Why I Rent Video Games From Libraries and Why You Should Too

When I want to try out a game before playing but can't find a demo and want to save some money, I visit a library and rent the game. So should you.

[Double_O_Revan]

While that sounds like a great idea, I don't know any libraries in my area that rent video games.

[jjb1981]

I actually have one by my house that rents games but the collection is terrible and has several old Wii shovelware and 360 games.

[rainslacker]

Quite a few in my area do. They don't really have a good selection of games though. Usually old, and the good ones tend to never be available. It's a crap shoot on what you can find, and since I don't frequent the library, it's kind of pointless to go. My own personal buying habits for games also make it kind of pointless, and I don't rent games regardless.

[ArnoDorian]

There are a couple in my area that do video game rentals. Yours could as well.

So i guess Libraries today are for us old gen Blockbuster rental users

[aarogree]

Unfortunately.

[Christopher]

I guess for older released games, but in general most libraries don't get games until they've been on the market for 6 months. I think things like GameFly (*gangsta sign to gangsta*) are way better for trying out games in general. Delivered to the door, easily mailed back, games available at or near release.

[isarai]

Damn that sucks, my local library gets most day 1, and you can even reserve them, even obscure titles like code vein, RICO, and hell they even have Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and just about every PSVR title.

[Christopher]

You obviously live in a nice place. At least as far as libraries go.

[isarai]

Lol i guess so

[CanadianTurtle]

I live in Mississauga Ontario. Our city's libraries get all major game releases on the week of their release, but there's usually like 60 holds on it. When RDR2 came out, it got around 80 holds on its first day, and I'm like NOPE, I'll just buy the damn game instead of waiting that long

[rainslacker]

When I used GameFly, I was lucky to get games day one. Even if they had them, they were usually wait listed. They had fairly recent releases available most of the time though.

With libraries around me, the good games tend to be out all the time. While I could reserve them, I just feel it ends up being more of a hassle. I don't frequent the library anymore though, and since Kindle books are available through the library through their website, I have even less reason to go in now.

[nowitzki2004]

Yeah I have had gamefly on and off about 5 times over the years and never really had a good experience.

[Knightofelemia]

My library might rent the odd shitty movie but I have never seen a video game in any library I have been to it would be too easy for people to just borrow the game and walk away with the game and never return it.

[isarai]

Not really, it's checked out under your library card, so they know who to send the bill to

[Knightofelemia]

I doubt a library would even take the chance grabbing a bunch of games so people can borrow them with a library card or not easy way for theft. And then if the game is all scratched to hell most libraries would just chuck the disc out. Then you would also as a librarian have a pissed off parent writing a letter because their kid is playing some blood and gore rated M game that they borrowed from your library. There is to much liability for a library to rent out video games. And from a libraries point of view why buy a game that might just get scratched to shit and stolen when we can buy more computers books and pay someone to read story time to kids.

[rainslacker]

Not all libraries rent games. Some have varying degrees fo what kind of games they rent. Even within a singular library system, like our state has it set up by counties, different libraries may have different things available.

Apparently it's not that much of an issue. My podunk country town library, which is actually pretty decent with movies and books, does have Switch games, and even Switch gaming events every month. They got a limited amount of money, and decided on the Switch, although I don't know why. Games were donated apparently, and they can be checked out, or played in the library. I think they only allow one week at a time, and if you don't return them, you can't check out anything else, which limits theft. The library itself did away with late fees because they felt it made more sense to get people to return stuff, rather than discourage them from returning it to avoid the late fees. Not sure if that applies to games though.

I think the library close to my work...the largest in the city....doesn't have M rated games at all.

[MadLad]

Thing is, most libraries don't do this.

[SyntheticForm]

They sure as hell don't have video games where I live. Sorta antithetical to a library if you ask me, but I'm not condemning the idea.

[CanadianTurtle]

The Mississauga library has all the major releases, even games like GTA5, Red Dead 2, God of War, etc. It is a desperate attempt to encourage people to use the library system and it worked.

[Fist4achin]

Also because there aren't too many places to rent physical media anymore.

[Tross]

I have actually seen a few local game/movie stores around that do this. They're locally owned and operated though, and are certainly the rare exception. It's also not something I've done in a very long time as there are other options for gaming on a budget in this day and age.

[isarai]

My local library's do this, and pretty well i might add. But i haven't really rented a game from there for like 5years. I can usually gather whenever im going to like a game or not without having to play it. Other times ive managed to either borrow it from a friend or through something else like a Gamepass Deal. Nice to have the option

[343_Guilty_Spark]

My library has exclusives

[SonyStyled]

My library has them for rent, and will also ship in games from other sister libraries from other towns like they do with books and movies. I haven’t don’t this in 10 years though as I collect all my physical games now

[hiawa23]

Gamefly works for me

[rolando123]

I’ve had GameFly for yearsss

[xVOLTx]

Renting games is so 1990s.

[Orionsangel]

I was there Gandalf. 5000 years ago when there were libraries.

[jznrpg]

Most libraries don’t rent games and if they do good luck waiting forever to get lucky enough to rent newer games .

[franwex]

My library has a bunch of Wii games. I’ll pass.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

That's gotta be a new level of irony that you go to a library specifically to rent a videogame.

[rainslacker]

Why? Libraries have rented all forms of media for decades now. I used to rent movies on film reels, with the projector and screen, just because i thought it was cool to have the projector and screen. Then they rented tapes, then DVD's, and now blu-rays. I remember an old library when I was young that rented Genesis and Saturn games.

It's really nothing new. It's just limited in what branches and regions offer.

[RavageX]

So for the person who did this article, research is your friend. Check on the availability of something like this beforehand.

[knifefight]

Would if I could, but I can't. There's nowhere at all -- libraries or not -- to rent video games near me at all.

[Elda]

I have a great job working at a University for 20 years now so I get a lot of breaks during the year to play games. I have no problem spending money on games that I want to play. I rather own games so I can play at my own convenience as long as I want & don't have to worry about sending the game back whenever it's due back.

[BrettAwesome]

Why I don't give two shits, and why you shouldn't either

[VTKC]

those Blockbuster days have long gone. I remember renting King Of Fighters 95. Loved it at the time.

[Visceral89]

Snitch

[mudakoshaka]

I agree! I live in Sweden and our libraries usually have games, and the main library in the city has plenty of games. They get the latest games...but I have not borrowed any myself to be honest. I always walk by the game section when I am there for books, and I am glad that they offer games for Playstation, Xbox, and Switch.

[hangdang]

Most libraries have a terrible selection. Most adults can also just buy their own games, so they "you should to" section of your title isn't necessary. Nobody needs to be told how to buy games by someone else.

A little tip thing I used to do in my younger days when I was broke wasto go to Gamestop, buy a used game, and then return it within 2 weeks for a full refund. More or less a rental service if you do it right.

[GtPawnSacrifices]

These places were everywhere in the 90s, you could even do movies.
Now, a single 1 in my state.