Rent PS2 Games ?

Wondering if you should rent ps2 games online or not? Don't feel alone. Many are asking the same question, regardless of the specific game system they use.

Video games are expensive, and that holds true even for the top titles on older systems. For example, even though Playstation 3 has been available for quite a while, the best PS2 games still won't be "inexpensive" to buy for quite some time. I'd plan on spending $40 to $60 per top game title well into the future, and that gets cost prohibitive pretty quick.

So at the top of the advantage list for this option - you get to try before you buy. That's huge.

When you rent PS2 games, (or xbox 360, etc.), you get to see first-hand if you'll really enjoy a game, verify it plays ok on your system, and decide if it can retain your interest past the first few plays. In short - you get to make sure it's fun at a fraction of the purchase price.

If it passes the video game rental test and you still want it in your library, then you can usually buy a copy direct from the rental service at a pretty good discount. In fact, Gamefly does a great job of this if you'd like to take a look.

But if the game title was boring, too violent (or not enough), or failed your rental test in any way, no problem. Simply return it without a second thought and get another game title to try. Used this way, online video game rentals can save quite a bit of money by allowing you to filter out games that look good, but simply don't turn out that way.

A second benefit to rent PS2 games online is you can play more game titles than you could probably do otherwise. The test and keep option is great for long term games like Halo, or multi-player online games like Resident Evil 5, Call of Duty, or Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360 games used as examples), but those aren't the only types of games available. Renting online gives you access to tons of game titles you can simply play, win and return for new ones. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of games out there, and probably some in a genre you haven't explored yet. (Maybe they're even calling to you to be played)!

If that type of game play is of interest, a video game rental program could be a good decision for you. You can rent PS2 games without having to buy them, return any that are boring, get a couple multi-player titles and either invite friends over, or dive right into a long RPG or story-based game on your own. The choice is definitely yours.

So on the benefits side, there's a huge array of game types and titles, discounts on purchases (if you want that option), and with a video game rental by mail service, the games come right to your door. If that's for you, then by all means, sign up, dig in, try some new games and start saving yourself some money in the process.

Yes, this is actually possible - but there's a twist ...

Blockbuster has been thinking about getting into the online video game rental business for quite a while. But Gamefly's program is pretty much the king of the hill today. In fact, as of this writing - my Blockbuster account still only allows me to buy video games online ... but ...

Blockbuster does provide an option that Gamefly can not. First, you sign up to rent movies online and get the DVD's coming straight to your mailbox. Yes, you can buy video games online at good discounts, but better yet, turn your movies into the neighborhood Blockbuster store and get one of two things. Either take home a free movie, or get great discounts on renting video games right from the store. We think that's a pretty good idea.

Many of the above benefits to rent PS2 games apply here as well, except that you can deal directly with your local store. If that's a positive in your book, and you like to rent movies as well as video games, then this is definitely something to look into. If that interests you, more information is available at the Blockbuster.com site.

If not going to a storefront is the primary reason for thinking about a video game rental program, then Gamefly is probably still the best option.

Most online video game rental programs require a monthly membership, and unless you get around the $20 range, you usually can't keep enough games on hand to make it worthwhile. So if a monthly fee doesn't fit the budget, then a rental program probably isn't for you.

If you don't play a lot of games (or want to), then a membership will just cost money. As noted in the video, starting out will probably be fun, but the monthly fee keeps coming even if you let your game playing lapse. So to rent PS2 games online and stay happy with the program, you'll either need to play and return games frequently, or play and buy the games you want to keep.

But if you still like to play, then don't pay store prices for games. Buy video games online instead, where the overhead of keeping the lights on and the employees paid isn't nearly as much an issue. Online buying options are almost endless, but at the top of our list is Amazon.com. They have a great program for buying about any game title you can think of ... many at highly discounted prices.

It really is that simple. If you play a ton of games, get bored quickly with the ones you have, or just can't wait to get your hands on the latest game release, then find a program to rent PS2 games online and have fun! Again, we think Gamefly is a great choice, but that's up to you.

On the other hand, if you only play once in a while, then we recommend trying the games you want to play at a friends ... or read all the reviews you can, and then buy a copy of your own at a good online buying service like Amazon.com.

We have some additional thoughts at our Rent PS2 Games and Resident Evil 5 Xbox360 sites if you'd like to take a look. But whatever you decide ... Thanks for visiting and we hope you have a great time with your next video game, be it purchased, rented or even borrowed.