GameZnFlix (we always hated that silly spelling) appears to be out of business as of December 2008. We keep our old review as it was for posterity (and hope many new triallers heeded our warnings below and didn't get fleeced as this company crashed.)
GameZnFlix is a combined games and DVD rental company; good for the convenience, but it means they fail to do either mission well. Moreover, with an stock price of less than a penny, we're concerned about their future, and can't in good faith suggest anyone sign up with them under the present conditions. Six game rental companies closed last year, and in the such cases customers are often left holding the bag in case of bankruptcy.
Founded in 2002, they have an impressive nine distribution facilities, located near Boston, Washington D.C., Orlando, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Franklin Kentucky. Their limited selection of games will be sufficient for the casual gamer, but we suggest hardcore gamers pass and instead look at one of the gaming specialist websites, especially if they want the hottest new releases or more obscure titles.
They have a fair selection of game for most platforms (all but the handhelds, PSP, Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance). One thing they do well is divide their games into an unmatched 64 genres (including obscure ones like Hunting, Trivia, and Economic)--we've never seen so many video game genres on a rental site in any English-speaking country, and we're quite impressed; this should really help when browsing.
The GameZnFlix browsing engine is pretty good when you click on Advanced Search. Many titles have trailers you can watch, and both purchase and rent buttons. The synopses are often lengthy and detailed, a major plus, and they list Studio, Length, Cast (all hyperlinked, often over a dozen listed vice the top few stars), and Genre. The site was relaunched in September 2007 with a much sleeker green and black look, and the slogan, "Life without pause," as well as a decision to focus on the games side of the business, while still providing a solid films service.
They also claim to stock 50,000 film titles (but when we checked the site it said only about 20,000 were available) )which are divided into an impressive 14 genres. In June 2006, they even added audiobooks--to us it seems like they're trying to be all things to all people, but the lack of focus means lack of depth.
In 2007 they added a customer service phone line, open M-F 8-5 CST, a very welcome addition. However, there are no parental controls, which is a downside if you have a family, and a surprising omission. We've heard complaints about the lack of new release game titles and such, and we're not surprised.
GameZnFlix has a very useful Availability Status function which lets you gauge how soon you may receive a given title: Pending means will be shipped within 24 hours, Available means in stock and ready to ship, Short wait means should be able to get to you within 14 days, In Demand means should ship within 30 days, High Demand means will take over 30 days, possibly much longer, Not Released is self explanatory, and On Order means the title has specifically been ordered for the customer and should arrive within 30 days.
They even have introduced a video on demand service, so you can download previews and own movies for as low as $5.99 on Windows Media Player. In October 2007, they also added Gamebyte podcasts and video blog, for great commentary on the latest games.
Prices: Whatever its problems, GameZnFlix has some of the lowest prices around and a 14-day free trial. Game plans are 1 game or DVDs out for $8.99 per month, $12.99 for 2 games or DVDs out, and $16.99 for 3 games out.
They give a one-month free trial to military members, retirees, and Department of Defense employees, something we haven't seen from any other company.
Video Game Rental Basics