Renting Games

[Robofire]

I was browsing Direct2Drive, and I noticed they have a feature where users can "rent" a game, $5 for 5 hours of play. If the person then chooses to purchase the game, whatever money he spent on rentals is discounted from the sale, so nobody will end up paying more than the game originally cost. Unfortunately, this promising service turned out to be useless, as only 4 games were available for renting. Any chance a feature like this might be implemented on Steam, for all games? Prices or rental times might vary from game to game. I know I would be significantly more likely to pay $5-$10 for a few hours of gameplay on titles like Dead Space 2 than I am to pay the full $60, and I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same way.

Plus, this way every game has a sort of a demo.

This could make a lot of money for Steam from people who would normally turn to the high seas to play their games.

[slayvus]

There is roughly 70-80 hours of game play in Divinity II. At $5 for 5 hours thats $70-80 to completely beat the game.

Where as you can buy the game for $30.

[Robofire]

Originally Posted by slayvus

There is roughly 70-80 hours of game play in Divinity II. At $5 for 5 hours thats $70-80 to completely beat the game.

Where as you can buy the game for $30.

Then you would choose the option of buying the game, obviously. Renting would be an alternative, not the only option.

[thejadefalcon]

Originally Posted by Robofire

Any chance a feature like this might be implemented on Steam, for all games?

But then who would buy a Call of Duty game? Activision is so poor, they need every penny you can give them and more! If you let people rent their games, those people would be able to play the entire campaign for $5 and that just won't do!

[DragonFlyM13]

personally i think this won't be considered. would make it WAY too easy to pirate games.

[thejadefalcon]

Originally Posted by DragonFlyM13

personally i think this won't be considered. would make it WAY too easy to pirate games.

How so? It would be fairly easy I think that, if you can set up a renting system, to restrict it to X user for Y time.

[Monster_user]

How is renting different from free weekends?

[Endsieg]

Originally Posted by Monster_user

How is renting different from free weekends?

Free weekends are good, they promote sometimes a good game but with a dead mp and make more people interested in their product, thus increasing the activity on the specific game community.


While Renting games are only the most ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ thing ever.

[thejadefalcon]

Originally Posted by Endsieg

Free weekends are good, they promote sometimes a good game but with a dead mp and make more people interested in their product, thus increasing the activity on the specific game community.


While Renting games are only the most ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ thing ever.

Yes, because that totally explains why they are.

[DarthPsymon]

I've made this suggestion before, ish, and I'm generally in favour of renting games on steam.

I was just thinking the same damn thing, I think Steam could conquer some serious territory over others. Like other competitors who allow people to rent console games, I don't think they do PC games because that just wouldn't even work XD. Anywho, STEAM should freaking go for it and I love the whole freakin idea!

[Acetyl]

Originally Posted by albion86

I was just thinking the same damn thing, I think Steam could conquer some serious territory over others. Like other competitors who allow people to rent console games, I don't think they do PC games because that just wouldn't even work XD. Anywho, STEAM should freaking go for it and I love the whole freakin idea!

There is something wrong with you.

[TrueBlade]

Publishers wouldn't make as much money if they let people rent their games so they won't do it.

[tdring]

if you ask me it would be a good idea
instead have a model like this
steam pays for X many game copies at X cost of the digital download (or retail -10% or whatever)
then steam rents these copies to users and gains the money back from the servers

the game company gets the same amount of money because there product is paid for in full based on servers

and to make it so steam cant have an endless pit of revenue make it so that each server can only be used for X amount of rental copies

it would make it so the game reaches more players and gets more people to play
it makes it so steam has to rebuy the copies
steam makes a ittle money the dev makes money and steams users are happy with purchases
and most likely more copies of the game are bought because they were able to try it

[Heart's Soul]

Originally Posted by tdring

if you ask me it would be a good idea
instead have a model like this
steam pays for X many game copies at X cost of the digital download (or retail -10% or whatever)
then steam rents these copies to users and gains the money back from the servers

the game company gets the same amount of money because there product is paid for in full based on servers

and to make it so steam cant have an endless pit of revenue make it so that each server can only be used for X amount of rental copies

it would make it so the game reaches more players and gets more people to play
it makes it so steam has to rebuy the copies
steam makes a ittle money the dev makes money and steams users are happy with purchases
and most likely more copies of the game are bought because they were able to try it

Better idea. You get the game at only 25% the cost, but you can only play for 1 week before it forcibly uninstalls EVERY LAST GAME FILE, with the registry being the last to avoid free copies.

While that may open a way for pirates, can't the game also be limited in the content that you have, so you can tell if it's a pirated copy or not?

Now, let's have a better AND realistic idea. Let's have demos for games. Like, you know, what we already have and what I decide my purchases off of? Why have demos when you can have rentals?