a Smurfs Dance Party game? what? I still have not rented MW3, need to get on it once my semester is over (1 week) D:

@Eniko

I just finished my semester today, so I might get Skyrim for a few days just to do the first grinding part until I get for Christmas.

@jph89

Skyrim is a bad choice for a rental. You will have to turn it in before you even get to see your first backwards flying dragon. There are also no grinding parts in it. After about an hour long tutotial you are set free.

In what way is Dead Island a "surprise hit?" It was hyped to hell and back.

@greyseal

right, it was hyped to hell and back on gaming websites... like every game.

I think it was surprise hit with the general gaming community that doesn't visit gaming sites

@eat it

I will admit, gaming sites hype games. But Dead Island is one of the few games this year I can remember seeing television ads for. It may have been because it was a new IP and needed the coverage, but off the top of my head the only game commercials I remember seeing were Dead Island, and "I didn't ask for this" Deus Ex ads. Of course, I don't watch too much TV, so maybe I didn't have a good enough sample of comercials to pick from.

I have only rented one game from Redbox (Black Ops). I am considering renting MW3 if I decide not to buy it. It's not a bad deal if you rent a game with a short campaign or something that you just want to try before you buy.

@ItsameMatt03

@ItsameMatt03

Totally worth renting. I beat the campaign in about 2 or 3 days and turned it back in. Saved me about $53.

Proof that most people who play video games don't post on Joystiq and their ilk. Kind of heartwarming, kind of disheartening.

@Oddgirl

Have you taken a look at the dregs that makeup the majority of Joystiq commenters lately? This is a good thing.

@ChooChooCharlie
...Hi, I'm "dreg" #1138093.

It always makes me laugh when I see Skyrim advertised at the Redbox kiosk. A quick calculation shows that it would cost approximately $12,800 in rental fees to complete the game.

I'd rather see the actual numbers. For all We know, only 1,748 people rented MW3.

@kilroy214

Seriously?

Wow, cars 2 huh? Must be a goty contender

Redbox is great, helped me decide not to waste my money on dead island and also gave me the chance to play a game that surprised me and should have been a goty contender. Talking about Deus ex of course

Wow, I am surprise that BF3 isn't on that list :-O
Oh wait, I forgot. thanks to EA, you need to pay 10 dollars to have the "featured" that we all have had since 200 on consoles to play online (back then free). We don't even get a trial. :/

@sykane9

since 2000, and still no edit button.

@sykane9

yeah its all EA and not DICE... for the love of gaming, please, if you're gonna play the blame game at least real about it. No half truths. I'm sure when DICE heard they could mak extra money they didn't dismiss the idea, i'm sure they embraced it since its now a part of the game. Its like blaming Activision for map prices and saying how evangelical Trayarch and Infinity Ward are.

i swear gamers now see and hear only what they want to see and hear.

@PR0F3TA

Apparently you ar enot aware that DICE are the Devs and EA are the publishers. EA acquired Dice back in 2006. In other words EA owns them now. Dice makes the games and EA pays them. EA punishes the game and WE pay EA. In addition, I also blame EA cause they were the first ones to start this whole online BS. It was on Need for speed run, Tiger woods and etc,etc. Not DICE, but EA. So yeah I will blame EA since they are the publishers, and like nay publisher, with books,movies and music. They want as much money back as they put into the development cost. Do you understand how business works.?

Business 101

I'm a big fan of Redbox game rentals. It's just right to be able check out a game you're unsure of investing in, or just feel like playing for a weekend. Rented Brink a couple times & Dead Island when it released. Both were fun enough for the 2-4 bucks, and while neither pulled me in enough to buy outright, I'd probably rent either again if I got the itch one weekend.

So... a top ten list comprised of the ten games Redbox actually offers?

@babywolfman
I think their selection has been pretty decent considering they are just a box and can't hold every game at a time.

Cars 2 up so high is kinda the surprising one to me.

Sosurprised to see Batman Arkhan City and Uncharted 3 not among the top rentals. Both are relatively short single player only games, so they are ideal rentals. Also highly surprised to see Dead Island and Brink being in there.

By the time you get to $3000, your save file size would be large enough, you would consider returning it.

@rajendra82

I typed a reply to copa's comment about Skyrim. What the hell Joystiq.

So I just read the entire back of my Dead Island case and nowhere on there did I see Square Enix as the publisher.

Breaking News

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Redbox reveals top rentals of 2011

Reader Comments (29)

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 10:48AM Eniko said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 12:28PM jph89 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 3:44PM rajendra82 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 10:53AM greyseal said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:15AM eat it said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:59AM SThompson said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 10:54AM ItsameMatt03 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:59AM SThompson said

Posted: Dec 15th 2011 9:45AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 10:55AM Oddgirl said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:13AM ChooChooCharlie said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 2:29PM foxhound said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:03AM copa said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:17AM kilroy214 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:30AM ItsameMatt03 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:20AM Cap Morgan said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:39AM joer22784 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:53AM sykane9 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:54AM sykane9 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 5:03PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 5:32PM sykane9 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 12:00PM swooded said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 12:44PM babywolfman said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 1:43PM Duke said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 1:43PM Duke said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 3:47PM rajendra82 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 3:51PM rajendra82 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 3:52PM rajendra82 said

Posted: Dec 14th 2011 11:37PM (Unverified) said

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